16 TWK July/August 2016 Travel News
How to beat the camping squeeze!
Regular readers will know that Team Thompson are keen campers and often take to the road in Beryl, their trusty 1972 VW Bay, to put family travel kit through its paces. With a family of five, things can be a bit of a squash and a squeeze at times so the Team decided to test-drive an awning this season in the hope of adding some much needed additional living space… by ALLY THOMPSON
Galli AirAway Drive-Away Awning from Vango
THERE is a huge awning range to choose from for touring caravans and motorhomes, some that are ultra- modern and others that try to stay true to the campervan retro style.
We wanted something that looked good and provided as much extra space as possible, along with being fast and easy to put up – trying to get three under 8s to stay in one place for any length of time is virtually impossible so time is of the essence!
Our search lead us to some of the market leaders when it comes to inflatable awnings - we’ve tested a number of tents in recent years that make use of the new air and pump technology, eliminating the need for conventional poles and the difference in set-up time is amazing… The next challenge was to find one that would provide a good fit with our lower height VW. The Vango Airaway Drive- Away awnings are available in several different designs with the Galli model being their latest addition for 2016. The Galli comes in three sizes - Tall, Standard and Low. The Low model is the perfect size for a VW Bay so at last we had a physical match for Beryl but would it do what we needed it to?
The answer is a resounding “yes”. Unlike most other awnings, the Galli sits flush to the van lengthwise rather than sitting at a right angle, taking up less pitch space. The pre-angled AirBeams ensure greater internal space too rather than curved beams and provided a very effective
brace against the wind when we were pitched in gales along the Antrim Coast.
The curved roof allows for extra headroom and the groundsheet is completely sewn in making for a draft free space. A pre-attached 6mm Kador strip combined with a Drive-Away Fixing Kit (25GBP) meant that attaching the Galli Low to Beryl was quick and easy. A door in the connecting panel between the awning and the van was a great addition for ease of entry to Beryl and the awning’s porch area was a huge bonus for drizzly weather. The pièce de résistance however was the amount of time needed to set it up. On our first outing, only 14 minutes and I’m confident we’ll get quicker each time. In short, Vango’s Galli Low is definitely a keeper for Team Thompson and Beryl so we’ve now ordered the inner bedroom and Galli carpet for some added luxury this summer. Happy camping! RRP 800GBP. Please visit
www.vango.co.uk for the full spec and stockist info.
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