How to Choose a Driveaway Awning

(For campervans and motorhomes that want a bit more room.)

If you’re travelling by campervan or motorhome rather than tent, a driveaway awning solves a problem tents don’t have. You get a proper extra room, somewhere to cook, sit, or dry off, without giving up the ability to actually drive off and explore for the day. Pitch it once, unclip it from the van in seconds, and reattach when you’re back. If you’re camping with a tent instead, our guide to choosing a bigger family tent covers that side of things.

It’s a different kind of kit to anything we’ve covered so far, so here’s what actually matters when picking one, rather than what the box tells you.

Measure Your Van’s Awning Rail Height First

This is the single most important number before you buy anything. Driveaway awnings are sold by height range, low, mid or tall, matched to where your van’s awning rail actually sits.

Measure from the ground to the rail itself, not to the roof, before you buy anything. Most retailers list this clearly, but it’s worth double-checking against your own van rather than assuming.

Inflatable or Poled

Same trade-off as tents, really. Inflatable (“air”) awnings pitch faster, usually one valve, one pump, done in a few minutes, and they tend to handle wind better since there are no rigid poles to bend or snap. Poled awnings are typically cheaper for the same size, but take longer to put up and pack away.

If you’re setting up and taking down often, moving between sites every night or two, the extra cost of an inflatable model tends to earn its keep quickly.

Check the Fitting System Before You Buy

Driveaway awnings attach to your van’s awning rail using a strip called kador or beading, and it comes in a couple of common widths, usually 4mm or 6mm. Most awnings are sold with a fitting kit included, but not always, and not every kit fits every van.

If you already own a van with a specific rail type, it’s worth checking the awning’s listed fitting before ordering, or picking up a universal twin-beading kit separately as a safety net.

Weather Protection Matters More Than You’d Think

Same hydrostatic head principle as with tents, look for a rating in mm on the fabric, and don’t assume “waterproof” on the label means genuinely waterproof in a proper UK downpour. Awnings sit in one spot for days at a time rather than one night, so they take more sustained weather than a tent pitched for a single evening.

Ventilation panels are worth checking too, awnings attached directly to a van’s exhaust heat and cooking steam can get surprisingly damp inside without decent airflow.

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