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It’s your first night in a new awning, on a trip you’ve been looking forward to for months. You’ve had an image of a cosy room in your head: somewhere you can sit with a drink, maybe play some cards with friends, and chat while the light slowly begins to fade. Instead, what you’ve actually got is an empty room with a faint smell of damp and a plastic-coated floor that creaks every time someone steps on it. Everyone starts checking their watches, until someone finally suggests “going inside, just for a bit.” Not quite the start to the trip you had in mind.
If that paints a familiar scene, don’t worry. First-night awning disappointment is very common, and it’s rarely the awning itself. The better news is that turning it into a space you actually want to spend time in isn’t about forking out for another big investment. It comes down to a handful of small, clever and relatively inexpensive tweaks.
*This is a collaborative post. For more details, please see my Disclosure Policy.
Start with the floor
It might be the least exciting thing to buy, but nothing changes the feel of the space faster. A bare, basic groundsheet feels cold and lumpy, and you shouldn’t be surprised to feel a chill blowing up over your feet. Hardly the definition of cosy.
There are far more comfortable options. Interlocking foam tiles and breathable woven matting fix all of this quickly, and the space holds its warmth much better.
There is something to watch out for, though. Anything non-breathable blocks out air and moisture, and it can kill the grass underneath in a matter of days. Sites are well aware of this, which is why many of them refuse non-breathable groundsheets and won’t respond kindly to anyone who tries to use one. Check your site’s rules before you buy anything and err on the side of caution. It’s also the sort of purchase where a few extra pounds make a big difference to something you’ll use every day. If you’re going for more than a weekend, it’s essential packing.
Light your awning like you would your home
You wouldn’t have your living room looking like a scene from an interrogation. By that I mean you don’t switch on one big overhead light and then sit under it. You’d have a small lamp here, a coloured glow there, light coming from different heights. An awning should be no different. One bright lantern hanging from the roof will flatten everything and make the space feel like a floodlit car park — hardly the most flattering light for the holiday photos, either.
Try a string of battery festoon lights along one edge, a rechargeable lantern on a side table, and something small and low down in a corner. Keep everything in a warm tone and nothing too bright. Cold blue-white LEDs make any room feel clinical rather than comfortable, whether it’s indoors or out.
Go for comfort, not camping kit
I find a good aim for a holiday is to be in a sitting position as much as possible, but perhaps that’s just me. Either way, don’t perch. Folding camping chairs have a knack of making people hover on the edge of them. A small rug, a side table at the right height for a mug, and a soft throw make the place feel chosen rather than tolerated.
But be realistic about weight and space. Every item takes up boot room and adds weight, so pick two or three comfortable things and remember you’re not furnishing a palace. Take whatever you’d actually reach for every evening and leave the rest at home.
Keep the air moving
Awnings take a huge amount of unfair blame for condensation, when the real culprits are cooking, wet coats and breathing. Warm, damp air hits cool fabric and turns into water. Remember those secondary school science lessons?
Don’t be tempted into thinking the answer is sealing every zip — that makes it worse, because the moisture then has nowhere to go. Leave a vent or window panel cracked open instead. Think about what you’d do with a car window. Do it even on a chilly night, and hang wet jackets somewhere other than the main living area.
In the morning, wipe down any damp patches and, more importantly, let the awning dry fully before it goes back in the bag — particularly on the final pack-down at the end of the season. Otherwise you’ll end up with mould, and nobody wants to deal with that. A breathable floor helps here too, so the two fixes work together.
Get the size right
Even if you’ve followed all of this and bought yourself a collection of new comforts, there’s one thing that undoes the lot: if the awning is the wrong size, it will never feel comfortable. Too big and it sags and flaps; too small and it leaves gaps for the wind and rain to find.
Measure your caravan’s awning rail properly rather than guessing from the van’s length or copying a friend’s setup. The measurement runs around the rail channel from one bottom edge to the other, and a step-by-step walkthrough of how to take it is worth ten minutes of your evening. Then check the figure against a size chart before you order — retailers who deal in awnings all day, such as the awning specialists at CamperNation, will usually talk you through it for free. If you land between two sizes, ask someone who fits them regularly. Ten minutes saves a lot of disappointment.
Back to that first evening
Same pitch, same weather. But the floor is warm now. There’s soft light glowing at three different heights and a gentle bit of fresh air moving through. There’s a throw over the chair and the kettle is on. Nobody’s heading back to the caravan. It doesn’t feel like a big empty tent any more. It’s your living room — it just happens to have a canvas roof.