Combi awning

[Pablo1]

My caravan is fixed bed, the door being forward of the axle, with only a 4" gap between it and the front window, where a porch awning must fit. Our existing porch awning fits across a window, to the rear; not very good. I am considering converting a full-size awning into a combi, but wonder about the sealing to the 'van. I believe that Isabella do a combi kit, pole & foam seal. Has anyone used one? What's the cost? Does the awning bead run through the pole? Or is it ok just to secure the awning base, or would wind movement rub the bead against the 'van side (paint damage?)?
I have "inherited" a full-size awning with this 'van, but it's 1030 size, big and heavy. I would be nice to have a mid-sized awning, but, due to window positions, think that combi is the way to go. Any help, experiences and advise most welcome.
Paul

 

[trucker]

Paul, we have a combi awning, used it 4 times but unfortunatly cuts over the front window on our current van if fed from the back and over the door if fed from the front. its a size 14ft NR Pullman in wine and grey. great awning in as near new condition. Interested??

Kevin

 

[Martin24]

Hi,
Used to use the combi from Bradcot. Feed through from rear and that end is the same as a full awning, then the front end is as a porch with foam insert tied to the upright pole. With the exception of our very small porch (proper one not a lightweight alternative) I would always say the full awning is the easier to put up providing the panels are removed the weight of our 1050 isn't too bad and with easy alloy poles reasonably easy to put up single handed. (well when I get over having the appendix out!! Looks like it'll be the porch at half term with me watching!)

 

[John_374564913]

I have an outdoor revelution porch awning with foam pads and poles to fix to caravan wall.

First nothing fits better than a full awning I think this is a fact from what I have seen
A close second is the porch awning with the foam pads secured to adjustable wall poles there are clips on the pad that you attach to the pole and if you turn the pad side on instead of flat it sort of gives a better seal against the caravan wall.

However if you have a lot of wind they will move you do get a gap and the wind comes in regardless of how well you have set up the porch awning or tied it down Hence my statement that a full awning is the best fixing to prevent wind coming in, although it has the disadvantage of being big and bulky

 

[Tiz]

We also have a caravan with a
fixed bed, with the door in front of the axle. At first we used a full sized
awning, size 1000, but found that whilst a nice awning it was too big for the
two of use, (had to use a megaphone at breakfast just to ask for the salt); it
also took me a considerable time to erect, as we are both getting older. I
tried several porch awnings but found that they all fit across a window ok for
a couple of days but no good for an extended stay. So we bought an Isabella
awning (850) and converted it into a combi. It has been excellent; it replaces
a full awning, but is easier to put up and meets our needs and even survived a
serious storm when others around us were failing!

The awning size you need
would depend on where you require the vertical side, measure the A-B dimensions
to this point i.e. the base of the vertical side, instructions are on the
Isabella web site. The conversion kit contains a piece, figure 8, for the
awning to run through. With regard to cost the conversion kit is about £100,
and you need to buy suitable size awning, ours was a demonstration model, about
£750.

For us this has replaced the
use of a full size awning but does not solve the problem of using a porch
awning for a few days. In this respect I have tried several porch awnings (earning
my nickname amongst friends as Awning Pete, we currently have five awnings,
three for sale) but not found one suitable. But on the recommendations of another
thread on this forum I have just purchase a Kampa rally 260, to use for short
stays.

 

[RayS]

Had the same problem, but found our old Dorema porch would just fit with the front near the front of the van and the rear just ( and I mean just) giving the rear hinged door room to open fully. Yoy may need some good end stops - see posting on this forum section - to stop the awning sliding rearwards - again recommend the Isabella product which has wing nut tightening not a Pozi screw.

 

[Mel]

Hi. What is a Combi awning? Never heard of one before. I'm guessing it goes through the awning channel at the back and fits like a porch awning at the front? Am I right? What are the advantages of a Combi awning? If I am right it sounds like the worst of both worlds; as heavy and difficult as a full awning with the drafts of a porch. Enlightenment please.
mel

 

[Martin24]

Yes you are right that's what it does. Drafty one end but a little lighter than a full though not much. No easier really to put up than a porch. As much as anything the advantage we found with ours when we had it, was it is a deep as a full awning so affords you a little extra space. Needless to say it was sold, as was the 390 sunncamp that followed. Now have ordinary very small porch for the 5 pairs of wellies and the dog towels at weekends and the just as easy to put up full awning for holidays.

 

[Connie1]

Friends of ours have a Bailey Indiana, they bought a 14 foot Nr awning and converted it to a combi, it fits inbetween the two side windows, they also have a smaller Isabella 680 combi awning and use the pole from that to keep the awning to the side of the van.

Connie.

 

[Surfer]

We have a Lunar Lexon EW and the Ventura Marlin porch awning is less than half a metre too small and the one end goes on top of either the window at the front or the window at the rear. Preferably we would like the rear window to be inside the awning, but that mean the awning will partially cover the door. If the awning had been 3.9metres instread of 3.4m it would have fitted like a glove. Not sure if you can extend a porch awning half a metre on the awning rail side.

 

[Joann]

Could your current poles be upgraded to make them lighter/easier and stick with the full awning? we had a large porch awning and it was horrible, it flapped about and let drafts in and the dog could escape out the side, (Miniature dachshund about 6 inches at the shoulder)

 

[DeliDave_]

We have an Indiana and use an 875 Isabella cut to the the left of the door and the porch leg kit to close the gap.That way we can see whats happening out of the front window.Its quicker to put up than the dorema porch we used to use and not as heavy as the full dorema we also have,We put a shower curtain accross about 4 feet from the rear and have a folding table with any kit,small fridge steamer or whatever I was always worried about hitting the van with the porch frame as you assemble it and extend it in the awning even with foam around the bars.We are happy with it anyway and wish we had gone for it first in place of the collection of awnings weve now got.
The Isabella porch kit is dear but it works very well with very little draught around the leg.