The Isabella Buddy is a room that attaches to your existing roll-out canopy. It creates an enclosed living space off the side of your van or motorhome without requiring a separate structure, a separate setup, or a separate vehicle anchor. This guide covers what the Buddy is, how it connects, what it is made of, and what to expect when you set it up. It is written for buyers evaluating the product for the first time, not for people who already own one.
What the Buddy Is
The Buddy is a fabric room with three panels: two side panels and one front panel. The three panels, together with the underside of your extended awning and the rear face of your vehicle, form a five-sided enclosed space.
It does not include a floor. It does not include sleeping accommodation. It is an outdoor living space: a place to eat, sit, store gear, or take shelter.
You can also use it in partial configurations. Removing the front panel gives you a covered porch with no front wall. Lowering the front panel windows creates an open veranda. The structure is built to accommodate different levels of enclosure depending on conditions and preference.
How It Connects to Your Awning
The Buddy uses two connection points.
The outer top edge of the Buddy Front Panel carries a keder beading, a rope-and-bead strip that slides into the keder channel on the underside of your roll-out canopy cassette. This channel is a standard feature on Thule, Fiamma, Carefree, and Dometic roll-out canopies. The bead threads in from one end and rides the channel to the correct position along the awning.
The vehicle side panels connect via a spring loaded Carbon-X carbon fiber pole. A internally developed IsaFix clasp holds the carbon fiber pole in place once each end is positioned in the roll-out canopies front and rear cassettes. The front and side panels are then zippes together.
These two connections handle the top of the structure. The base is secured with pegs at ground level.
The Vehicle Height Requirement
The Buddy is designed for vans and motorhomes with rail heights between 195 cm and 214 cm (approximately 6 ft 5 in to 7 ft 0 in), measured from the ground to the awning rail.
Your overall vehicle height can be between 240 cm and 275 cm (7 ft 10 in to 9 ft 0 in). The Buddy accommodates this range.
The awning must be extended between 250 cm and 260 cm (approximately 8 ft 2 in to 8 ft 6 in) to create the correct depth for the room. Most standard roll-out canopies extend to this range by default.
Front Panel Sizes
The Buddy is ordered in two components: the side panel set, which is universal, and the front panel, which is sized to match your roll-out canopy's extended width.
In the U.S. market, front panels are available in four widths.
270 cm (8 ft 10 in)
320 cm (10 ft 6 in)
The 270 and 320 sizes cover most standard van awning configurations.
To confirm which front panel fits your setup, measure the actual extended width of your roll-out canopy from rail end to rail end when fully deployed.
What the Buddy Is Made Of
The panels are made from Isacryl, the same fiber-dyed acrylic canvas used across Isabella's awning range. This matters for a few practical reasons.
Fiber-dyed means the color runs through the thread, not just on the surface. Colors do not fade at the surface because the color is part of the material, not a coating on top of it. After years of sun exposure, an Isacryl panel does not bleach or peel.
Acrylic canvas breathes. This reduces condensation buildup inside the room compared to coated polyester alternatives, which trap moisture. In cool morning conditions, the interior of the Buddy will be noticeably drier than a comparable PVC or polyester room.
The windows are clear PVC panels, zippered on three sides so they can be fully opened or lowered to horizontal for the veranda configuration.
The base band is a heavier, darker PVC designed for ground contact. It protects the bottom edge from abrasion and moisture.
Ventilation
The Buddy includes several integrated ventilation options.
Each side panel has a lower mesh section backed by a mosquito net. These can be opened independently without fully removing the side panel.
The top of the structure includes upper vents. These allow passive airflow even when the room is fully enclosed, which reduces heat buildup on warm days.
Foam padding runs along the vehicle-side top edge to close the gap between the room and the van body. This is not a seal but a fit that reduces drafts and insect entry.
The Veranda Configuration
The side panels can be lowered and supported horizontally using an included veranda pole. This creates a covered porch with an open section, shading the ground outside the room without full enclosure.
This configuration works well in fine weather when you want shade and shelter without walls. It extends the usable space outside the room by a meter or more.
The veranda pole is included with the Buddy. No additional purchase is required to use this configuration.
What Comes in the Box
The Buddy ships in two separately ordered components: the side panel set and the front panel.
The side panel set includes the two side panels, spring loaded Carbon-X poles, rubber pole mounts, magnetic connection strip, pegs, the veranda pole, and corner connectors. The front panel ships separately and is sized to your order.
No additional tools are required for setup beyond a mallet for the pegs.
Setup Time
First-time setup takes most users 20 to 30 minutes. This includes threading the keder bead, aligning the magnetic strip, extending your side panel poles and pegging the perimeter.
After the first session, most users report consistent setups in 10 to 15 minutes.
The Buddy packs into a bag. The side panel set and front panel have separate bags. Both fit inside a standard van with room to spare.
What the Buddy Is Not
It is not a stand-alone structure. It requires a functioning roll-out canopy to connect to. Without a roll-out awning, the Buddy cannot be set up.
It is not rated for extreme weather.
