VANGO AIR AWNING ISSUES

[Scannyman]

Hello Everyone
We have a Vango Kalari II which generally is quite good however, there is clearly a major issue regarding the main air tubes.
Since owning, I have replaced three of the four at around £60 each last season and they too have now failed (Four new ones on order). They all fail around the welded seams and despite many attempts to repair from glue, tent tapes (several makes) to car puncture repair "Tyreweld" but nothing works.
Other caravaners I have spoken to have never even seen their air-tubes yet alone have to repair them.
Does anyone know of an ongoing problem with Vango air-tubes or is it just poor manufacturing and rubbish material used?

 

[Ferrodo]

I have a Dorema Magnum air awning and in the 7 years I’ve owned it I have had 3 “rafter” bladders fail. All of them popped the end welded seams and like you, I tried each and every way, glue, tape and even knotting the ends without any success at all. I now carry a spare bladder for each type.
I must say that the problems arose during very hot weather and only on the short air beams and not the long main ones. Can only put this down to an increase in pressure due to expansion. For this reason I now only inflate to an extent where the beam just supports itself and not necessarily to the 7psi recommended.
Can’t comment on Vango quality.
Regards
F

 

[Scannyman]

I have a Dorema Magnum air awning and in the 7 years I’ve owned it I have had 3 “rafter” bladders fail. All of them popped the end welded seams and like you, I tried each and every way, glue, tape and even knotting the ends without any success at all. I now carry a spare bladder for each type.
I must say that the problems arose during very hot weather and only on the short air beams and not the long main ones. Can only put this down to an increase in pressure due to expansion. For this reason I now only inflate to an extent where the beam just supports itself and not necessarily to the 7psi recommended.
Can’t comment on Vango quality.
Regards
F

Hi Ferrodo

Like you, I only inflate to 7-8 psi but Vango seem to be particularly poor in the quality of materials used. With main structure bladders failing in my case and each fitted inside an outer sleeve restricting its expansion, this sort of thing should never happen.
These bladders should be capable of holding air to at at least 15psi.

 

[Mr Plodd]

I have always been very careful in regards to the pressure within my Sunncamp air awning. The instructions say a maximum of 7psi, but I only inflated it to that once and that was the very first time it was used, to test it would stand that pressure. It did.

If you inflate to the maximum stated pressure early to mid morning, and it's a sunny day, the solar gain (heat provided by the sun falling on dark awning material) WILL increase that pressure a fair bit. So I never inflate mine above around 5.5 -5.75 psi and, if its a hot sunny day I check the pressure mid afternoon. Like car tyres the pressure can rise a fair percentage when exposed to powerfull sunlight, and you need to be aware of that fact when inflating your awning, yet the manufacturers don't seem to put any warnings in their instructions, and neither do they fit a pressure relief valve which would prevent over pressure !

My awning has about 9 or 10 interconnected bladders. I always leave the valves between them all open. My theory being that any pressure increase in one will be distributed between all of the bladders, thus minimising the risk of one being subjected to a fatal rise.

5 - 5.75 psi is ample to maintain my awnings rigidity. My Sunncamp air is now 5 years old, has had extensive use in some pretty hot locations (summer in Spain) and has not suffered a single bladder failure, so am I do something right, or just lucky?

So in answer to the OP's question, no I have never experienced an air awning bladder failure. But mine is a Sunncamp awning not a Vango.

 

[Ferrodo]

Agree with you Scannyman. But hey… spares or swap your awning for a different make and take the risk?

 

[JRT]

In Cornwall last year our neighbour was taking his Vango down after being up less than 48 hours as one of his bladders failed. On speaking to him this was his last straw after previous failures.

His first move when he got home was to speak to the dealer he bought it from regarding pursuing a full refund under the terms of the CRA.

I obviously don't know how he got on but he was not a happy bunny.

 

[Beachball]

We brought a brand new Vango Capella 220 Air Porch awning never had any trouble while we had it but we Sold it and it still going strong (but it only had one single air beam inflation) .

 

[woodsieboy]

We have 2 Vango air awnings,neither have had any problems with bladders one is 2 years old the other 5 years old, have posted elsewhere how impressed we have been with Vango when they repaired wind damaged awning, I suspect you have been unlicky, I know friends who have had problems with Kampa/Dometic air awnings so like so many things it seems to be luck of the draw, although we are very careful when taking down the awnings to make sure none of the tubes are folded too much

 

[Somersetboy]

Having read the various posts on this subject can someone tell me how they have checked the psi in the air tubes. Both of my awnings Sunncamp and Telsa came with gauges fitted to top of the pumps but neither indicate what the pressure is. Where in your opinion should the gauge be located. Cheers

 

[Ferrodo]

The pump gauge will indicate the pressure throughout the air tubes. In fact on most pumps there is a pressure relief valve that vents when pressure is reached

 

[Somersetboy]

The pump gauge will indicate the pressure throughout the air tubes. In fact on most pumps there is a pressure relief valve that vents when pressure is reached

Thanks Ferrodo but the gauges are not reading any pressure.

 

[Ferrodo]

Hmm something not right here then. I don’t think that you can influence the gauge in any way. You pump and the gauge tells you how much pressure the air beam is at. Is this a new piece of kit? Have you ever seen a reading on the gauge?

 

[Somersetboy]

Agreed the same way as you would find on a tyre pump. No I've never seen either of them show a reading, the Sunncamp was second hand from a dealer the Telta was new last September as said in both cases the gauges were fitted in top of the pumps with remaining tube going to valve in awnings.

 

[Ferrodo]

Are your air beams getting hard? In other words are they building up pressure? If they are then I would suggest that the gauges aren’t being pressurised somehow.

 

[Somersetboy]

Hi, yes in both cases all the tubes inflate and tubes are hard without the gauges showing a reading I've no idea what pressure there at. What I don't understand is that after tubes in either are inflated I can just pull the connections with loss of air ( non return valve worki) so how would the gauges give a reading

 

[Ferrodo]

air beam connection is a one way valve ( diaphragm) lets air in one direction only. Unscrew the gauge and make sure there isn’t any restriction to the pipe

 

[Somersetboy]

Have found previous postings on this subject and most people are saying the same thing the gauges supplied do not show a final reading, majority of replies said that people changed electric pumps.

 

[Somersetboy]

Slight change of direction having found old postings on my subject. Has anyone done away with the hand pump and gone over to electric if so what make do you use?

 

[Buckman]

Slight change of direction having found old postings on my subject. Has anyone done away with the hand pump and gone over to electric if so what make do you use?

We had an electric pump for our air awning and windbreak. I took no notice of the gauge as it did not seem very accurate. I used my fingers to do a pressure test and if it was hard, that was good enough for me.

Gauge would show 5-6psi when it was hard but recommended pressure was about 7 8psi. I was too scared to go higher as a blow out could have devastating consequences.

We no longer have an electric pump although we have a 220 air awning. Just as quick to use the hand pump.

 

[Mr Plodd]

A manual pump will show the pressure as the pump is pushing air into the awning.

As soon as you stop pumping the valve in the awning will shut aand there will be nothing for the guage to show.

 

[Somersetboy]

A manual pump will show the pressure as the pump is pushing air into the awning.

As soon as you stop pumping the valve in the awning will shut aand there will be nothing for the guage to show.

That's been my problem Mr.Plodd neither of the gauges have shown any movement when air is being pushed into tubes so no readings as to psi so either I have two dodgy gauges there's an air leak in the pumps connecting pipes (unlikely) or I am connecting them wrong (again unlikely).

 

[Buckman]

A manual pump will show the pressure as the pump is pushing air into the awning.

As soon as you stop pumping the valve in the awning will shut aand there will be nothing for the guage to show.

No gauge on ours.

 

[Ferrodo]

If I unscrew the gauge from its mounting and give it a good blow it will/ should move. Mine does.

 

[Mr Plodd]

That's been my problem Mr.Plodd neither of the gauges have shown any movement when air is being pushed into tubes so no readings as to psi so either I have two dodgy gauges there's an air leak in the pumps connecting pipes (unlikely) or I am connecting them wrong (again unlikely).

By the sounds of it I would suspect that you have over inflated the bladders, and thats the cause of the repeated failures.
What do your awning instructions say about inflation pressure?

 

[Somersetboy]

Thanks for your input. The Sunncamp from memory is 7 psi being second hand I have no idea how many times it has been inflated but it's in excellent condition. The Telta is 9 psi (but tested to 25 psi during manufacturing) has been used once since purchased last September ( due to bad weather and being diagnosed with cancer didn't have a chance to use it as planned) so we used it about 4 weeks ago for the first time. In both cases the tubes have been hard at all times and am confident that they are OK it's just that I don't know if I am over inflating it /them or under inflating.