Caravan & Camper Trailer Canvas Perth

When we talk about awnings and annexes, we refer to the roof as the awning and the wall kit as the annex. Both canvas and PVC options are available to be made with the annexes but generally prefer to make the awnings out of a PVC material as it’s more suitable to this application.

With PVC, we can join panels without welding allowing less opportunity for the material to leak. With the annex walls, some people prefer canvas while others prefer PVC, neither is right nor wrong and Morley Canvas can manufacture to suit what you prefer.

Canvas annexes are generally heavier duty and tend to last longer as you can be a bit rougher with these without breaking them. The canvas material generally has a longer life span, however, are also a lot heavier and generally cost more to manufacture.

This can be an issue when minimising the amount of weight you are towing is a concern.

The other drawback with canvas is that if it's wet it gets even heavier and requires drying out as soon as possible to prevent mould and mildew. Canvas however can be waterproofed and is breathable making for a less greenhouse-like environment.

PVC annexes are more common to see around as they are more cost-effective and lighter to transport, also allowing the ability to pack them up wet for a short time as they generally drip dry and are easy to clean (although we still recommend drying them out when possible).

The beauty of PVC being lighter makes it easier to install and pack up. PVC can be patched with heat welding and the material itself is generally a block out material, providing strong protection from the sun and shade. However, for longer stays, PVC is not breathable like canvas so can get a bit sticky in the warmer climates.

The other option is to go for a mesh annex which is great for short stays that prevent most of the weather from entering your annex but still allow a bit of airflow throughout. An excellent alternative for the warmer areas, the mesh we use can either be easy to see through or a bit thicker to give you a bit more privacy. A great cost-effective way to entertain outside and not have to worry too much about flies or mosquitoes.

Whether it be canvas, PVC or mesh that you decide best suits your needs, each style is made the same way in which it joins to your annex and van making it easy enough to get one or more walls that are interchangeable. This way, you can put up a full PVC annex for the wetter months but half PVC half mesh for the warmer times, and so on.

Caravan annexes are an easy way to double the living space in your caravan by creating an additional room under your awning. The annex consists of two short walls, one main long wall and a draft strip that encloses all four sides of the van. To set this up is quite quick and easy.

First, start by extending your caravan awning and set the legs up approx 2m high at the roller end, locking in the side spreader bars (if you have centre support bars these can be installed now).

The main wall can go on now by sliding in the spare channel on the end roller until its even with the roof, the end wall sets the height of the awning so adjust the legs so that the bottom hem of the wall is just touching the ground (if its windy peg down walls and legs using the eyelets on the bottom hem).

On the sides of the van, you have two sail track channels one to the front of the van and one to the rear. Determine your front and rear walls and place these towards the front and rear of the van. Disconnect the rope edge off each wall using the zip and slide the rope up the track of the van until it’s near the top.

Next, grab the deflapper for the front wall and slide the front wall into the deflapper. Once in, connect the deflapper to the van and extend the deflapper to slot into the hole on the end of the awning. It may be easier for some to install the deflappers first than the wall, but we find this the easiest way to put the wall up.

Once the deflapper is secure, connect the zips on each end of the wall to the main wall and van zips that are in place and zip up. From here, simply clamp deflappers to the roof and complete the rear wall as per front (if windy, fix walls down with pegs).

Now we have all 3 walls up, we can install the draft strip. This is done by rolling it out alongside the van and installing it by clipping the press studs onto the van. Each sidewall can then be attached to the draft strip with the velcro flaps. If you haven't installed pegs or similar yet, complete the install by putting your pegs in and any additional guide ropes that the awning requires depending on your location and set up.

Depending on your van type you may be restricted to one or two types of awnings.

A traditional bag awning is the most universal solution to almost any van as the shape of the awning and annex is not restricted to where windows, doors or much of the shape of the van is concerned.

Carefree or Dometic awnings are the most common retractable systems on the market at the moment and lend themselves to be easy to set up and pack up with aftermarket components. This allows for annex walls to be installed with ease and be able to seal up quite well but may have limits when it comes to vans, wind up caravans, or odd-shaped caravans that taper or have a curved roof with little space to suit an awning.

These systems also may have issues with any toolboxes, windows or items that interfere with the location of the legs or potential annex walls to be secured.

The other types of awnings on the market are the Fiamma or cassette awnings. These generally roll up into a box or similar on a van and have no legs or small legs that are suitable to take the weight of the awning itself but are not always suitable to take the weight of annex walls. They are great for short trips or if you just want some shade or protection from light rain.

It's important to work out how you will be wanting to use your awning before you decide to invest to ensure that if you decide down the line you may want walls not all systems are suitable.

The team at Morley Canvas can run you through what systems are suitable for your van and what we can do with each system. Regardless, we don’t offer an “extensive range of ready-made products” - our products are custom manufactured to order - so rest assured you’ll always get the perfect fit.

The material used on caravan awnings is generally all waterproof. Common misconceptions that take place, however, when parked on a grassy site on a hot day cold night condensation may form on the inside of the roof and or walls. It’s also generally best to have a floor of some type down or a tarp as water can still run under the walls as they cannot seal completely to the ground, especially if on a slight hill or similar.