Hi
Looking at getting awnings fitted to my caravan. Any general ideas as to who is the best to buy from in the UK?
Looking at getting awnings fitted to my caravan. Any general ideas as to who is the best to buy from in the UK?
Who does the best awnings
- Thread starter Lawrence_5078111
- Start date
Have a look at TRIO. They do a variety of awnings and we have had several over the years. We have never had any trouble with any of their products.
However, the purchase of awnings is a very personal thing and it depends on whether you are looking for a full or porch awning.
We have found the full awnings just as easy to erect as porch - and you get more 'indoor' space!
However, the purchase of awnings is a very personal thing and it depends on whether you are looking for a full or porch awning.
We have found the full awnings just as easy to erect as porch - and you get more 'indoor' space!
Agree with above Isabella are superb quality.
If you are on a budget get hold of a caravan club magazine (sorry Practical Caravan:
If you are on a budget get hold of a caravan club magazine (sorry Practical Caravan:
Brilliant, thanks for the tips 
Im on a bit of a budget, but would prefer to get something that wont fall apart after 5mins, so quality comes before cost so to speak.
Im on a bit of a budget, but would prefer to get something that wont fall apart after 5mins, so quality comes before cost so to speak.Lawrence, try www.ebay.co.uk then search on "isabella awning", make sure you don't type "awnings" as for some reason you won't get any. Usually 20/30 for sale, I just managed to get an Isabella Magnum only been used 3 times, like brand new and best of all well under half price. Have patience and nerve on your bidding though, previously I lost a Minor on 9p in the last 25 seconds!!
Good Luck
Graham F
Good Luck
Graham F
Lawrence
We had a Bradcot Classic which was very good quality. We've also had an NR which wasn't too bad. We now have a Dorema Cardinal which is absolutely hopeless and will be binned as soon as I win the lottery.
Incidentally as a follow up to Graham's recommendations of E-bay, this is the first place that I'd look now. I've sold 3 awnings on there without any problems. 'Awnings' won't produce many results as it searches on words in the title. So unless someone is selling more than one, it won't pick up the 's' on the end. Try 'awning' and you'll currently find nearly 600 listed.
We had a Bradcot Classic which was very good quality. We've also had an NR which wasn't too bad. We now have a Dorema Cardinal which is absolutely hopeless and will be binned as soon as I win the lottery.
Incidentally as a follow up to Graham's recommendations of E-bay, this is the first place that I'd look now. I've sold 3 awnings on there without any problems. 'Awnings' won't produce many results as it searches on words in the title. So unless someone is selling more than one, it won't pick up the 's' on the end. Try 'awning' and you'll currently find nearly 600 listed.
We currently have a Inaca Sands awning and we're very pleased indeed with it, easy to erect and very stable, does the job perfectly.
Funny isn't it? We have a Dorema Special and really like it- lots of people have asked me about it and are amazed when we say it was
Hi,
We have a Dorema Madison in a size 12. We aren't all that struck with it at all. With this size awning you get five roof poles. Unfortunately, two of them when made up are too short, consequently, if you are in bad weather, with the roof lifting, the wretched poles fall out. We also find that it puddles when it rains. Apart from design faults, they are quite well made.
We also have the Hilton porch awning which is completely the reverse. We have found this to be excellent. Bad weather, no problem, it doesn't budge. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
We have a Dorema Madison in a size 12. We aren't all that struck with it at all. With this size awning you get five roof poles. Unfortunately, two of them when made up are too short, consequently, if you are in bad weather, with the roof lifting, the wretched poles fall out. We also find that it puddles when it rains. Apart from design faults, they are quite well made.
We also have the Hilton porch awning which is completely the reverse. We have found this to be excellent. Bad weather, no problem, it doesn't budge. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
seems to me wendy you are using the wrong pole extension for the centre poles,just check next time you erect the awning,you will find some of them a different size.if this is not the case,contact either dorema or the place where you bought the awning from for replacement parts
No....these poles go between the centre and the side poles, they have a completely different fitting to the main body of the frame. You also get five leg poles as well, and the legs between the centre and the side legs have the same fittings, they attach to the main frame with a clamp and wing nut. Legs are fine, just the roof poles.
Our Dorema is only 3 poles, but erects really tight all poles being adjustable (cue jokes!) been on a cliff top in Devon in strong winds and no probs. I would take yours back- it doesn't sound right to me?
We too have a Dorema special 900-925 cm. 5 piece and its been great.stood up to bad and really hot weather.On hols in France we had a rain storm, real cats and dogs and it did pool on one side but that was down to me. Altered the angle of side pole and yep it was cats and dogs the following night but this time was fine.Yes Isabella make a,great awning but if you are not bothered about a name and don't want to part with alot of money and still looking for quality look at the Dorema's. The only other bit of advice make sure you go for a awning where the main fabric stays in place e.g still in the van channel at the back as some doremas have panels that remove from the awning rail(bit hard to explain) look at a 5 piece as they are really easy to set up.5 piece meaning main body and 4 zip out panels 2 front and 2 sides.
Rob
Rob
I don't think we'll bother now, bought it new three years ago. We will probably get rid of it with the 'van shortly.
Thanks for all the advice, looking like a Dorema is the most likely candidate for me now.
Cheers again
Cheers again
hi just read your report in dorema cardinal awnongs.. are they really that bad as we were thinking of getting the same one.. we just bought our first new caravan and thought the cardinal was a good choice as its also same name as caravan..??
Got our Isabella Magnum off e-bay. Had been used once. This is way and above the best awning we have ever had. Just the right size for us.
Don't do it Lawrence ! I had a bad experience with Doremma and wouldn't touch them with an awning pole. We then had an Isabella...the difference in quality is obvious.
There are always second hand awning offers in the caravan club magazine,often hardly used.Lets face it, lots of weekenders don't bother putting one up so they often only get used once or twice a year.If you swop your van every five thats only....
There are always second hand awning offers in the caravan club magazine,often hardly used.Lets face it, lots of weekenders don't bother putting one up so they often only get used once or twice a year.If you swop your van every five thats only....
Have a look in the classifieds on this Forum, there are a few, I myself have put a Dorema Special on there for sale, Same one that Paul has,size 10, 875-900
We had an Isabella Ambasador which was 15 years old when the van got changed, never a fault, never moved in wind when people chased cheap 'n' nastys around the sites and never had a zip fail. Last year we bought a new Isabella Commodor Alpha, it looks and is superb, I even had a man ask if I had a diploma for putting up awnings, but then I have never seen an Isabella look bad on any van, they always look like they were put up by people who do it for a living.
I would have to agree with a few of the posts on this forum, if your budget only allows the cheaper brands, look for a used Isabella as resale prices for all awnings are quite low, but make sure the size is right before you buy as you wont have any comeback.
Personally I would rather have a second hand Isabella than another make new, in a few years time it will still look new.
I would have to agree with a few of the posts on this forum, if your budget only allows the cheaper brands, look for a used Isabella as resale prices for all awnings are quite low, but make sure the size is right before you buy as you wont have any comeback.
Personally I would rather have a second hand Isabella than another make new, in a few years time it will still look new.
We have allways had issabella, yes they are expensive but you get what you pay for and in this case its absolute quality. my sister tried a nr awning when she first started and it was at best pretty poor she has now saved up and bought an issabella. what we do is buy last years model from the dealer, you get a brand new awning but its in last years colours so you save a wad of cash, we paid
We have had a Fiama Caravan store, a Senic plus which we used on our Conway Cardinal hardtop folding caravan, then transferred them to our ABI caravan with its full NR awning, now upgraded to a bigger caravan, have a Dorema, we still use the Scenic plus for 4 days or less camping, the caravan store, we sold because of the length, but love the new (bought second hand) Dorema, if you know the size you want then call the local dealers and see whats on offer, ours had only been used twice and we saved hundreds of pounds on it. They are out there go touch, see what you like you have to live with it.
I had a good look around comparing awnings before I bought one for my Crusader Superstorm 1050cm. Yes Isabella are lovely awnings ,but you pay an awful amount of money for them.
I ended up buying a Bradcot Classic, because I could find nothing which compared with it's quality at the price. I believe it is comparable to some of the Isabellas without the price tag. I've just used it for a holiday in france where we encountered some heavy downpours with no problems at all and I even managed to get it back into the bag it came with.
Full marks to Bradcot from me.
as they say , you pay your money you take your choice.
I ended up buying a Bradcot Classic, because I could find nothing which compared with it's quality at the price. I believe it is comparable to some of the Isabellas without the price tag. I've just used it for a holiday in france where we encountered some heavy downpours with no problems at all and I even managed to get it back into the bag it came with.
Full marks to Bradcot from me.
as they say , you pay your money you take your choice.
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