Has anyone had trouble with a Kampa air awning
We have a Kampa air awning which had a tube blow after 2 weeks and 2 days use. Kampa weren’t interested but our supplier returned it for inspection. We have photos to show the air tube was attached to the awning itself. Kampa said this is impossible. Reading Kampa reviews online it looks like we aren’t the only ones to have trouble. Has anyone else had this sort of experience? We are heading to Trading Standards with this.
Moved from Story Section
Comments
-
I have to say your experience is the complete opposite from the customer service we have had from Kampa - which was outstanding. I wonder if this is a reflection of them being bought out by Dometic
Three Kampa awnings ago - our very first one - failed to inflate properly when we arrived on a site in Devon at the start of our two week holiday. Phoned the dealer who went through all the various possible remedies - that didn't solve it. Then got a phone call from the North of England Kampa Rep - same situation, couldn't solve it. They then sent out a new replacement awning by overnight courier which was with us before 9am the following morning - all at their expense.
(It subsequently turned out that all that was wrong was that the inflation valve hadn't been tightened up sufficiently - which no one had suggested during the phone calls)
We are now on our third Kampa awning which is over two years old - used every month and never had a problem with it.
1 -
sat in our Kampa air 390 just now in sunny Devon, it is 4/5 years old, looks a bit tatty as they do fade but it has spent a lot of time in sunny Spain in some very hot sun and temperatures.
Had a leg fail whilst in Spain, unfortunatly it was the leg containing the inflator position so whole awning out of action, and this is a concern, Kampa say you can operate awning by isolating individual legs but does not work if main leg with inflation goes AWOL, but Kampa shipped new leg via DHL to campsite in Spain and we were up and running within 5 days. I think the blow out was probably my fault, when temperatures are high you need to reduce the pressure, right now it is set for 9 PSI, would only use 8 PSI if very hot.
0 -
We have photos to show the air tube was attached to the awning itself. Kampa said this is impossible.
sat looking at mine and i also can not see how they achieved this. the inflatable bladders are encased in a canvas type zipped sleeve which in turn has an inner protective cover that holds the bladder that is inflated. Yes the outer sleeve is attached to the awning but all the rest is contained within the zipped outer sleeve and should be removable in the event of a blow out, and simply replaced with new part
0 -
We have a Kampa Air Ace 400 which was purchased in April 2018. We were in North Devon on the 14th Sept 2020 when the main bladder (with the air inlet) in the awning exploded ripping the bladder protective cover at the same time. As it was outside the two year warranty we had to purchase a new bladder and protective cover from Kampa for a total cost of £140.
These arrived quickly within two days but after fitting the new ones and blowing the awning up to 5 PSI the main bladder burst again in exactly the same place. Very frustrated, now waiting for a second replacement bladder under warranty.
I shall be going back to our pole awning if this continues!!0 -
I have had the Kampa Air 330 for 2 years and like it very much. I bought the auto electric air pump and from a series of trials have kept reducing the PSI to less than half the the range given in the instruction manual. I find that just 4.5 PSI gives good shape and stability and yet provides a much greater safety margin to the risks of bursts (especially when the sun gets hot). If you use a hand pump then just inflate to the point where you can get a slight depression in the tube when pinching with your fingers. There is no need to have it absolutely taut.
0 -
Have to report, i am still sat in mine, had blazing sunshine, last night torrential rain and wind, but all ok, still stood up, just one small drip in the corner. Have to agree with others i think keeping the pressure to 9 or below is the way forward especially if the sun is up.
0 -
Two air awnings at Morn Hill had tubes explode within minutes of each other(frightened our dog,) both on adjacent pitches in hot sun ,
It sound by posts on here is that some try to make air awnings as solid as conventional poles, ,which causes the tubes to be at too high a pressure to cope with the heat we are now experiencing at times in this country
I have noticed recently that air awnings do seem to have many more guy ropes than needed with conventional pole awnings to keep them from moving ,is that enable lower pressures to be used?
0 -
It's only recently that I've inflated my Kampa awning with a compressor that shows the pressure. I've set the pressure to just 6 psi and the awning is rigid enough .... I'd imagine that 9 would be more than enough 🤷♂️
As far as guy ropes, my awning (400?) has just 4 across the front with the option to fit storm straps on each top corner. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61KEv2dVKML._AC_SX355_.jpg
0 -
Whilst I am not doubting others may have experienced problems with air awnings from many manufacturers, we have not. How many suffered damage or failure of poled awnings in the past? In more than 30 yrs of caravaning, I have seen multiple steel or ally poles bent, twisted or causing damage to caravan bodies, fiberglass poles cracked like carrots, but not yet been on a site where an airpole has exploded. Maybe we have been fortunate, others not so. Look around any site nowadays and the majority are air awnings, Kampa probably the greatest number then Vango. Our Kampa air awning has stood steady in temperatures from -5C in UK winters to +38C in French summers. Inflated to the recommended 9psi at 20degC the pressure will only increase to about 10.5psi at 40degC, well within the safety margin of testing of 22psi by the manufacturer. Of course I recognise that those experiencing problems will be most likely to complain loudest but are they the majority?, of course not.
1 -
I have always in 35 years of caravaning used isabella poled awnings and never used guy ropes. I have only once used the storm straps which fit to the poles. That was this August on the Isle of Wight when the wind got to 60mph, I did it to be on the safe side
0
