Bailey Unicorn awning channels
We have recently bought a Ventura porch awning 3.4metres long to fit onto our 2016 Bailey Unicorn Cadiz. After much effort, three hours later and with the assistance of the Warden on a stepladder we eventually struggled to get the awning onto the caravan. At the end of our holiday it took us a further two hours to get the awning off. What a tight fit I thought.
On our return home I bought an awning widening tool which I used to no avail. The channel was large enough for the tool to pass through easily. I then bought one of those awning cleaning brushes and cleaning fluid to clean out the caravan channel which again did not seem to help the situation.
I couldn't be on with this every time I put the awning up, so I have today taken the awning to my local Awning Clinic with a view to having a smaller size beading fitted to it. The man in the Clinic said it wasn't just the awning at fault but also the caravan. Apparently the Bailey awning channels are set deeper into the caravan and have a large 'lip' protruding from the front. The 'lip' was rubbing against the rubber moulding sown into the awning onto which the awning clamps fit. Therefore the more of the awning which was pushed into the awning channel the more the 'lip' and awning rubber mounting were causing friction hence not allowing the awning to be pushed onto the caravan. I have agreed with the Awning Clinic to have the rubber strip taken off the awning and replaced a further distance away from the awning beading. Alas a further cost to the awning onto my original purchase price.
Comments
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We never had a problem with our 2015 Barcelona with either a Kampa 390 Grande (very heavy) or the lightweight Sunncamp Air 390. We do need a set of steps, though, which I carry in the van.
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We used to shove a bit of butter in ours to get awning to shift along! Things are so complicated today...........
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The only time I had trouble feeding an awning through it turned out to be the slot you feed it through to get it into the rail. Before you spend any money I would check that and do a trial with the Draught skirt which just has a bead on it, if that proves to be difficult it's not the awning at fault,, also apply some silicon spray to the rail and/or awning bead to lubricate it.
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I tried the draught skirt and it went through no problem. I also have a Fiamma 4 metre canopy and a Dorema porch awning which fit no problem. This is the reason why I have put this post on just in case anyone else is having this sort of problem
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I had a similar problem with my Valencia and a Kampa air pro 200.
On trying to pass the joining strip the eyelet was too close to the bead.
The dealer supplied another without question, but this suffered from the same fault.
On comparing the position of the eyelet on the other side it was discovered that it was placed further away from the bead and closer to the actual awning, and this did pass the joint.The dealer checked their stock and found others with the similar problem, (manufacturing issue)
They offered to order another or simply move the offending eyelet in their repair shop. A quick fix that provided the perfect solution.
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Hi
I had the same awning on a Bailey Barcelona 11.
Right trouble putting it on.
I ended up buying a west field 4.5 m roll out awning.
No problem putting it on or off.
Ray
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