Picking the best motorhome awning for your travels can be a great way to give yourself some valuable extra living or sleeping space when you’re staying at a motorhome site. It can even provide some useful extra room for storage if required.
The Practical Motorhome Awards 2023 are here to help you make the important decision about which awning is the best for you, as we reveal our top pick, as well as the other standout motorhome awnings.
In this guide, you’ll find motorhome awnings from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Isabella, Kampa, Trigano and more.
If you’re also on the lookout for some other useful accessories, our guide to the best motorhome sat navs is worth a look, as we share our pick of the standout products on the market.
The best motorhome awning is:
Isabella Buddy
Let’s face it, there are some valid reasons why awnings are not as popular among motorcaravanners as they are among caravanners, and it’s not just because motorcaravanning is supposed to be about getting up and going.
Awnings take up a lot of room to store, not to mention weight, and if storage space is at a premium in your motorhome, you probably don’t want to sacrifice a good part of it to something that is likely to be mucky and wet as well.
Isabella’s new Buddy system gets around this problem by making use of the roll-out awning you might very well already have on the side of your motorhome (possibly as a standard fitting).
The system attaches two sides and a front panel that you can attach to the roll-out awning. That front is available in four different sizes, so you can choose whether what you are creating is a fully enclosed awning or something more resembling a large verandah.
Because you are relying on the roll-out awning, you probably have to watch the wind more than you would with a conventional driveaway or motorhome awning.
But you still get the same Isabella quality. The Buddy is made of the same Isacryl fabric the Danish manufacturer uses on its more conventional awnings. And you have the added reassurance that when you come to pack up, it’s just a case of removing these panels and rolling them up, and then rolling the motorhome’s awning back in.
Price: from £425 at www.isabella.net
The motorhome awnings we shortlisted are:
Kampa Cross Air TC Polycotton
New for 2023, Kampa’s Cross Air awning specially designed for campervans is now available in a Weathershield TC polycotton fabric. That means you can enjoy this awning, with its steep sides designed to provide as much internal space as possible, even in hotter climates both in the UK and, more likely, if you venture abroad. This will be useful if you have awning furniture, such as a chair – if you’re on the lookout for one, our best camping chair guide is a great place to start.
Polycotton awnings also reduce the likelihood of condensation forming on the inside of the roof because they can “breathe”.
The awning is based on Kampa’s established AIR Frame technology, designed to make inflation easy. It also includes a D-shaped door that can be rolled right back but which, thanks to the awning’s steep sides, still stays under the large canopy at the front so any rain is kept out. It comes with a clip-in groundsheet, blinds on the windows, and a mesh panel for the front door.
Price: £1,000.00 at www.kampaoutdoors.com
Quest Leisure Condor
This brand new awning made in a 150D material sits alongside your vehicle and is super versatile because its tunnel comes in two different heights – 180-210cm and 240-270cm. So if you were ever to change your vehicle (move up from a campervan to a low-profile, say) you only need to buy a new tunnel, not a whole new awning. Optional extras include a porch extension with a front panel opening that is the same size as the one on the awning itself. So you can either have an open porch or a fully enclosed extension. As with the awning itself, this extension comes with its own groundsheet. Other optional extras include a two-berth inner tent.
Price: TBC at www.questleisure.com
Westfield Aquila Pro
This new 2023 awning from German company Westfield is very much geared at families. Imported into this country by Quest Leisure and made of 150D ripstop material, it is designed to fit on either side of your motorhome, with a connecting tunnel. The sun canopy at the front can also be transferred over if you choose to change sides. The awning comes with storm straps and zipped internal blinds. The tunnel is available in three sizes: 180-210cm, 210-240cm and 240-270cm.
Price: from £1760.00 at www.questleisure.com
Trigano Santa Cruz V3
New for 2023 is this driveaway air awning from Trigano that comes with an adjustable gusset and a double keder to make attaching it to whatever size of motorhome you have as easy as possible. It comes with a sewn-in groundsheet (so you may need to check with the campsite owner that such awnings are allowed). You also get mosquito screens on all doors, and ventilation is improved with vents high up near the roof. There is a dividing door between the porch and the living area for extra privacy.
Options include a blind kit and a magnetic bracket.
Price: £1067.72 at www.trigano-camping.com
After more awning inspiration? Then take a look at our best air awning for a motorhome guide.
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