Martine van der Klauw
EditorMartine dreams of back-to-basics camping but travels by caravan with her husband and their two children. She writes about caravans and campsites for Campingtrend.

At the Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs last week, Unico presented the Modena: a modular wall set for roof-mounted cassette awnings from Thule and Fiamma. With this system of individual front and side walls, you can quickly turn your awning into a sheltered living space.
Cassette awnings are best known for motorhomes, but more and more caravan owners are also opting for them. You simply roll it out and have a nice shady spot within minutes. But as soon as the wind picks up or the sun is low, you also notice the downside: a cassette awning offers only limited shelter. That is why Unico developed the Modena: a modular system of individual front and side walls, specially developed for roof-mounted cassette awnings from Thule and Fiamma.
With the Unico Modena, you decide how much shelter you need at the campsite. For example, you can block out the low sun or an annoying wind with a single side wall. If you place a wall on both sides, a much more sheltered space is created under the awning.
The front wall completes the Unico Modena. Eight widths are available, ranging from 300 to 500 centimetres. The door is not in a fixed position, so you can decide for yourself where you want it. For a cassette awning with a projection of 250 centimetres, the Unico Modena with front wall offers a depth of up to approximately 280 centimetres.
Anyone who knows Unico a little won’t be surprised by the striking shape. The side walls of the Modena do not run straight down, but curve outwards in a round arch. This not only looks different from a traditional side wall, but it also provides extra living space.
Each side wall adds about a metre of usable width. With two side walls, you therefore create about two metres of extra space at the front of the awning.
You attach the side walls to the caravan using the existing awning rail. This eliminates the need for rear upright poles and ensures a neat fit. Because the fabric is not pressed against the caravan wall, you also have less risk of scuff marks. The optional front wall is then slid into the front channel of the cassette awning using a keder bead.
Detachable mud flaps are fitted at the bottom. We already know these from other Unico awnings, and they are handy because this bottom section of fabric is the one that gets the most dirt and splashing water.
Unico took daily life at the campsite into account when designing this. There is a zip in the connection triangle at the bottom, so you can access a service hatch without having to detach the entire side wall.
The side walls of the Unico Modena are also equipped with wind blockers as standard. This provides better protection for the area under the awning when the wind picks up outside.
For the side walls, Unico uses high-quality Ten Cate All Season tent fabric. The bottom is made of strong PVC-coated bisonyl. This material is located in a spot that frequently deals with moisture, dirt, and splashing rainwater. The structure is supported by a thick-walled aluminium arch pole and aluminium roof rafters.
The Unico Modena side wall is available in three versions:
With this wall set, the Unico Modena comes quite close to the comfort of a full awning, without completely sacrificing the speed of a cassette awning. This is especially a solution for touring campers who stay in one place longer when the weather is bad.
Please note: not every caravan is suitable. The Unico Modena has been developed for roof-mounted Thule and Fiamma cassette awnings. With aerodynamically shaped caravans or caravans with a kink in the roof, it may not be possible to place the awning across the entire front width. In that case, the Unico Modena may not fit.
Unico showed the Modena for the first time last week at the Kampeer & Caravan Jaarbeurs. And we took a look at it in this Campingtrend Liveshow. Did you miss the exhibition in Utrecht? No worries, because from 15 October, the Modena can also be seen at Bax Totaalrecreatie in Bergeijk.
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