Kampa 390.Air

[SirRogerFFS]

Hello Forum Members. Heres an update on the above awning. I have purchased one and as an awning I am very pleased with it although its not been on my caravan yet but has been on Deli Daves. We tried this yesterday, the only downside I found in the short time it was on his van was the actual inflation of it and I can honestly say its not as easy as the video on you tube shows.I have to say I am absolutely full of a rotten cold and inflating it made me very short of breath, so Dave passed the pump to his ladyship to finish off the inflation.Otherwise I am happy with the awning. I will try when we have been away to take photos and post them so that they are not perfectly flat ground and a pitch not part of a tennis court .
I hope this is some help to anybody interested in one .Just one other thing the elecric pump the Kampa Air is £99.99 so to sum up. Awning is £599.99 optional extra polls £19.99. and the pump £99.99 making the total cost £719.97.
Sir Roger

 

[DeliDave_]

Lady Linda is fitter than both of us at the moment.I have to saay I am very impressed with the Kampa awning very smart

 

[brian_c]

Hello Sir Roger. I know my post is quite a while after your initial one.
I have bit the bullet and bought one of these awning myself the 260 version.
I have collected it this morning.
My point concerns something the salesman said to me when I was stood at the checkout paying up.
He said:-
"I can give you one tip when inflating the awning and that is to assemble the pump without fitting the meter, the meter restricts the air flow somewhat and you will find it less effort to inflate without it"
Well my boxed awning is still in the car so I have no experience first hand if his advice is sound but it did appear ok to me so I will have a go both ways when I get the chance to use it.
The instructions seem to imply that the meter is only a guide anyway and the pump is unable to deliver more pressure than is safe for the awning, so it could be a tip worth trying.
Oh! I was we'll frustrated at having to pay nearly £20 for the additional rear poles when purchasing an awning for £499. I did try the old bartering routine but with these being in short supply It appears to be a SELLERS market.
he did say that he had two enquiries since I rang and reserved it this morning, being the last one in stock and with no real date for the arrival of new stock.
regards Brian.

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Hi Brian. Thanks for that info.I have to say nobody mentioned anything like that when I purchased mine,I think they just wanted my money.I just have one question for you and that is.Was there any type of groundsheet in the bag at all,my mate has bought a Kampa and recons there was a ground sheet wiith his and it moulded to fit around the air tubes in the awning..My dealer is being a bit of a pain at the moment as I am trying to get a 390 groundsheet thats another
story cant get one til mid July nice one Ill be on holiday when they come in.
Regards Sir Roger

 

[brian_c]

Hello Sir Roger.
As far as I am aware there is no awning carpet or groundsheet included in my package. However I have read that Kampa sell a groundsheet specifically tailored for these awnings and I did ask Kimberley Caravans (Nottingham) where I managed to source my 260 model from. Apparently they do not have stock at this time. They quoted about £26 for the 260 size so your 390 I presume would be more expensive.
i have removed the awning from the box and opened the bag for a rummage within and the only loose items I can find are a small repair kit and a bag containing pegs and ladder straps.
I have a decent quality awning carpet (breathable) that I was thinking of cutting to suit but it is a green colour and I may get the proper one when I can find one in stock local. Don't fancy the 75 mile round trip to Nottingham for that. I may just put the one I have on the local free adds to offsett the cost of the kampa one.
I am looking forwards to getting away and trying the new awning. I am more concerned with being able to erect it without damage from falling poles, than actual speed of setting up. Our previous Dorema was a great awning but I would like to watch some of these people who say they can erect them solo. I can do 98% alone but still need a bit of help holding the poles in place until I have a few pegs installed.
Regards Brian

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Hi again Brian .I cant leave you yet, If I may suggest to you when putting up your awning you will be pleasently surprised you can put it up on your own.Feed you awning around the rail til your awning is virtually where you want it and start pumping.Your inflation points are at the front outside of the awning you must make sure the valves are closed and then pump away.We used the valve nearest to entry door to inflate it.Once you have got the awning inflated peg out starting at caravan door end then move to the right hand side basicly peg out your four corners first pulling the awning tight into the van .Now as regards your poles you will only use two of them .Caravan side look up and you will see in the top two corners leather pockets to insert your awning poles.and on the ground of the awning you will see a hole with a brass ring in each corner for your poles to go through,fit the poles adjust them up tie in the ties around storm poles and there you go job done apart from pegging out .Brian I hope this will help as when I read your post you seemed to be a bit uncertain Enjoy your new awning.
Sir Roger

 

[brian_c]

Hi Sir Roger thank you for the reply. I have just arrived home from a CL site near Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire.
After buying the awning last Monday I was chomping at the bit to get away and try it and my wife suggested I get myself off fishing for a few days, well it took a bit of thought but after 3 seconds I decided to go.
The awning was no problem at all to erect. I laid the groundsheet out to lay the awning on before starting to thread it through the channel, but the grass on my pitch was better than my lawn at home so it was a precaution that I didn't really need.
Pumping up was quite easy but I did take my time after a minute or so I did feel that it was perhaps not quite as easy as people may think, even so it took less than five minutes to get all air poles very firm.
Pegging out was a breeze and I was amazed that kampa had included quite a few spare pegs and ladder straps.
i was we'll pleased with the result.

HOWEVER I always have an HOWEVER.

One of the door fly screen panels is damaged. Not a lot of damage, perhaps a split of about 25mm by 5mm almost central to the panel.
I noticed it soon as I opened the outer zipped door.
i am so frustrated because I had been ages getting the awning and I know the company don't have anymore in stock, I was at first almost convincing myself that it perhaps didn't really matter and I could live with it.

Because it was evening when I erected the awning I decided to leave well alone and have another look in the morning.
Needless to say a further look in the morning showed up that the outer canvas was showing signs of a very slight pin head sized hole I presume caused at the same time as the fly screen was damaged.
i know that I didn't cause this damage whilst unpacking and erecting the awning so I have decided to return it to the dealer and hopefully get an exchange. I waited till around lunch time to make sure the awning was thoroughly aired then carefully took it down and re packed it, again getting it back into the bag was surprisingly easy.
So I am off to Nottingham again on Monday hopefully for an exchange, I am always apprehensive in these situations when returning anything. I understand that the company should replace damaged items or refund my cost, I presume they in turn would then take up the issue with the supplier.
its just took the edge off things a bit but had this damage not been there I would have been well chuffed with the awning.
best regards. Brian

 

[Mel]

Hi Brian. I don't have the Kampa awning, but did get our wheelclamp from Kimberley. After about 4 months the thread went and it wouldn't close. We took it back to Kimberley caravans and explained. The chap took it off us, didn't even check it and just handed us a new one off the shelf. Hopefully you get the same service.
mel

 

[brian_c]

Thanks for the reply Mel.
that sounds encouraging my only problem is that I when I bought the awning last Monday the salesman told me that it was the last one in stock and they didn't have a date for any new ones coming in.
I suppose the logical thing would be for them to give me a refund. And I can have another ring round to try and source another one. I don't want to be waiting an indeterminate amount of time whilst their stock arrives. We are hoping to get away for a week in early July then a long weekend later in the month. I have already sold our previous awning via free adds to partly fund the kampa one so we don't have anything to fall back on now.
I'm quite frustrated with it all Mondays visit to the dealer will be the telling time, Like I said in my post, had the damage not extended to the outer door canvas I may have been tempted to live with the problem on the fly screen.
cheers for now. Brian

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Hello Brian Im sorry to hear of the damage to your awning especially knowing you were going to very pleased with it.Now I am having problems with supplier of Kampa equipment and it seems there is about a month between their deliveries and much the same elsewhere not that that will help you. I wanted a Kampa breathable groundsheet I was given the next delivery day of three days time after a month I gave up ,I was offered a groundsheet 2.50 400 not 390, I was going to accept that but I found a company called leisure outlet where I buy the toilet chemicals from and his groundsheet was cheaper so I have now got the 400 X 250 and I will make it do .
Good Luck Brian . Sir Roger