Awnings - Which? Where?

[Cataldo]

Bit of a thread Hijack here but I too have an awning question,

I've a Caravan that will apparently accept an 820cm awning and I've been offered an Isabella Ambassador 2501 awning which is 775cm for £100. I'm told these are the daddy of awnings and this one is in nearly new condition from a friend, I'm just hoping it'll fit my van! I realise there can be a little bit of play in the measurements but im wondering if 45cm will be too much?

cheers guys.

Paul

[Watchman]

Well, for £100 it's worth seeing if it'll fit. You could always sell it on for more than you bought it for but be prepared for.

Let us know how you get on.

[mart 63]

or let your caravan tyres down when you are using the awning

[Cataldo]

cheers guys, he's kind enough to let me try it first, he's a good friend and I think he seems to have taken pity on me as this will be our maiden voyage! he tried to give it to me for free but I insisted on paying something!

assuming it fits its first voyage will be to Whittlebury Park for the British GP and then onto France for a fortnight a month later!

I shall keep you all posted and again, sorry for the hijack!

[mart 63]

I would set your van up with legs down level.Then run a cloths line around rail, floor to floor and measure length.We bought a newish caravan a couple of weeks ago and put it on a seasonal pitch.The van is a 998cm measurement so a size 14,but spoke to the tech guy at Dorema and he told me to set the van level on pitch and measure floor to floor.It was 1008cm and a size 15.Good luck with the awning it sounds a bargain.

[dirty_dog]

I thought the Kampa Rally types would be popular on here as you do see a lot on site now.

We use a Kampa Rally Club 520 on a twin axle which is great. The ease of putting it up on my own but nice and big inside!

[Andy Zarse]

They are popular!

[dirty_dog]

dirty_dog said:

I thought the Kampa Rally types would be popular on here as you do see a lot on site now.

We use a Kampa Rally Club 520 on a twin axle which is great. The ease of putting it up on my own but nice and big inside!

pic

[H6CJF]

Thread resurrection .... And possibly a hijack!

We currently have a full size Dorema which is much bigger than we need and takes far too much time & effort to put up. We are therefore looking at using a porch awning this year.

Feedback on the Kampa air range seems good but would those of you with experience deem them suitable for leaving up all season? (we have a seasonal pitch in Devon this year)

Cheers

Chris

[hornetrider]

I put my full size traditional awning up on my own in less than an hour. If you're on a seasonal pitch I don't understand why you wouldn't put it up at the start of the season. Would much prefer a full size on a seasonal.

[LeadFarmer]

H6CJF said:

Thread resurrection .... And possibly a hijack!

We currently have a full size Dorema which is much bigger than we need and takes far too much time & effort to put up. We are therefore looking at using a porch awning this year.

Feedback on the Kampa air range seems good but would those of you with experience deem them suitable for leaving up all season? (we have a seasonal pitch in Devon this year)

Cheers

Chris

I wouldn't say they were stable for all season use. Id be wanting a more substantial awning made with thicker material, something like an Isabella. If you look at caravans with awnings on seasonal pitches then they usually have full size Isabella awnings.

[Andy Zarse]

We have one (see above). Personally I wouldn't want to leave it up all season. They do lose some air as time goes by, I generally top it up every three or four days with a couple of puffs from the pump. The great thing is, they are so easy and quick to put up and down (about ten minutes) that you could happily put it away after each visit to your seasonal pitch (assuming it's dry of course!) and leave it folded reasonably loose in the van.

Don't get me wrong, it's a superb bit of kit for its intended purpose. I just think it would cause some headaches if you left it standing for weeks on end.