Look what I made for my Cali today

Beeechke1 · Aug 25, 2022

Having returned from a very hot trip to Spain and Portugal in May/June this year, I have now made a front and side sun shade. Made from a lightweight ground sheet bought on Amazon and appliqué decorated with a vw sunshine.
AmaraBee

kurienp · Aug 25, 2022

Nice. Do you velcro it to the awning or did you attach a kador strip?

Beeechke1 · Aug 25, 2022

kurienp said:
Nice. Do you velcro it to the awning or did you attach a kador strip?

Thank you. I used a kador strip for this front one. However I have also made a side awning which wraps around the awning arm and fixed with Velcro. (I basically copied the one in the Brandrup catalogue).

capt kirk · Aug 25, 2022

Snap

ThomasHJ · Aug 25, 2022

Beeechke1 said:
View attachment 98383
Having returned from a very hot trip to Spain and Portugal in May/June this year, I have now made a front and side sun shade. Made from a lightweight ground sheet bought on Amazon and appliqué decorated with a vw sunshine.
AmaraBee

Do share dimensions and any other tips you can give (like how it's connected to the van or a link to the sheet on amazon). Might be a nice little project for others. Like me ;-)

2haw · Aug 25, 2022

A few years back, I clipped a ground sheet to the awning rail and to a tent pole that fitted perfectly in the awning feet to make this sunshade.

Made a lot more useable space.

I know there’s something similar on the market but the more basic the better in my opinion.

kurienp · Aug 26, 2022

2haw said:
and to a tent pole that fitted perfectly in the awning feet

now that is an idea! .... thank you.

SusiBus · Aug 26, 2022

2haw said:
A few years back, I clipped a ground sheet to the awning rail and to a tent pole that fitted perfectly in the awning feet to make this sunshade.

Made a lot more useable space.

I know there’s something similar on the market but the more basic the better in my opinion.

View attachment 98396

Sorry, looking at the picture you've posted, it looks to like you want to be cave dewlers. No awning, sunshades, less stuff! Bike rack for drying cloths on, that's all. Enjoy the view and what's going on around you.

Brembo · Aug 26, 2022

Tray for pull out shelf.

View attachment 20220826_103243.jpg

Scoobz1 · Aug 26, 2022

capt kirk said:
Snap

View attachment 98393

How where these sourced (any links ) and how where they attached please ?

capt kirk · Aug 26, 2022

Sorry ive looked back through my purchses but it dont go back that far, the tarps were all the same size which i think is 2x3 meters and attached with ball bungeis and rock pegs. We wrap the long one around the awning poles and form a tent to sleep in. Since doing this i have added extra holes in the tarps to peg them down better.

Scoobz1 · Aug 26, 2022

capt kirk said:
Sorry ive looked back through my purchses but it dont go back that far, the tarps were all the same size which i think is 2x3 meters and attached with ball bungeis and rock pegs. We wrap the long one around the awning poles and form a tent to sleep in. Since doing this i have added extra holes in the tarps to peg them down better.

Thanks for having a look - will see what i find ...

Beeechke1 · Aug 26, 2022

I used this groundsheet for both the front panel and the side panel. The front panel I used as is with Kador tape attached to the shorter edge, This gives room for kador attached guys to be attached as well so that when the front panel is rolled up the awning can still be guyed. The side panel I cut down to suit and I re-attached the corner guying rings to the bottom edge.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07KG285TL/?tag=eliteelect-21

Scoobz1 · Aug 26, 2022

Thanks for the info and link you just been looking at that one

2haw · Aug 26, 2022

SusiBus said:
Sorry, looking at the picture you've posted, it looks to like you want to be cave dewlers. No awning, sunshades, less stuff! Bike rack for drying cloths on, that's all. Enjoy the view and what's going on around you.

??

We’ve never had an awning and travel fairly light considering there is 5 of us, I was just showing what I’d knocked up for extra space in the shade as it was about 35 degrees in the Dordogne that day!

Diane sims · Aug 27, 2022

2haw said:
??

We’ve never had an awning and travel fairly light considering there is 5 of us, I was just showing what I’d knocked up for extra space in the shade as it was about 35 degrees in the Dordogne that day!

Do you……. Don’t explain yourself. Enjoy van life your way.

Steeble · Aug 28, 2022

How is the kador strip attached to the groundsheet

Beeechke1 · Aug 28, 2022

Steeble said:
How is the kador strip attached to the groundsheet

It is stitched on with my sewing machine - I attached it to the finished edge of the tarp and moved the tarp corner guy points to the base of the awning. I also added some blue string so that we can roll up the awning but keep in place when needed.

Beeechke1 · Mar 5, 2023

New season - new bench seat cover....

Our previous seat cover had worn out, so this one I have made from water resistant deckchair fabric, in the hope that it will be more hard wearing. The idea is to protect from splashes etc during cooking in the van, and to protect that outside corner which we tend to regularly touch as we get in and out of the van.

Fabric from

The Stripes Company - Striped Fabrics - Stripe Deckchair Fabrics

Stripes - Exclusive Bold Beautiful Striped Fabrics & Fabric Trimmings for Deckchairs, Curtains, Blinds & Upholstery. Deckchairs, Directors Chairs and Matching Striped Accessories for Beach, Home Interiors and Garden

www.thestripescompany.com

based near Chester, but purchased the fabric online.

Amara Beechey