Air Awning
looking to buy an air awning.Vango,Kampa or Bradcot etc so many makes.Any info about your experiences would be very helpful thinking about a 390 or 420
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We looked for a air awning last year and finally got a Vango, mainly because all the blow up sections are separate,ok they all have to be blown up individually but they are also changeable individually in case of a puncture where some are a single inflation point for the whole system and so a puncture means scrapping the awning if it can't be repaired.
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We have the Vango Kela 2 (2015 model). Pros, well made, takes about 30 mins to put up (now after practice). Has a separate tunnel between the tent and the van - good for storing stuff like BBQ's etc. There are too ways of fastening the awning to the van side, the awning rail or throw over stars, we've used both and they work fine. (I've sewn on a middle throw over strap connector in the middle too providing a third strap.
Cons, extends some way out from the side so some pitches are too small.
My wife likes the look of the Kampa air model, but they are more money than the Vango, and then the curtains are extra.
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After seeing all the options on display at our local dealer we went with Bradcot. Best quality IMO. No extras to buy, it even came with the electric pump. I have had a couple of minor issues with it but a quick phone call to them and parts were in the post FOC .
Excellent customer service
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That's not quite accurate Dave. Kampa air awnings comprise of separate inflatable beams, separated by interconnecting valves which are normally left open, so that a leak can be isolated and that section removed after the adjacent valves are closed, so the whole awning is inflated/ deflated via a single valve. All of the inflatable bladders are inside heavy duty zip up sheaths which are stitched into the awning. Any of the bladders can therefore be removed and repaired or replaced eliminating a need to scrap the awning if it leaks. Out of interest, Kampa used to include a repair patch kit with their early awnings, but no longer do so because the incidence of leaks is so low.
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We have both a Kampa 390 and a 220 porch awning, both inflatable Rally Pro. Love them. Also got electric pump, not that manually pumping up is too much of a chore, tho it takes a little longer on the 390. The elec pump just makes it a pleasure to pause and watch it inflate. Worth noting that although 12v, it does draw 10amps. Meaning I can only use from car, not caravan as the latter's 12v supply runs at 6amps.
both awnings have been wet and in wind with no problems, and I found it easy to dry out a wet awning in the back garden by pumping it up.
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Hi Jenny,
I stand corrected but I was going off what I was told when I purchased our air awning, maybe I heard wrong or or it was the idea of the interconnecting valves but we decided the Vango system seemed better. The only way to decide which is best is to see them all and decide for yourself.
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I had a Kampa awning with poles and it started leaking from the bead on the caravan rail, so we have just bought a new Kampa air 330. Just returned from a trip to Cornwall and we had quite a lot of rain to which it leaked through the beading area on the rail and running down the side of the van. Very disappointed in this, but the instructions state that the awning needs to weather ie; get wet a couple of times to allow the stitching to swell and form a seal. I returned to my retailer who said straight away about the weathering. They also said that other customers have reported this but reassured they never returned and so assume the problem resolves it self.
Has anyone got any experiences on this. I think if there is an inherent problem by design you would expect the manufacturer to find a way to prevent this, perhaps fitting a sealer strip or something.
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We have a Kampa 400 and love it. It is heavy but easy to erect when you've threaded it through the awning channel. Easy to pump up as well even with hand pump. Only advice would be to check the weight as they seem to be much heavier as they are in effect both awning and 'poles'. Strong and stable (where have I heard this?) in wind.
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We've had/ still got a variety of porch awnings in a variety of sizes ranging from a very lightweight Outdoor Revolution porch with sprung GRP poles through a 2.5 m poled Kampa Rally Pro to 390 Kampa Air Pro. En route we have also owned an Outdoor Revolution air awning (not very good). Our dealer's technicians didn't enjoy the multiple tube blowups of the Vanga, and I recall that someone on another thread on this forum, created substitute inflatable poles from plastic drain pipe, to avoid that chore.
i think that Kampa quality and service is hard to beat, and pretty well unsurpassed with their Rally Pro range, but oh my goodness the weight of their large air awnings in Rally Pro range is enough to deter the faint hearted or frail older vanner. Definitely a two person job to thread along the rail with their bigger awnings. But, the chore of pegging out remains, however your awning is held up, leavening the short time saved by inflating air beams paling into insignificance. If you can justify the cost of a Kampa Rally Air Pro you will be pleased with your purchase, but the cost isn't for everyone.
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Take not of the thread 'They went BANG' where there are reports of air awnings exploding, before making any decision, especially if you intend to use it during hot weather, or in Europe. This reminded me that friends had the same thing happen with their 'air tent' when using it in France last year.
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We also have a Kampa Air Pro 390 - have used it all-year round for the last two years and it has been brilliant, withstanding all sorts of weathers including horrendous gales in Dartmouth two weeks ago - all without any issues. As for Corona's comment above - they do leak slightly in some places for the first couple of times, but rest-assured, once the stitching has had a good soaking and swells, this problem disappears permanently.
I also use an electric pump but didn't buy the Kampa one since I understand it can take up to 20 minutes to inflate a large awning such as ours. I bought something called a "BP 12" - intended for inflating dinghies - and complete with pressure switch - which whilst even more expensive than the Kampa one at £85, blows our 390 up in 3 minutes!
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I have had a Kampa 390 for 3 years and have been very pleased with it. However I had never experienced how the awning would cope in a very strong storm - until a few weeks ago! It was impressive. In extremely strong wind with very violent gusts the awning just bent - sometimes quite alarmingly - but it always bounced back. I now have complete confidence in the awning.
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Agree - if the weather forecasts / summaries are to be believed, we were getting 50 mph winds in Dartmouth when we were there (in a very exposed spot) and other than a couple of pegs pulling out, everything was fine - and most importantly, no damage to the van.
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