What Awning Fits My Motorhome?

Since starting the site just over a year ago, we have been contacted more than 100 times with people asking this question. No one wants to spend all the money on an expensive awning for their RV, camper or caravan only to find it doesn’t fit.

We totally understand why so many people want to know this so we have written a detailed guide. First, help us by choosing what type of awning you are considering.


Awning Types:
  • Retractable Awning
  • Porch Awning
  • Full Awning

Don’t worry if you haven’t decided which one is for you. We’ll describe the advantages of each of the choices, and then we will elaborate on precisely how to measure for that style of awning.

How to Measure a Retractable Awning for an RV

This style of shade structure is extremely popular in North America. It features 2 – 4 metal brackets that connect the fabric and poles to the side of the camper. The fabric is normally found in a cassette which is occasionally referred to as a roller awning. The brackets are permanently affixed to the side of the RV which makes it super quick and easy to extend the awning. This is accomplished by pulling the fabric from the cassette and then sliding down the lower support brackets. There are only two measurements for this style.

Width – Measure from the center of each of the brackets.

Pitch – Measure from the bottom of the cassette to the top of the door.

If you are buying a ready-made kit the manufacturer will subtract the 10 inches from each side to accommodate the rolling mechanism.

If you are doing a DIY option and simply buying the fabric yourself, you will want to subtract 10″ from the total overall width of the fabric. When you install this it will create a small gap around 5″ on each side. This will allow the cylinder to spin easily.

How to Measure a Porch Awning for a Caravan

Porch awnings are quite popular in UK and various regions of Europe. They are a fully enclosed shade structure that resembles a tent attached to the exterior of the camper. Their setup and tear down time is closer to that of a tent; however, it can be accomplished by a single person because the caravan provides the necessary support and stability. The measurement for porch awnings is quite different than what we wrote about on retractable awnings. For this type we care about

How to Measure a Full Awning for a Caravan

Full awnings are also quite popular in the UK. They feature a track along the edge of the camper that serves as a permanent support for the awning. This can be thought of as a porch awning that extends the full length of the RV. These have the simplest method of measurement. You will want to take a small rope or piece of twine and run it through the track with each of the cord being able to barely touch the ground.

Ground to Ground – Measure the length of cordage required to traverse the entire track with both ends touching the ground. The awning manufacturers provide sizes that are separated by around 25 centimeters. You’ll want to choose the size that’s closest so if it measures 780 centimeters, you would pick size 775.

However, the cord comes in at 790 centimeters, you’d want to round up to 800. When in doubt or if it’s very close, we find it safer to err on the larger side.

Finally, we love helping people with their awning questions. If you have some feedback on this article or would like to ask us a question about awnings or canopies, feel free to contact the NewAwning.com.

Last Updated:March 01, 2024