Kampa Awning Leaking

Clincton
Clincton Forum Participant Posts: 8
edited August 2018 in Parts & Accessories #1

I'm tearing my hair out here with both Glossop Caravans and Kampa.

We decided to buy an air awning in January 2017 opting for a Kampa awning because they seemed to be the best from the reviews I read. We bought it from the Manchester Caravan Show with both Kampa & Glossop reps being there.

On holiday last year in August we noticed that water was gathering on the inside of the awning when it rained causing a lot of damage to the grandkids games we left in the awning.

We contacted Kampa and they told us it was either condensation or the that the awning needed to be weathered i.e. the stitching needs to swell. After looking on the Kampa website and in my instruction booklet it did indeed say this.

So we persevered and have took it out a total of 4 times when its rained with the same results.

When its dry i.e. not raining the awning gets a bit of condensation but acceptable.

So....we are guessing after the 3rd time out in the rain that it must be weathering (which to me its unacceptable to expect the awning to pass water in the first place you would accept it if it was a tent).

Ok so we have just come back from Anglesey and it rained again water developed on the inside of the awning fair to say it was worse inside the awning than it was outside as the drops where everywhere.

I contacted Glossop telling then I had photos and video footage of the problem. They told me to send it to them and they will pass it onto Kampa a week later (now) I get an E-mail telling me from the photo (not the video) Kampa are guessing its the Keder and it wants weathering (lol how many times). or use seem sealer (no offer of supplying it though).

I do have a videos which I cant post showing a build up of water on the roof canvass and looking likes it forms droplets through the canvass.

I'm not quite sure were to take this further as nothing seems to be getting resolved.

I suppose I could use the seam sealant but then would I invalidate the warranty that they don't seem to want to honor?

Looking forward to hearing about similar incidents that have a resolution

 

 

Comments

  • IanBHawkes
    IanBHawkes Forum Participant Posts: 212
    100 Comments
    edited August 2018 #2

    Apparently some sort of inner roof can solve the problem. The thing I have read is that the fridge vents can also cause the condensation. I do agree that expecting the seams to take a number of time to weather is unacceptable, I know that it took a couple of holidays to ake mine waterproof.

  • IanTG
    IanTG Forum Participant Posts: 419
    100 Comments
    edited August 2018 #3

    we have 2 Kampas (a small porch awning and 390 - both Rally Air Pro) and have not experienced droplets like those shown in photo. Yes, some condensation sometimes, but that is really just a thin film of moisture on the inside roof, and does not form into droplets.

    (there are no vents for fridge etc within our awning area).

    If we are pitched on unlevel ground, which can distort the geometry of the awning, then even if we have had pooling in the roof in wet weather, it has not penetrated like yours seems to have. I simply lift the pooled area, and the water runs off down the front.

    So, your experience doesn’t mirror ours, so my comments above are simply to draw the comparison, although that in itself doesn’t help you I’m afraid.

    i should just add, though, that your contract of sale is with the dealer, and it is them from whom you should seek redress. One could argue the awning is not fit for purpose, and pursue the route as you would with any faulty item. (Sale of goods)

  • commeyras
    commeyras Forum Participant Posts: 1,853
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2018 #4

    Further to Ian's comments - and don't forget that if you paid by Credit Card the company is equally liable with Glossop Caravans.  But give Glossop a chance first.  I have a Kampa frame awning and never had the problem you describe.  Are you able to adjust an air awning to increase the slope thus stopping pooling as you describe?

  • IanTG
    IanTG Forum Participant Posts: 419
    100 Comments
    edited August 2018 #5

    No, comeyras, IME, you cannot adjust an air awning for an uneven pitch. Of course, there is natural ‘give’ in the air cushions, so it does adjust in the sense that the four corners are grounded, but on some terrains, that causes the pooling. 

    We have never had a conventional frame awning, so unsure what effect wet weather would have as regards pooling, but I assume, unless ‘legs’ are adjusted perfectly, the canvas between the (near) horizontal poles would indeed pool.

    The OP does not mention pooling, so not sure if that is happening when he gets the interior droplets.

  • commeyras
    commeyras Forum Participant Posts: 1,853
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2018 #6

    Ian. With the Kampa frame you have about 9in of adjustment in the legs to cater for uneven ground.  Also I have 3 fibre glass poles which clip into the roof of the awning thereby stopping a dip between the solid poles.  Seems to work as I do not get pooling of water.  Agree, OP does not mention pooling but he does say he has a 'build up of water on the roof' which I take to be pooling.

  • bobsblackdogs
    bobsblackdogs Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited August 2018 #7

    you could try reproving with kampa spray it's not expensive and works well but i would make a lot of noise at the dealers first

  • bobsblackdogs
    bobsblackdogs Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited August 2018 #8

    you could try reproving with kampa spray it's not expensive and works well but i would make a lot of noise at the dealers first

  • IanTG
    IanTG Forum Participant Posts: 419
    100 Comments
    edited August 2018 #9

    Comeyras - not sure about your reference to frames, legs or poles. There are none of these in the air awning.

  • commeyras
    commeyras Forum Participant Posts: 1,853
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2018 #10

    Ian, yes I know!  But was just expanding on my earlier aside asking if air awnings had any adjustment in themwink.  Think I'll stick with my frame one.

    OP. Any progress? 

  • lornalou1
    lornalou1 Forum Participant Posts: 2,169
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2018 #11

    Agree with what's been said earlier about build up/pooling. Surely the roof has a good slope to allow rain to run off. Is the awning rail on the van at the correct height for the Kampa air awning. Just a thought. Here's a clip from google/Kampa

    Kampa  Pop AIR awnings suit an awning rail height of 184-198 cm, with the exception of the Pop 260 AIR Pro which suits a height of 168cm. This height is adjustable primarily from the use of the adjustable pegging on the sides of the awning.

  • ScreenName6CBDD6BCC0
    ScreenName6CBDD6BCC0 Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited September 2020 #12

    Like yourself I bought a Kampa awning on the basis of the reviews, we are on our first trip away with it and guess what , everything in the awning is soaked, we replaced our old cheap awning as that had a slight leak but compared to the Kampa leak it was nothing, reading the problems on various web sites it doesn’t look like we are on our own. Up to now I haven’t read a bad reference for Kampa ! are they doctoring the results?

  • herald123
    herald123 Forum Participant Posts: 2
    edited August 2021 #13

    I bought a Kampa 260 porch air awning 3 years ago which was fine to start with but soon the roof started to leak every time it rained. To suggest that this was caused by condensation or the stitching needed weathering is just nonsense. The Kampa awning is just poor quality and the only solution to this problem is to treat it as many times as possible with Fabsil. I would also advise not over inflating it either as stretching the material does it no good at all.

  • eribaMotters
    eribaMotters Club Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2021 #14

    Back in 2017 I had one of the first Kampa Pop Air Pro awnings for my Eriba. It was a total disaster, poorly fitting and pulled out of the track. The supplying dealer, Lowdhams of Nottingham, liaised with Kampa who took the awning back and fitted a new awning chord. This did not work, Lowdhams refunded me, but it proved the customer service was good, even if the awning was faulty.

    In 2019 version 2 came out and Lowdhams provided one at "an attractive cost". This has proved very good but the material is subject to condensation. That late September summer in France we saw high humidity levels day time temps of over 38c dropping to 10c overnight. Condensation was heavy so I left the top 100mm of the front doors open overnight and the condensation virtually disappeared. There was with a tabletop fridge and a table top freezer in the awning along with the caravan fridge vents on the awning side.

    Airflow is the key. I also had the caravan draught skirt out to help. If you really want to eliminate the condensation follow these tips and suspend a false ceiling of an old bed sheet.  OR  bin the Kampa and buy an expensive frame awning with a breathable fabric such as a Fortex at £2.5K instead of the £1K of the Kampa.

     

    Colin

  • DJLewis21
    DJLewis21 Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited August 2022 #15

    Hi I have a kampa air awning rally air pro drive away.

    It's horrendous when it rains totally unusable 

    3 years old it's been shocking from day 1

    Trying to get any info or any warranty is ridiculous 

    Totally unacceptable product.