Arthur

Hi Kim and welcome to the forum. Plenty of posts on this forum re the subject of awnings and how to fix them to your Alphie. We have an inflatable Vango awning and use a roof rail which we’ve had attached. You can use over the top straps or magnetic fastenings but rails are best in my opinion. I’ve never been keen on bike racks attached to tailgates and like ThuMentaliss have used a Witter carrier attached to the towbar.

Standard 2x 1 metre length ‘c’ rails, glued not screwed.

I have used straps with it but iits actually attached to a roof rail in the photo. It worked fine with the straps but when the wind blows the straps tend to ‘twang’ and keep you awake.

Hi Alasdair We use the Vango Faros Air awning. It’s quick to put up and take down and you can (in theory) use it without a roof rail being fitted. Lots of discussions on awnings if you do a search on the forum.

Hi Alasdair Try searching Bivvy Loo on Amazon. Retails about £60.00 and you won’t find anything that compacts down more - only about 3 inches deep when collapsed!

Live in Wirral. Car imported by Calder Campers, Scotland 200+ miles away!

Hi Philip I’ve got a pop top and an aluminium rail which fits under it when the roof is down. The rail is glued rather than screwed but it works fine - even in 40 mph gusts!

Timpson corporate policy is to refuse to cut customer supplied blanks. Think Rojie must have been lucky with the branch he used or their policy has changed since he had his keys cut.

Hi Katt. Congratulations on getting your Alf. Like Sunny, we only ever use the Rock n Roll bed. We tried using a double sleeping bag initially but now have Duvalay sleeping bags. These have their own mattresses and come with summer and winter duvets. Expensive but can highly recommend.

Hope the op goes well and your wife makes s swift recovery - awnings can wait.

Hi Robert. I’ve used a patio door twin fly net with magnetic couplings. The door flaps are attached to the car frame using the self adhesive velcro tabs which are easy to remove without marking the bodywork. Think I got mine from either Lidl or the Range. Cost about £7 and available in black or white.

Nice to see some blue sky in your photos and to hear that you’re not the only Alphie up there. A friend has just suggested that I should do the Yorkshire 600. Something for you to consider on your way back down South perhaps as a little detour? 😀

Tebay we know well and also Tesco Perth (friends have a cottage at Braemar) so know exactly where you are. Should be a good drive for you as the M6 quietens the further North of Lancaster you go. Hope you have your midge nets with you. Our son has just got back from Assynt and they’re out in force still pesky little things. Safe cruising.

😂 Torridon has a ‘FREE’ campsite with FREE hot showers but one major problem - tents only, no campervans ☹️. Our son is wild camping and Munro bagging at the mo. Due back tomorrow (438 mile journey) so will look to grill him on suitable sites to park up an Alphie.

Porch looks good. Hope the weather improves for you. Loch Assynt and Torridon have been very wet all week. Will you be posting your route/experiences on the forum? I’m planning to do the NC500 in May/June next year.

Hi Les. I have a Vango Faros ll Air which fits our pop-top Alphard perfectly. You’ll be able to compare the height/dimensions to the Galli Air on Vango’s website.

Hi Sam I don’t think you’ll be able to fit a 2.6m length to your Alphie. I’ve had 2 x 1m rails fitted to my pop-top which fit under the roof.

I went to HL Campers in Aintree, Liverpool to have the rail fitted. Took about an hour but a lot of that time was spent trying out various positions and rail sizes until I was happy with the overall appearance. It wasn’t particularly difficult to do but I preferred to have someone who had done the job a few times before rather than me spreading glue all over the roof and not achieving a firm fix. I had a look at the magnetic fastenings but there was insufficient roof space with the pop top mechanisms to allow for the magnets to attach properly - hence the bonding fix. I’m sure most local camper outfitters will be able to do the job for you relatively cheaply.

Hi. I think you will probably struggle with the available space to fit an awning rail due to the pop top mechanism. I have had a rail bonded to my 2007 Alphie as I didn't want holes drilling in the roof. It was relatively easy to remove the black plastic strip covering the drainage gulley but the awning rail didn’t fit well in the gulley so it’s been attached to the roof between pop top and gulley. The rail is hidden under the pop top when the roof is down and therefore has minimum exposure to the elements. If you particularly want a windout awning there are a number of postings on the forum dealing with the subject - check out Pritch who has had experience of fitting both rail and windout awnings to his Campard.

Hi. We have a Vango Faros II Air Low which has the Airbeam technology. It has proved reliable and is easy to erect. Some people have experienced punctures/bursts with the Airbeams but I believe that often these failures have directly resulted from over inflation. The Airbeams are more expensive than the traditional pole types. Probably be worth visiting a camping/caravanning specialist which has both types on display to see which you prefer.

Hi Eddie I purchased a 3.0 Alphard from Calder in February this year. I particularly wanted a 3.0 litre with low mileage and Calder were able to supply a 2007 AWD with less than 15k on the clock. The conversion has been completed to a good standard and I’m very pleased with the purchase. What I would say however is visit your preferred supplier and test drive some of their vehicles before purchase. Understand what you actually want (Rojie’s list will help you focus) as you need to be clear as to what exactly you want from your conversion - mine was a side conversion with wide bed, Propex heater and Apple CarPlay allowing me to use my iPhone for music and satnav. It also has a pop-top. Using an ‘approved’ converter will also help with insurance and ensuring correct registration of the vehicle with DVLA. Whichever supplier you choose keep in regular contact before, during and after the conversion. You need to actively project manage your purchase to ensure the end result answers your dream. Happy motoring.

Found this photo of an Alphard for sale on Autotrader. Is this the finish you were thinking of?

Would be delighted to come down from Wirral to join in the fun but unfortunately can’t do this September. Hope it’s a great success and we’ll be able to meet everyone next year.

I have a Yupiteru DCL82ES fitted to my 2007 V6 AWD. No idea how it works (or what it does 🤷‍♂️). I’m [very] slowly working my way through the 74 page instruction booklet using Google Translate. It’s certainly something not to be messed with by a Luddite like me and I think I’d rather it wasn’t there at all. The vehicle seems to have a variety of aftermarket wiring for technology (including dashcam, satnav and radar detection systems) that has been removed prior to its import from Japan.

Snap. Think I must be stalking you Pritch - just bought the last Vango Faros II Airbeam in stock from Winfields in Chester this morning!!! Been practising putting it up in the garden this afternoon. Winfields wouldn’t sell me the magnetic attachments as they said there wasn’t enough roof available with the pop top to enable them to work properly but have assured me that the over roof straps will do the job fine. Only time will tell but if they don’t I know a man who has had a roof rail fitted 😂