Driveaway Awning Rail

[t4_generation]

Hi All,

Is anyone using a driveaway awning, as opposed to a pull out canopy style?

How are you attaching to the van?

My previous van had a C-rail in the rain gutter, hidden by the pop top when it was down. Worked quite well with kador strip and a figure of 8 piece.

But I note the Westie roof is wider and the rain gutter is obscured. I don't want to screw a C-rail outside the pop top area as it might look a bit crap, and screwing holes into bodywork makes me nervous.

So I guess I'm looking at the relatively expensive Brandrup or Reimo rails. Was there a factory option?

:smile

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

No idea if there was a factory option, I don't remember seeing one for early vans.

I fitted a Reimo rail, not that we use a drive away awning (just sold it after it sat unused for a year and a half), but they are scary expensive now.

They do require drilling several holes in your van, but the big benefit is that water no longer drips down on you when you open the doors on that side in the rain. It they weren't so expensive I'd put one on the driver's side.

dan

 

[Billabus]

We have a 2001 T4 Westie Generation with Brandrup rails each side. They were fitted when we bought it in Germany in 2007. Not sure if they came as standard but suspect they did. e use a Khyam Motordiome Classic Awning which is really easy to put up, but for weekends, we use the Brandrup Top Sail, which is a heavy duty canopy that slides into the rail groove. It is very sturdy and hard wearing. We have had our canopy for 6 years and it still looks good, without spoiling the shape of the van.. Not cheap but highly recommend it.

 

[t4_generation]

I got a brandrup rail in the end and installed it myself, felt horrible drilling those holes in but it wasn't a terrible job to do.

Worst bit was squeezing the sikaflex out of the tube - only had a plastic "gun" and it was flexing all over the place. As a result probably didn't put quite enough on and didn't get it oozing out the edges to then smooth to a seal, so will need to run another bead along the top of the rail to stop water getting down in there.

Very sturdy bit of kit.