Which One Actually Suits Your Caravanning Style
Stand in a showroom full of awnings for five minutes, and you'll see why so many caravanners get stuck on this one. A full awning and a porch awning are solving the same basic problem: extra space next to your caravan, but they go about it in completely different ways. Get the choice right, and it transforms every trip. Get it wrong, and you end up with something either too small to be useful or too much hassle to bother putting up. Here's how to actually work out which is which.
The Basic Difference
A full caravan awning runs the entire length of your caravan, fitting into the awning rail from end to end and wrapping right around the side of the van. It's built to function as a genuine extra room, sometimes with a separate bedroom area, a proper kitchen space, or room for a full dining set.
A porch awning only covers a section of the caravan, sliding into the top “straight section” of the awning rail that’s parallel to the floor. Think of it less as another room and more as a sheltered porch (hence the name) where you can leave muddy boots, park the bikes, or sit out of the rain with a cuppa.
Both can still have options to add sleeping annexes
Quick way to picture it:
- Full awning – covers the whole side of the caravan, floor to roof, end to end, doubling the size of your living space.
- Porch awning – covers the door area, smaller footprint, quicker to pitch
Which Suits How You Actually Holiday
This is the bit people skip past, and it's the bit that matters most. Be honest with yourself about how you use your caravan, because it makes the decision far easier than comparing spec sheets.
A full awning tends to make sense if you:
- Settle on one pitch for a season, or for multiple weeks at a time.
- Have a family that needs somewhere to spread out on a wet afternoon.
- Want a separate space for guests, an inflatable bed, or a proper "living room" feel.
- Don't mind spending time pitching once, then leaving it up for longer periods.
A porch awning tends to make sense if you:
- Move site regularly, or take shorter breaks
- Are a couple (or solo) who don't necessarily need a second room, just some shelter
- Want somewhere for boots, a couple of chairs, or the dog to keep dry
- Would rather be sat outside with a drink than still pitching an hour after arriving
Neither is the "better" option here. They're just built for different types of caravanning.
Pitching Time Is a Genuinely Big Deal
This is where the two really part ways. A lot of modern porch awnings, particularly the inflatable AirBeam-style ones now everywhere in the market, can be up in ten to fifteen minutes with a pump rather than a bag of poles. If you're the sort of person who wants to be relaxing shortly after arriving on site, that speed is hard to overstate.
Full awnings, poled or inflatable, simply involve more fabric and more structure to get right, so even the quickest air models take longer than a comparable porch. That's not a criticism of full awnings; it's just the reality of putting up something the size of an extra room.
Get the Size Right Before You Buy Anything
Whichever style you're leaning towards, fit is everything. Awnings are matched to your caravan's specific rail measurement (usually the "A" measurement in your caravan's manual).
Don't have your manual handy? Our awning size guide walks through exactly how to measure your caravan yourself, so you order the right size the first time, full-length or porch.
So, Which One Do You Actually Need?
If you're still torn, ask yourself one question: how do you use your caravan more often than not? Weekenders and anyone touring between multiple sites in a season will usually get more genuine use out of a porch awning. Caravanners settling in for longer stays, seasonal pitches, or anyone needing dedicated extra space for family or guests will usually find a full awning earns its keep.
Honestly, the best way to decide is to see both in person. Our showroom has one of the largest displays of awnings in the country, so you can walk around full-size and porch models side by side and get a proper feel for the space each one gives you. Pop in, or browse the full range of caravan awnings online, and our team can help you work out what actually suits your caravan and the way you holiday.
