Screened room for awning?

Vern · 08-26-2011, 08:09 AM

I'm new to these forums and hopefully won't foul up this first posting. My wife and I are looking at expandables and have begun to focus on Rockwood Roos as a nice option for us going forward, so a purchase may be in our near future. For the past decade, we have camped in a Coleman popup with a screened room with sun and rain flaps, etc., and have found the extra dry space which it provides to really enhance our camping experience (for outdoor cooking and a place to sit or catnap in the rain/sun with at least partial freedom from insects, etc.).

I have not seen any expandables in the campgrounds with screened rooms, so I am seeking input from anyone with experience using or attempting to use a screened room/extra room on an expandable.

Thanks!

47leaf · 09-01-2011, 07:46 PM

I have just purchased a 2012 Shamrock 23SS and was disappointed to find out that I could not add a screened room. You need at least 8 inches from the edge of the awning to the wall of the screen room, and the door on the 23SS is only about 3 inches from the edge of the awning. Be sure to check on the trailer you want to buy.

Robin Vinson
2010 Ford F150 SuperCrew XLT 4x4
2012 Shamrock 23SS
"My other car is a MINI Cooper"

Vern · 09-02-2011, 04:41 AM

Thanks, Robin, that is good to know. What screened room were you looking at? I assume it is an aftermarket option, and not from the factory.

dimurrrw · 09-02-2011, 08:03 AM

Try here. I don't have an expandable but I can't think of any reason why you could not add/use a screened room if you wanted to. The only exceptions would be if the side panels blocked access to storage compartments or ended up in front of a hot air discharge vent (furnace as an example) or, as already noted, too close to a door. You should be able to eyeball such potential problems by looking at the trailer on the dealer's lot.

Vern · 09-02-2011, 08:14 AM

Thanks, Richard. I appreciate your input. Those are some very good thoughts, and the link provides multiple options which I will have to study closely as we consider our purchase(s). Have a great (and safe) holiday weekend!

dimurrrw · 09-02-2011, 02:40 PM

Vern, I'd like to suggest to you an alternative to a screen room. I have talked to many people who have bought them and then not used them after a few times. Their reasons were many - too bulky, hard to fold and store, time consuming to set up and take down, having to dry it out if put away wet, couldn't get it down fast enough in a thunderstorm, etc. (Remember that a screen room for a 20' trailer awning is larger/bulkier than what you would have on a popup.)

Please take a look at these sunscreens. While not rooms, they set up quickly and offer a lot of privacy, and some rain intrusion protection. They also function, to some extent, as an awning roller tiedown and are very easy to clean. Most folks like to set them up so that the bottom edge is a couple of feet outward from the awning roller tube.

Vern · 09-06-2011, 05:18 AM

Thanks, Richard. I have heard many pop-up owners state similar reasons for not using their screened rooms, although we (eventually) learned it was worth the hassle for us. However, your point about the increased size of such a room with the larger awning of a TT is well taken. The sunscreens which you suggest as an alternative are interesting, at least for maximizing shade and privacy of the awning area. Do you know how they tend to handle in the wind?

Ovair · 09-06-2011, 06:52 AM

I'm pretty sure I will soon purchase one of the sun screens. I've seen them in use and I like them. When the Sun is on the awning side of the rig, it cuts down on the solar load. Plus its a little bit more private behind it.

Campski65 · 09-06-2011, 08:28 AM

I use a 10' x 10' Coleman instant screen room. Had a thunderstorm come up fast and hard in Muskegon on labor day and was able to drop the screen tent and roll up the awning in about 3 minutes as the front approached. glad I did, as several neighbors had thier whole awning folded over the top of their campers and watched at least one whole awning fly by in the midst of the storm. Screen tent was awesom it sets up and down in about one minute and my last unit had a screen room but I only had one bad storm with that unit and no damage occured. I am seeking the perfect solution to the screen room question and as soon as I find it, I will let as many people as possible know.
Happy Camping :-)

dimurrrw · 09-06-2011, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vernk

Thanks, Richard. I have heard many pop-up owners state similar reasons for not using their screened rooms, although we (eventually) learned it was worth the hassle for us. However, your point about the increased size of such a room with the larger awning of a TT is well taken. The sunscreens which you suggest as an alternative are interesting, at least for maximizing shade and privacy of the awning area. Do you know how they tend to handle in the wind?

I camped for a month next to a guy down in Florida. He never took his down, nor rolled up his awning, even through some pretty heavy duty thunderstorms. I thought he was taking a terrible chance but everything came through OK. In perspective, if slanted outward and with the wind hitting against the outside of the screen, then the wind might be diverted over the top of the awning. This would be as opposed to the wind getting under the awning and folding it back over the top of the camper. Maybe someone with more experience than I will chime in.

Canuck_Doug · 09-07-2011, 09:04 PM

Hi all, I'm interested in your screen room discussions as well. We had a Rockwood high wall with screen room, it was a Carefree Colorado and zippered to the bag awning. It did very well in storms as the edges of the awning were attached to the walls with said zippers so as wind could not get under the awning. We now have a 2012 Roo 183 with an A&E awning. We had the dealer throw in a A&E Patty O'Room to close deal. I found out over the last couple of days that I may not be able to use it as it does not attach at sides with zippers, it has it's own rafter bars to install, and in the instructions it clearly states that the walls should be inside the awning sides by a minimum of 3 inches. Problem is, with the 183, the door opens right at the awning edge and has a gas strut to hold door open (door cannot open completely against outside wall due to awning arms) and the strut and bracket would hit the room rafter and/or side wall, and the wall would be right at the awning edge or even outside of awning...... absolutely idiot design not taking that into consideration!

Vern · 09-08-2011, 05:47 AM

While the rafter bar installation does not seem insurmountable, that door location challenge is a frustrating and perplexing issue. In the initial reply to this thread above, 47leaf stated they encountered this same problem, except in their case, the walls needed to be 8 inches inside the edge of the awning. I'm not sure there is a practical answer for that problem.

You may also like: