The Hall’s Jiffy Awning

Outline

The Jiffy Awning for our Avan camper trailerprovides weather protection for quick overnight stops. It is easily erected asthe design is similar to a dome hike tent. The awning is attached to the camper side wall and is independent of the site, so it does not matter if the camper is on sand or concrete, or if the ground slopes. Normally there are no tent poles, guys or pegs. As the tracks are on the wall there is no need to pull the awning into its track before raising the roof, or to fight with it as the roof goes up.

Erection

After the roof is erected,stand inside on the right hand side, fold down the left wall and draw the awning into tracks on the outside of the wall. Secure the eyelet at the peak of the canopy.

Raise the wall again, with the awning hanging down outside. Secure the ridge pole in position inside the awning with threemiddle Velcro ties.

Insert the pole ends in the pole anchors at the ends of the roof, bending the pole to suit. Secure the remaining Velcro ties and Velcro straps at the ends of the ridge. Now clip the ends of the guy rope to eyes beneath the corners of the camper.

All done in a Jiffy!

Threetabs with eyelets are spaced along the ridge for attachingstorm poles and guys if a strong wind gets up.


Materials

  • Light weight (1½ oz) synthetic tent fabric 5.5m x 2.5m. Failing suitable material by the metre, we bought 2 cheap lightweight tarps, cut off the hems and eyelets and sewed them together.
  • Sectional fibreglass ridge pole 5.3m long. Our pole is 11.5mm OD in 500mm sections with tubular metal joiners held by a central elastic cord. The pointed end fittings looselyfit the holes in the pole anchors.
  • 2 sections of caravan awning track 2m longand stainless self-tapping screws.
  • 4.2m of bolt rope to suit the track allowing for the thickness of the fabric to be wrapped around it. We found braided rope easier to pull into the track than woven rope. (Yacht shop)
  • 6m of 9mm diameter synthetic guy rope. Stainless spring hooks for guy rope ends and SS eyebolts for camper floor. (Yacht shop). Fit a tent guy spring at each end.
  • Toggle pin to secure the eyelet at the peak of the canopy. (Yacht shop).
  • Big eyelets.
  • Pole anchors. We made themfrom old white kitchen cutting board, 35 x 35mm with oversized angled holesto loosely fit the pole ends.
  • 7 Velcro loops to secure the ridge pole.
  • Lengths of Velcro fixed along the front and back of the camper roofto take straps extending from the corners of the awning, tensioning the ridge line.

Construction Notes

  • This design is for a Cruiseliner which requires an awning measuring 2240mmfrom peak to pole anchor along each track, and with pole anchors 2540 apart. For Avans of different size, such as Aliners, proportion all dimensions in the ratio of the required length along the tracks. Any discrepancy in the distance between pole anchors can be taken up by pole flex.
  • The drawing shows the overall shape of the canopy and skirt. Add allowances for hems and French seams and for the fold-back around the bolt rope.
  • A key design feature is the continuous downward curve of the guy rope which imposes a downward load over the length of the pole.
  • A key design feature is the continuous downward curve of the guy rope which imposes a downward load over the length of the pole.
  • The guy rope is contained in apocket attached below the skirt. It is straight, 100mm wide andunder 5000mm long
  • 7 Velcro loops to secure the pole are attached at reinforced points along the inside of the ridge.
  • 3 reinforced triangular tabs with eyelets to accept storm poles are attached to the outside of the ridge at Velcro locations.
  • An eyelet is fitted at the reinforced peak of the canopy.
  • Fix the pole anchors low on the roof sides near front and back

Door Stay

The awning does contact the top of the door when the door is open, soa limit stop is advisable to avoid wearing the material. This can be made from a length of PVC tube enclosing an elastic shock cord connecting the eyes of the existing door hook.

Jiffy Offside Awning

Erecting awnings on both sides controls sunlight and heat from all directions and enables windows to be left open during downpours. This is great for the tropics.

The offside awning is permanently attached to a track above the window and to a fiberglass rod anchored at each end by blocks with conical holes. An elastic shock cord passing through two eyes beneath the window connects to the fiberglass rod at two points. A small inverted hook is fitted to the wall above the awning.

We fold the offside wall, and standing in the camper, pull the awning upin and downunder the hook as the elastic cord stretches. Done!

Caution: When the camper is folded the space between wall and roof is quite limited.

David and Joyce HallRevised April 2009