Vango Galli RSV Low Air Drive Away Awning review
As part of our August features we’re covering premium camping equipment, the Vango Galli RSV Low Air motorhome drive-away awning being an essential to any luxury camper vanning adventure. Usable as a stand-alone tent or attach to a campervan as a drive away awning, the Galli is the largest in their innovative Air range and does not need a single pole to pitch! In fact, it’s pitched purely through pumping air into its unique pre-bend AirBeams®, all in around 15 minutes. There are so many unique and exciting aspects to this awning, which we’ll try and cover below.
On our recent tour with Luna, our beloved, pimped VW T5 we headed down to The Jurassic Coast (Dorset) on a fossil hunting expedition equipped with a Galli. All below views are our own.
A couple of things to note about the awning: The Galli comes with a double action pump, which connects to the 4x pre-angled AirBeams® through the AirSpeed® valve system and blows the structure up in under 10 minutes (that’s what it took us anyway). It’s then as simple as attaching the clip-on guide straps, securing them with the heavy-duty steel rock pins into the ground, then adjusting the straps accordingly. In all, the Galli took us just over 15 minutes to put up – easy! What is immediately apparent is that once pitched, the Galli provides acres of space (height and width), easily enough for a whole family. The awning attaches to the side of the van (with the separate Vango campervan awning attachment), and offers a generous main entrance with porch. There are ample large diamond clear windows on both sides of the awning, which provides for a bright and airy environment, and are also covered by zippable privacy curtains that simply roll down into a pocket to store away.
Once pitched and if required, the Galli offers space to attach 2x single bedroom units (bought separately – £50 / unit). Additionally, there are lantern hanging points and a cable entry point with tidies making connectivity to electric simple, safe and easy. There is a fully sewn in flat entry groundsheet, which is attached to the flysheet and an external storm skirt that provides a bug and draught free environment. The Galli’s material is super strong and is designed to take a great deal of punishment from the wind, rain or sun. We purchased a separate groundsheet, which is actually a great way of marking out the pitch size and keeps the awning from direct contact with the ground.
Taking the Galli down was as easy as putting up. The pump simply attached to the AirSpeed® valve system again, which then sucks all the air out of the AirBeams®, making it simple to fold, then roll up to fit inside the wide mouthed bag with compression straps – it took a bit of effort and patience, but takedown and put away will take you around 15-20 minutes. It’s not light at 25kg and it certainly isn’t small (L78 x H40 x W42), but considering its heavy duty, durable material, generous living space and luxurious features, the Galli certainly deserves a place in our premium camping range. It currently retails for £850 as a stand-alone awning, which is not cheap, but you can expect a long life and many happy adventures from.
In summary, it’s easy to see why the Galli has so much love from the campervan communities, it is a highly durable and versatile essential addition that provides you well over double the amount of room a van will give you alone. It’s ideal for camping holidays where you’re making camp for a few days, and allows you to simply detach and drive away when you need to.
If you’re after something a little smaller or cheaper then check out the Vango Air range and accessories here. This surely has to be the future of camping!
