Newbie Awning Advice.

[Steve P]

Hi All,
New to caravaning, but recently went for it and we now have a 2014 Coachman Pastiche 525/4. Loving it so far, but the one area we fell we need to invest in is an upgraded awning. Due to the one I brought cheap to get us started, isn’t really big enough for our needs. We would like a full length porch awning, air preferable, and was hoping that some of the more seasoned pros on the forum might be able to advise on suitable models for my caravan type. Or even how to select one, as i know I’ll end up choosing one that covers all lockers and windows!!
Thanks!

 

[Jcloughie]

Hi and welcome.

I think that you are correct, a large porch is the way forward. Simply because it is transferable. I did try a full weight air one about 6 years ago. Hated it. Hopfully they are much improved. There are a few choices available, I cant recommend not having one, but others will.

John

 

[otherclive]

Hi All,
New to caravaning, but recently went for it and we now have a 2014 Coachman Pastiche 525/4. Loving it so far, but the one area we fell we need to invest in is an upgraded awning. Due to the one I brought cheap to get us started, isn’t really big enough for our needs. We would like a full length porch awning, air preferable, and was hoping that some of the more seasoned pros on the forum might be able to advise on suitable models for my caravan type. Or even how to select one, as i know I’ll end up choosing one that covers all lockers and windows!!
Thanks!

Isabella Magnum or Dorema equivalent. Isabella are expensive but top quality. We got yours from a couple who gave up and it was immaculate.

 

[Beachball]

Hi welcome to the forum have a look at Vango porch awning and get a three years warranty when it is registered

 

[JezzerB]

There are some great awings out there-our Outdoor Revolution is now 4 years old and still looks great-slight fading but still waterproof -no sags or bags. It's the only one as far as I know whose bladders have an air release valve separate to the inlet so if it gets hot the bladders cannot overinflate. Saying that we always admire Vango and Kampa dometic on sites-they look really stable and solid-but people say Kampa aren't so good in terms of customer service now Dometic have them. However if you have a fault it's the dealer you take up the warranty claim with of course! Not sure where these rumours and niggles come from?
Bradcot, Dorema then Isabella are imo top of the tree in terms of material and build but look very heavy to me and given how long ours is lasting I am glad we didn't pay the extra. Everything Isabella is unbelievabley expensive but looks top quality. You can get endless extras to match their ranges-and also the spares for them is the largest I've ever seen at our nearby dealer-Yorks Caravans and I know the company themselves can repair and alter any of their awnings-if you want one to withstand any weather that's maybe where you should look.

Not sure where you are but Yorkshire Caravans Bawtry has a huge indoor area where you can see the top makes and some cheaper makes erected and you can get a good feel of them-we were there Tuesday looking at windbreaks but didn't take the plunge!

 

[Jcloughie]

Depending on your location, here are three more places with good showrooms, Attwool’s, near Gloucester, Davan’s Western-s-Mare, and Highbridge, at Highbridge.

John

 

[Buckman]

I think the only full length porch air awning is the Bradcot. Dorema also make a full length air awning.

 

[Hutch]

The air awnings are surprisingly heavy, It all depends on what your need ing your awning for, just to keep tables chairs and coats in when its wet, and for just a long weekend or, fo using as an extension to living space for a couple of weeks when you might need a stronger awning.
We have an Sunncamp 220 for weekends and a poled Carbonlite 360 for more than a week, both very light, we dont sit out in ours, unless folk come round for a drink and the weather is good enough.

 

[Dustydog]

The air awnings are very heavy to drag through the awning rail.My Kampa Rallye Air has rested for,four years in the loft. It’s on its third foc air bladder with a new bladder needed following its last failure.
Good old faithful Isabella with Carbon fibre poles and unique storm straps has never failed us.. QED.

 

[Steve P]

Hi All,

Many thanks for all your reply’s. Certainly some food for thought there! In general what the feeling on Air -V - Poled awnings? Noticing the difference on price. I guess that air are the most modern, but there seems much less that could go wrong with a stainless steel pole!

 

[Dustydog]

Ss poles? No. Go for the carbon x poles. However, I accept budgets are different for everyone. At the end of the day Isabella’s will last a long time but they cost more than most. Your choice. As I said before the air awnings are not heavy weather and for me who bought one a great disappointment.

 

[Hutch]

Hi Steve, our small air awning has a single "horseshoe" single tube. Very light flexible, rhe Vango is better.
Our Go outdoors 360 poled carbon light is great, both stand up well but are not seriorsly storm proof. But have coped well. k

 

[Thingy]

You will get mixed reviews on air awnings, some love them, some hate them. Im in the latter class having had a bad experience with one.

Not so sure about the term full length porch. Usually full length refers to a full awning and fits the whole of the awning rail on the caravan including the front and back drops. A porch of any type sits in the top of the awning rail and then drops straight to ground.

Some porches will have rear poles, including some air awnings, and my thoughts are if you have to have rear poles, you might as well have the whole frame. Personally I think there is less to go wrong with a poled awning. As near as you can get to a full awning, Bradcot do one called the Modulair I think it is. Basically you buy the main peiece then add modules to suit you. Personally anything that doesnt go up in one go is a none starter for me.

Isabella, as has already been mentioned are the cream of awnings, and the Magnum is without doubt the best poled porch awning out there. Comes in two sizes, 3.4m and 4m. Kampa/Dometic do a 5m air awning. Isabella now do an air awning called the Cirrus which is i think 4m, its probably excellent, but at over 2k it ought to be.

Having been the vitim of an exploding air pole whilst on holiday and having to struggle to get a replacement sent, I never want to be in that position again. We managed, but what a faff it was. Air awnings are also somewhat heavier than a traditional awning of equivalent size. If you are not very tall, elderly or without the muscle power of Samson, I would seriously thing about the larger air awnings.

 

[JezzerB]

Ours beams can't in theory explode due cto thex relief valves . If You gather the awning at the base of the rail it isn't too heavy to diy even our 420. We you can tell are firstly in the air camp having seen poked awnings badly dent a van side in a storm. So much quicker and easier to out up and take down too.

 

[Buckman]

Hi All,

Many thanks for all your reply’s. Certainly some food for thought there! In general what the feeling on Air -V - Poled awnings? Noticing the difference on price. I guess that air are the most modern, but there seems much less that could go wrong with a stainless steel pole!

Air vs pole;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGibcUJBWew


Your choice.

 

[Thingy]

Fibre poles are lighter and as strong.

 

[Beachball]

Fibre poles are lighter and as strong.

+1 in agreement with you

 

[Beachball]

i have got a 2021 Vango Capella 220 Air porch awning it very light and easy to put up tried it out on the last break it was great perfect for us and the dogs .

 

[Raywood]

Bradcot do a sectional awning, which means you can vary the length according to your needs on the day. Not sure if you will get three sections on that caravan but you can use two or three for longer stays and may be one for weekends.
A porch awning should start no further forward or back than the point at which the awning rail at the front and back starts to dip so do check this measurement.
As said earlier porch awnings do have the advantage that if you change the caravan they should still fit the new one, where full awnings probably will not.
People are attached to our own favourite make but in simple terms and like most things in life the cheaper ones will be poorer quality than the more expensive. Possibly you have to look at your budget and decide where you want to be on that subject.

 

[Buckman]

Fibre poles are lighter and as strong.

We have the carbon fibre poles which are supposed to stronger than normal fibre poles. No idea if they are one and the same. Never tested so no idea.

 

[Dustydog]

My Izzy carbon fibre poles are amazingly strong.Never had one break unlike the three that failed on the Kampa Rallye Air

 

[Kevin M]

We bought a Kampa Air porch awning a few years back.
Worked ok but, even though I’m pretty strong, once packed in the bag i felt it was too heavy and unwieldy.
Sold it and bought an Isabella Minor with CarbonX poles, much better for us personally.
Quality is nice too.

Kev

 

[woodsieboy]

We are firmly in the air awning camp, if you need a full awning, there are makers who produce air awnings that are the same as full poled awnings to look at, Dorema do a full size one, we have a Vango 420 Varkala, all 5 panels zip out so the weight when pulled through the channel is roughly the same as a poled awning, obvously without the extra weight of the poles when transporting it, also you don't need a seperate bag for poles.Most websites will show the weight of the awning, and IMO the weight is governed mainly by the size of the awning and the thickness of the material.We also try to buy a new previous years awning, often websites will offer bigger discounts for a previous years model or a discontinued model or colour, the internet is your friend, to check price and availability. One thing that does differentiate air awnings is the tube arrangements, we prefer the loose tubes where, as in our case you have 4 legs that you inflate and then add the roof bars individually, other makes have a single frame work of linked tubes, which do increase the weight when you need to feed through the awning channel.

 

[Hutch]

When people say they prefer Air awnings, others say poled, How many times do you use them and for how long a stay at a time. I would never think about putting up a full awning if going away for a Friday night and leave on a Sunday, but I do see people do that.

 

[Thingy]

Im with you on that Hutch. Its one of the reasons we dont go away as often as some of you, but when we go, we go for longer. Never less than two weeks, and usually 4 weeks. Too much hassle to put the awning up for a couple of nights.