Isabella canvas with Bradcot frame??

Hawkeye9322
Hawkeye9322 Forum Participant Posts: 4
edited May 2012 in Parts & Accessories #1

Until our current 'van, I have used Bradcot Awnings with their Easy system. Our current 'van came complete with an Isabella Capri Lux awning with carbon fibre poles.

Whilst I appreciate that the Isabella is probably better quality than the Bradcot in terms of construction of the canvas, the Isabella frame is, for me, an absolute nightmare. This is because of a medical condition that I have which makes tensioning of the
Isabella frame an extremely painful exercise. With the Bradcot Easy system, although I have some discomfort after erecting it (which unfortunately is a consequence for me), the Easy system is just that - easy.

Looking at eBay, for example, I'm fairly confident that I could move the Isabella on, and use the funds obtained to purchase a new Bradcot without having to add that much to achieve the purchase price.

I have now tried a couple of tensioning tools (Isabella's Hercules and a Towsure tool) on the Isabella, but, for me, with no real success.

Taking a more analytical look at the problem, I am concluding that a possible solution is to purchase a Bradcot Easy frame, adapt as required, and then fit the Isabella canvas to that.

Let me be clear - there is no fault in the Isabella system - it is my medical condition that is making it impossible for me to get this awning tensioned correctly. My wife and I both like the Isabella (when it is finally up). But I do need to do something
that doesn't involve me taking pills for the next 48 hours, just to get over the physical pain that the Isabella frame is causing me!!

Just wondering if anyone else has tried this concept, and how that got on?