‘How do I connect a drive-away awning to my VW campervan’ & ‘Which Drive-Away kit do I need to connect to my camper’ are the most common questions we get asked here at Funky Leisure. So we have put all our knowledge into this ultimate guide for whichever post 90’s model VW Transporter you own - T4, T5 or T6, we’ll talk through the connection options in this post.
For earlier VW Vans see our How to Connect a Vango AirBeam Awning to a VW T2 Bay, Splitscreen or T25 post.
When using any Drive-Away connection method we always recommend marking your position on the driver’s side before driving away. Simply peg a guyline next to your tyres (approx. 5cm from the edges) with the front of the marker at your front wheel centre so you know exactly where to stop.
VW T4/T5/T6 with NO Awning Rail or Wind Out Awning attached
If your T4, T5 or T6 does not have any sort of Awning Rail or Wind Out Canopy attached then throw-over straps/guylines are your first connection option and are included with all the Drive-Away Awnings we stock as standard.
These are connected to the top corner edges of the awning tunnel and simply go over the top of the vehicle and peg down on the other side. Throw over straps/guylines can also be used with elevating roofs as they will go around either end of the pop top.
Top Tip: if it is very windy and you are concerned about the straps rubbing on your vans paintwork, you can use the Guyline/Webbing Strap - Vehicle Paintwork Protectors or DIY with some short lengths of foam pipe lagging to protect the edge of the roof.
Whilst throw over straps are a great option for many customers they do not provide as secure a fit as connecting to an awning rail or wind out awning as there are no set fixings along the middle of the awning tunnel.
You can help to secure the centre of the awning further with the following methods:
Velcro Roof Bar Tabs
These are fitted to all Vango Awnings as standard and simply loop and secure along roof bars if you have these fitted.
This kit requires a flat section of roof so cannot be use with roof bars or an elevating roof. It contains 6 x Limpet Suction Kits which secure to the roof of the vehicle with figure of 8 to slide the awning into.
This kit requires a flat section of roof so cannot be use with roof bars or an elevating roof. It contains a 3m length of Magnetic material with figure of 8 attachments to connect to your awning.
Whilst these methods can be used on their own, we feel that using them in unison with the throw-over straps provides a much secure connection.
If you don’t think this method is for you then check out our guides on how to fit an awning rail to your T4, T5 or T6 and find more info on connecting to these rails in the next section:
How to fit a C-Channel C-Profile Awning Rail to a VW T4, T5 or T6
How to Fit a C-Channel Awning Rail Under a VW T5/T6 Elevating Roof
VW T4/T5/T6 with a C-profile awning rail attached
If your van has a Reimo Multi-Rail or C-channel awning rail fitted, you can use a standard 6mm to 6mm Drive-Away Kit to connect a Drive-Away Awning. All Drive-Away awnings that we stock have 6mm kador beading sewn in which will connect with this Drive-Away Kit
The kit includes a 3m length of 6mm-to-6mm Kador and 3 to 4 lengths of Figure of 8 plastic extrusion which join the awning to the awning rail.
To use simply slide the Figure of 8 onto the drive-away awning beading and then slide on side of the the 6mm-to-6mm Kador strip into the rail and the side in to the Figure of 8 to connect. Simply pull the 6mm-to-6mm Kador strip out to detach and drive away.
VW T4/T5/T6 with a California Style Awning Rail Fitted
This aluminium T-channel rail is fitted to most VW California’s as standard. These rails are also available as an aftermarket product so can also be found fitted onto any other converted VW van.
A standard 6mm-to-6mm Drive-Away Kit will not fit this rail as the opening is slightly too large. The solution - you can use a Twin 6mm to 6/4mm which allows you to slide both the 6mm and 4mm kador on the vehicle side into the California Rail for a secure connection.
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The VW Fitted California Rail can also take the addition of a VW manufactured detachable rubber insert that was originally designed to fit a standard 6mm-to-6mm kits. We have had customers report that due to the rubber design this insert does not securely hold the 6mm kador in. Therefore, if you wish to simply remove the insert you can use the Twin 6mm to 6/4mm as above or the insert can be used with a Pole and Clamp Kit.
VW T4/T5/T6 Vans with a Wind-Out Awning Fitted
Wind Out Awnings are one of the most popular accessories to have on the side of your Transporter and allow you to attach a Drive-Away Awning to a c-profile channel on the front edge.
Fiamma Wind-Out Awnings use a slightly smaller channel on the front edge which is used with a 6mm-to-4mm Drive-Away Kit to connect.
Most other manufacturers on the market including Thule, Dometic and VW Factory Fitted Windouts use the standard 6mm-to-6mm Drive-Away Kit to connect an awning.
We do always recommend double checking the size of the channel on your Wind Out awning to make sure you are ordering the correct kit – or alternatively the Twin 6mm to 6/4mm Kit has both sizing options to fit any model.
VW T4/T5/T6 Vans with a J-rail fitted
J-rail, J-profile rail or similar is sometimes fitted to high-top vans and T4’s to create a simple lip. You can connect an awning onto the lip using Figure of 8 Channel – slide this onto the awning Kador and hook it over the J-rail lip. This method does rely on the tension of the fabric pulling away from the van to stay attached and can sometimes come off in windy weather.
We hope this article has been useful.
The Funky Leisure Team