Awning Row

[pitpony]

Have you ever had one? a row when putting up the Awning, more often than not it's over which way the poles go round, we have had a couple in the past but these days we don't even bother with an awning, so any newbies just have your first one then have with you several rolls of different coloured insulation tape and mark up those poles,

 

[paws]

NO, Never had a row over an awning....
Our strategy is for me to put up the awning, whilst Mrs paws takes the dogs for a walk.... when she gets back the awning is up, the kettle is on and all is sweetness and light!
As always,
Happy Caravanning

 

[flims]

Get an air awning......no rows over poles!!!!

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Get an air awning......no rows over poles!!!!

Only rows over how to cure the air leaks.

 

[saint-spoon]

Now WC, I know that you have had your issues with air-frames but I have two of the beasts and neither has ever sprung a leak… we also have never rowed over awning inflation because I do it on my own whilst TLHA does some other things or sorts something non-awning related out (not entirely sure what she does to be honest).

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Sorry Saint Spoon, we've never had an air awning. We bought a new van 4 years ago and the OH said we had to have a new awning to go with it. She wouldn't let me use our old awning. So having already invested in a expensive satisfactory porch awning I wasn't joining the air revolution.

 

[saint-spoon]

Everyone to their own WC. As I have said before, I spent many year as a child helping my Dad put up our ever expanding awnings, I was then a tentist for over twenty years with experience of frame tents, ridge tents and ones with flexible poles. I am now onto air frames and find that of all the frame types they are by far the easiest to erect and so far they are by far the most resilient to high winds because they simply fold down. My Sister has recently abandoned a camping trip to Wales because two of her flexible poles split during high winds and that tent is only a year old (I suspect that her Boyfriend probably had the guy ropes too tight to be honest). Only time will tell on the longevity of the air frames though, both mine are a year old and whilst the poor weather weekend porch (that we bought for winter use because of its small size and ability to be dried in our dining room) has had a fair few outings, the three quarter length porch has only been out a few times.

One down side to the flexible pole and air frame which is really evident is the inability to hang stuff up to dry on the poles…because there aren’t any

 

[travellerone]

As we are seasonal with a full size and we have just the two rows, you guessed it right - when we put up and when we take down.

 

[Dustydog]

One down side to the flexible pole and air frame which is really evident is the inability to hang stuff up to dry on the poles…because there aren’t any
Actually that's not true, well not the Kampa Rallye Pro Air. You can buy accessories for hanging things or use some string between the main legs. Before the thing punctured it did support our coats!.

 

[saint-spoon]

One down side to the flexible pole and air frame which is really evident is the inability to hang stuff up to dry on the poles…because there aren’t any
Actually that's not true, well not the Kampa Rallye Pro Air. You can buy accessories for hanging things or use some string between the main legs. Before the thing punctured it did support our coats!.

I stand corrected.

 

[DrZhivago]

have with you several rolls of different coloured insulation tape and mark up those poles,

Would you not need about 20 different colours to show what ends to join to what ends??

I went round mine with a Dymo Letratag maker and labelled with like "LH Vert 2 ->" meaning the left hand (looking out) vertical pole, second piece from the bottom. The arrow points upwards or inwards. And I did use differnt colours too - white for the centre group of poles, red for the left group and green for the right group.

 

[KeefySher]

have with you several rolls of different coloured insulation tape and mark up those poles,

Would you not need about 20 different colours to show what ends to join to what ends??

I went round mine with a Dymo Letratag maker and labelled with like "LH Vert 2 ->" meaning the left hand (looking out) vertical pole, second piece from the bottom. The arrow points upwards or inwards. And I did use differnt colours too - white for the centre group of poles, red for the left group and green for the right group.

A lot of faffing about, it seems.

We just plug the pump in, 3 minutes it's inflated.

 

[emmerson]

Too much hassle altogether now for any awning.
We don't bother now, just take less stuff.

 

[Momo]

Get an air awning......no rows over poles!!!!

Only rows over how to cure the air leaks.

Tell me about it..Vango our first air awning we bought 2 one for our daughter and they both leak at the valves all 3 tubes I am still taking it up with Vango they think I should be buying new ones of them at £30 each that's £90 we bought an Outwell Venice awning recently much better one too.

 

[Dustydog]

Stuff the air awnings. We tried but they failed us.
Conventional awning poles are not complicated.
Spend a few hours looking and understanding where they go.
We lay them out in their tough position and away you go. In the army you have to dismantle and reassemble your rifle In the dark. So it should be with your awning poles. :cheer:

 

[colin-yorkshire]

Stuff the air awnings. We tried but they failed us.
Conventional awning poles are not complicated.
Spend a few hours looking and understanding where they go.
We lay them out in their tough position and away you go. In the army you have to dismantle and reassemble your rifle In the dark. So it should be with your awning poles. :cheer:

quite right, it cannot be that hard can it!!! apart from the two top corners which are handed most of the poles are interchangeable a leg is a leg left right or centre it fits, poles to the van are the same. there is only one centre piece.
gordon bennett mountains and mole hills. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Martin24]

Well said, for one thing I don't like the look of most of these air things. Another point is they are heavier to pull through and round into position which is not good when the Mrs has to do it alone. Then of course all the guy ropes everywhere, what's that all about? I want an awning not a tent.

Awning poles are simple and straight forward, any numptie can do it. Obvious which poles are which and if you aren't confident you just colour code them. Ours even has left and right marked on the front corners and you could hardly get them the wrong way round if you tried.

Had our Isabella Magnum for 5 years now and I don't see it being changed for anything else. If it's looked after it should last us out.

 

[saint-spoon]

Get an air awning......no rows over poles!!!!

Only rows over how to cure the air leaks.

Tell me about it..Vango our first air awning we bought 2 one for our daughter and they both leak at the valves all 3 tubes I am still taking it up with Vango they think I should be buying new ones of them at £30 each that's £90 we bought an Outwell Venice awning recently much better one too.

To be honest I had two vango tents in the past, the second being the replacement for the first one when the inner tent fabric ripped. the second went back as well due to the zip failing on our first outing. Two tents, two trips and two failures. I now avoid the brand for large items.

 

[mealsonwheels]

Can thoroughly recommend getting a Bradcot Awning with Easy Alloy Poles, which are a doddle to put up, compared to some of the others, as there are no loose poles to connect up and the awning is up in no time and the kettle is on.

 

[KeefySher]

Can thoroughly recommend getting a Bradcot Aspire Air Awning with [strike]Easy Alloy[/strike] No Poles,, just tubes and one inflation point which [strike]are[/strike] is a doddle to put up, compared to some of the others, as there are no loose poles to connect up and the awning is up in no time and the kettle is on.

Corrected that for you

Our Aspire Air 390 is a superb bit of kit. Inbuilt storm straps that are deployed when required, so no guy lines either. I can put it up single handed. The only time I had to pull harder was when some mastic from an over enthusiastic gun operator in the factory splurged a glob of mastic in the mid vertical section of the rear awning rail that I was attempting to use thinking it would be easier feeding in from the bottom than the top being as I was single handed. We found the curtains didn't hang well so requested additional hold backs from Bradcot, by return post, gratis. Excellent service. An important aspect for us was a non full awning, we don't want to look at an awning canvas from the lounge, prefer the vista the chosen pitch provides. Ours has been stable in storms that brought down Isabella full awnings. Probably the top of the range air awning, but you get wot you pay for.

We have the awning erection / demolition down to a fine art and it fits back in the bag it came in!!! No divorce in a bag with this bit of kit.

 

[Thingy]

The thing with poles is that its just practice. The more you do a thing the easier it becomes. Much better to learn properly than with little gadgets or tricks.

With modern awnings, many of the poles are pre-joined making the decisions a lot less difficult. Think about it logically, if it has a spike its a leg, a hook is a roof bar, the side legs have an angle attached, the centre usually a T piece. I just dont get what people find so hard. Shouldnt be any more difficult than your pitching and packing routines.

Most manufacturers have videos on Youtube about awning building and they are invaluable. Thanks to the Isabella one, we now put our whole awning up and pack away in one piece, something we have never done before. Being short, I used to have to use a step to put the thing up, thanks to their technique, now I dont, and the thing I find the hardest of all, getting it rolled properly is now a doddle. i kid you not, for us, it really used to be "divorce in a bag". So so easy now.

 

[Martin24]

With you completely Thingy, we've never had an awning that has caused an argument, it's a very easy and basic bit of kit to use with a bit of forward planning and a sprinkling of common sense you can't really go wrong.

 

[Mel]

Most manufacturers have videos on Youtube about awning building and they are invaluable. Thanks to the Isabella one, we now put our whole awning up and pack away in one piece, something we have never done before. Being short, I used to have to use a step to put the thing up, thanks to their technique, now I dont, and the thing I find the hardest of all, getting it rolled properly is now a doddle. i kid you not, for us, it really used to be "divorce in a bag". So so easy now.

Sounds interesting. Can you post a link to the video Thingy? There are a few Isabella ones and too lazy to work my way through. Me and OH not very tall either!
Thanks
Mel

 

[Thingy]

But of course, anything to oblige. This one really changed the way we did things, probably just catching up with the great and knowledgeable, but helped us loads all the same.

Putting up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIMc2BdCUrk
The only thing I do differently is the fixons. I have marked the profile with pencil and put the fixons in place BEFORE pushing it through the awning rail.

And taking down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffr_LWTUbmk

 

[Mel]

Thank you Thingy. Very helpful. We are planning on getting a full awning to leave on our seasonal pitch this summer. Will try the same method.
Mel