Trail Langley Skylight Driveaway Awning

£599.99 (Now on Sale for £297.49)

One of the best parts of the warm summer weather is venturing into the countryside to enjoy some blissful days away from the stress of the city. All it takes is throwing some things in my van and pitching up in a camping field somewhere to feel a bit of bliss. I’ve often just settled for a regular tent, popping to and from it to my van when I need things. However, when I saw the chance to test out a van tent awning, I jumped at the chance.

The Trail Langley Skylight Driveaway Awning is designed to provide you with extra space when you’re touring or campervanning. The awning fits most mid-sized vans, compact campers, and multi-purpose vehicles, and means you can create a lounge or sleeping area, whilst keeping you connected to your van. Made from heavy-duty TRX210T 70D polyester, the awning attaches to the side awning rail of your van and provides a complete awning space reinforced with durable taped seams and a clip-in heavy-duty groundsheet. However, one of the main perks of the awning is that you can just unclip the awning from your vehicle and drive away without needing to disassemble it. This means you can leave your awning to pop to the shops or take a trip to the local beach, without the need to take everything apart first.

The Langley Skylight Driveaway Awning was super easy to put up, with the included driveaway kit helping to seamlessly attach the awning to the side of my van. You then connect the roll-out awning to the floor via the ground pegs and hi-vis guy ropes, and the shape of the awning begins to take shape through the fibreglass pole that gives it structure and stability. The awning includes 2 side door panels which sit close to the side of your van, providing coverage when accessing your vehicle through the side or front zipped door. In the main section, the awning benefits from full-length PVC windows, which provide great light to the inside of the awning. Plus, there are skylights, which allow you to stargaze at night and provide extra light during the day. However, be sure to close the toggle curtains to the skylight when you’re done stargazing; if not, you might be woken up super early like I was when the morning light began creeping in!  

One of the great aspects of the awning is the extended front canopy section, which provides extra covered space where you can cook or store your items to keep them sheltered from the inevitable rain showers of British summer time! This makes the whole awning feel a lot larger, and makes staying in a camping ground more comfortable as you don’t feel as confined to your campervan or tent alone. Inside, there’s plenty of room for either a few chairs and a table, or for a sleeping area. The included ground sheet helps to keep the inside clean, protects well from draughts and stops any unwanted insects from venturing in. I will note that, if you do choose to use the awning for sleeping like I did, you might be interested in purchasing the additional clip-in pod that blocks out sunlight for a better night's sleep, uninterrupted by early morning light. I think it would be super useful if I were using the awning for multiple nights in a row, but for the occasional trip, it's not an essential.

The entire design of the Langley Skylight Driveaway Awning has been designed with functionality in mind, with every aspect from the included front storm straps to the lantern hooks has been taken into consideration. These help make the awning super functional and make it a lovely place to rest when enjoying some peace from the hectic nature of everyday life. With plenty of space for a range of activities, without feeling cramped, it is the perfect choice if you love touring or campervanning across the country during the summer to make stops just that little bit more comfortable.

Pros:

• Easy installation for a whole range of vehicles/vehicle heights, aided by the included easy-to-install driveaway kit
• Great size where you can comfortably stand in it, with plenty of extra space for a sitting or sleeping area
• Strong and durable structure designed to withstand typical British weather
• Driveaway design means you don’t need to take down the entire awning if you want to move your van

Cons:

• During summer, the light can creep in quite early, which isn’t ideal if you want to sleep in, but the included toggle curtains do help but if you’re easily woken by light, the additional purchase of a sleep pod might be ideal!