At 10:03 PM 3/10/98 +0000, Kevin Ainslie wrote:
>We have some friends in Alaska with a '97 Eurovan Camper.  They have a built
>in awning that came as part of the deal.  I was wondering if these are
>readily available for Westfalias and where one might find them.  Are they a
>big ticket item or can they be found at a reasonable price?  I would guess
>that installation couldn't be that complex of a process.

Hi Kevin,

You'll probably get plenty of responses to this question.  There are 2 main
choices:  Camping World [check their website] offers the A & E Catalina 2500
[?] for about $299, depending on what kind of sale they have on.  There's a
bracket you must have with it, about $45.  They charge installation for both
the awning and the bracket.  The sales can help--usually only about 10% off
the price, but sometimes they will offer either free installation, or free
shipping [depending if you have a store near you; they don't charge shipping
if you pick it up, as it is a regularly stocked item].  Several people have
found this one very satisfactory.

The other one I've heard about comes from Carefree of Colorado, and I think
costs a little more.  Described as possibly more "aerodynamic" in the housing.

Both have been reported to work well.  Brochures are readily available from
Carefree, as are catalogs from Camping World.  A few wks ago, a listee in WA
posted a Carefree incl. bracket at a fairly good price.  I decided against
it because the mfr. had mentioned in the brochure that while it could be
opened by one person, two would be better.

Now that the archives are back--and better than ever!  [hooray, and many
thanks to Ron], you can get lots of info there on awnings.

Good luck,

gail