When travelling, it’s important to keep yourself protected from the elements. One great way to do this is by building a caravan porch awning. If you want to to keep Mother Nature off your face, then this is a no brainer. Simply follow these instructions.

Complexity: Simple

The Plan

Items You’ll Be Using:

1. A canvas tarp

2. Tape Measure

3. Rope (preferably nylon)

4. Stakes

5. Poles that are adjustable for tents

6. Weatherproofing Scotchguard

Pre-Building Stage

This simple step is simply determining how big your caravan awning should be based on the space you have. Use your tape measure to figure out the caravan’s length. Tarps made out of canvas can be obtained in many sizes, but most are around nine feet in depth.

Ordering Your Canvas Tarp

Call up a verified canvas tarp seller and try to speak with someone who knows what they’re doing. Let them know how big your caravan is and what you want to do with it, then order the tarp perfect for you.

Purchase What Leftovers You Need

Make a stop at your local outdoors store and pick up the tent poles, stakes, and the nylon rope. For best results you should purchase six tent poles and one hundred feet of nylon rope. Try pre-constructed pieces to ensure the building process is as simple as possible. Get all the items and pieces of same together in the same room once your canvas tarp arrives and prepare to assemble your caravan porch awning, first at home.

Using The Right Area

Park your caravan in a large enough space that fit the awning you’re desiring to build. The best thing to do is pick a spot with very soft earth. If you have to be somewhere not so soft, it’s not the end of the world. For tar roadways, use tent stakes and metal nails to drive through the tar. For concrete, hammer a stake into a crack, which will also avoid unnecessary damage.

Putting It All Together

Arrange your canvas tarp so it matches the sides you’ll be connecting it to on your caravan. You can spread it on the ground if it would help. Then, push the tip of one of the poles into the canvas tarp grommet nearest the caravan. Take care to lift the awning’s corner until it stands vertically. Hammer the pole into the ground, being sure to hold it steady until you’re fastened to the earth.

Creating Your Awning Line

This step is fairly simple, but extremely important. Designate fifteen feet of your rope for this task, knotting one end and making a loop of it so it will stay on the correct side of the canvas. Use this loop and carefully toss it over the high point of the vertical pole. This should allow you to fasten the other side with the stake, which will then be driven deep into the canvas tarp by the loop. Make sure the loose end rope is secured by a stake.

Finishing Your Remaining Materials

Connect your final tent poles to their corresponding grommets. When finished, you should be looking at three awning poles for the rear and three more for the front of the awning.

Protecting Your Awning

Now you have your caravan porch awning and it looks great, but it’s very susceptible to weather damage. Spray your canvas tarp down with the Scotchguard you bought. Leave your tarp for three hours so it can dry, then go for a second coat. When you’re through, your awning will be weatherproofed for good. Remember to store your awning in a dry and cool place.

If you are in need of protection from bad weather while away on family excursions, you might want a caravan awning. Why not buy a retractable awning for yourself or even build it yourself? Do a little digging and you’ll turn up some fine prices for materials and more, as long as you’re looking at trusted websites that carry the appropriate merchandise.