Awnings
Hi all,
When we bought our Caravan it came with an awning, a "Kampa Jamboree". I have had a look at it and it's a bit tired/faded and missing the rubber feet for the roof poles and caravan skirt and wheel arch panel.(maybe other bits as well ?)
We are going out to look at awnings tomorrow and like the idea of an inflateable porch type as we think a 2 to 3m one would be all we will ever need. I would greatly appriciate your views / comments on what is good or bad about this type. and which are better than others.
One thing I have wondered about , is the height a universal thing (Rail) or do I need to be mindful of that?
Our Caravan is a 2002 Coachman Amara 530/4
Thanks in advance for your help.
One last thing, if our old awning is of any use to anyone please let me know, it's your for a small donation to an animal charity I know.
Ian.
Comments
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We have bought a Kampa pro air 260 this year and have used it four times in various weather conditions - one occasion in quite strong winds. So far we have no complaints though being new to caravanning and never used an awning before we can only say that
so far we are happy with it. Hope you get the one that sattisfies you.0 -
We have two awnings - a Kampa Air Pro 390 and a Sunncamp 220 lightweight awning which we use if the weather is likely to be wet since it is easier to dry than the large Kampa.
The Kampa is of excellent quality, has a single inflation point unlike some others and having used it in some diabolical weather can say that it is very strong and sturdy in high winds. Like all inflatable awnings, it has the advantage of being unlikely
to cause any damage to the caravan in strong winds. The downsides are that it is heavy to put on the rail and I need a set of steps to be able to reach to get a straight pull on it through the track. It is also an impermeable fabric (as are most modern awnings)
and does not 'breathe' like the 'traditional' cotton canvas types. Therefore some condensation is inevitable but this can be managed. I have found that the additional roof lining is a worthwhile investment and stops those drips on the head from condensation!The Sunncamp, whilst much cheaper (£85) still does the job and is also well made although nothing like the quality of the Kampa in my opinion. It also doesn't have any poles touching the van - just a fibreglass 'hoop' and two poles to support that. But
- you still get condensation! Very light and easy to erect.Two examples from opposite ends of the market - hope this is of some assistance.
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Thanks all so far, very helpfull. I do like the look of the Kampa ones. I see that they say sutable up to 2.5m rail height. My caravan is in storage about 18 miles away and at least an hours drive in London traffic. so a bit of a pain to get a true measurement. I have looked on the internet and have found a site that suggest my make and model is 2.6 mtr's high. I assume thats a clearance height for skylights/vents etc so the awning rail is going to be very close to the 2.5 they state. Has anyone ever had an issue with this when buying an awning. It's a big lay out only to find it's too short
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Well, I now have my new awning. we were able to see all options erected/set up. we have gone with the Bradcot Aspire Air 260. We looked at the Kampa 260 but liked the look and construction of the Bradcot more. It also comes with Storm straps, rear steady poles and electric and manual pumps as well as all the other bits like wheel cover, draught skirt etc. so no extras to buy.
Sales guy was very good and knew all the good and bad points of both. It has 3 inflation points but you only need to use one (centre) for inflation and all 3 for deflation. he also pointed out that you don't get the pooling of water on the roof I have read about because the Bradcot cross beams are not stiched to the roof but are set a little lower.to allow the roof to maintain a run off.
Thank for the help and I hope my comments maybe useful to someone else thinking of buying one,
Ian.
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Well, I now have my new awning. we were able to see all options erected/set up. we have gone with the Bradcot Aspire Air 260. We looked at the Kampa 260 but liked the look and construction of the Bradcot more. It also comes with Storm straps, rear steady
poles and electric and manual pumps as well as all the other bits like wheel cover, draught skirt etc. so no extras to buy.Sales guy was very good and knew all the good and bad points of both. It has 3 inflation points but you only need to use one (centre) for inflation and all 3 for deflation. he also pointed out that you don't get the pooling of water on the roof I have read
about because the Bradcot cross beams are not stiched to the roof but are set a little lower.to allow the roof to maintain a run off.Thank for the help and I hope my comments maybe useful to someone else thinking of buying one,
Ian.
Good choice, and thanks for posting your reasoning. Helps folks make informed decisions.
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