Broken awning pole.

[Mark31415]

Schoolboy error. Had a kinked pole. Thought I'd bend it straight again. Now have a broken pole It's broken where it reduced down to insert into the next section so can't even put on an exteranl collar.

A quick google has found a couple of places that can supply poles of varying size and materials but so-far can't find any that can supply an alloy pole section.

As I broke it on a Saturday evening nowhere is open to call until Monday and we are away at the end of next week so need to get on and get it sorted.

It's for a Kampa Rally pro. 19mm external diameter and 70cm long. Anyone found any good suppliers of spare parts? Kampa themselves suggest calling a distributor who will then order them off of Kampa. That does not sound like me getting a pole by mid next week!

I'll be phoning around anywhere that's local and open on Sunday but not holding out a lot of hope.

Alternatively anyone anywhere near Fleet/Reading/Guildford with a suitable pole or bit of pole that keeps getting in the way?

 

[Hutch]

Mark, try "go outdoors" they have spare poles etc, good luck.

 

[RayS]

Don't quite follow where the break occured but emergency repairs to poles can sometimes be made with suitable bits of smaller pipe e.g. 15mm copper as for domestic central heating or wooden dowel rod. wrap ends with insulation tape at a slight angle producing a taper. Then push into the ends of the broken bits. Different amouts of tape wound on will give different diameter fits> Tis repair is ok sideways but may pull out lengthways so and overall binding with tape may be worth doing. NOT a long term fix.

 

[Mark31415]

Mark, try "go outdoors" they have spare poles etc, good luck.[/quote

Unfortunately Go Outdoors only hold a very limited stock of fibre poles and no metal ones at all.

 

[Mark31415]

For anyone in a similar position, it seems metal poles are a bit hard to get hold of urgently over a weekend. I have a couple of places to call on Monday and will also see how quickly Kampa can send me out a spare one.

The problem....
The post was badly kinked. I tried to straighten it but it split along the stress line of the kink. The kink is there the pole reduces to connect to the next pole so not able to do a simple brace around the damage.

The temporary solution...
Hopefully I'll be able to arrange a new piece of pole section on Monday. In the mean-time I discovered a lot of curtain poles were also 19mm in diameter when I was searching for my awning pole. I managed to source a decent quality metal curtain pole. 19mm external diameter. As it's an extendable pole it has another tube which is a snug fit inside.

Bit of hacksawing, drilling and riveting later and I have a slightly heavier but perfectly fitting replacement pole section to use in case a genuine replacement cannot be sourced in time. The external diameter of the 19mm bit is also spot-on for the height adjuster sleeve and clamp that fit on the end so should do the job nicely. I kept the thinner linking piece a bit longer than the original as the end of the tube if went into was a bit flared due to the previous damage so a longer tongue will spread the load in the next pole too. It will have to last 10 or so pitches and strikes over the next month so needs to be pretty solid.

May be a handy tip for anyone else in the same situation as it's a lot stronger than the gaffa-tape and hope methods I had been considering.

 

[Dustydog]

Mark,
As a temporary measure go to B&Q , Wickes etc and buy a piece of 19 mm hard wood dowel. That should do the trick until you get a permanent replacement.

 

[Mark31415]

@DustyDog, Problem is the awning is going to be going up and down like a yo-yo for the next few weeks so needed something a bit more substantive this time. I still hope to be able to get a real pole before we leave on Friday I can then keep my curtain pole version as a back-up which, if usual spares carrying experience is anything to go by, will mean I should not damage any more poles.

 

[Grahamh]

I had the same prob after rainstorm. found a place called Canvaslove. he sent me two preloved poles. He collects them and has all different makes, materials etc. He is in Somerset but mailed 2 poles out next day. 07789 863336 or email canvaslove@btinternet.com.

 

[Mark31415]

Excellent service from Kampa and Reading Caravans. Replacement pole ordered on Monday morning and I've just been to collect if from my local dealer on Wednesday lunchtime. £20 for the entire upright pole so 3 pole sections and the bottom tensioner adjuster. That included delivery to the dealer. Very impressed.