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Hi All

Ok - just got back off a 4 day break and used the spacelite awning I got the week before.

First impressions from opening the bags. Quite light, and plenty of give in the bags - godsend from other awnings I have had.

First off - put it on awning rail. Made the mistake of putting it on the wrong way. Once corrected, unzipped, pulled it out.
I then put the main pole together and threaded it though the seam. I would have preferred a sealed seam and not a webbing type one, as can see this getting easily snagged if not careful.
Once pole was through, put it in its eyelets and stuck each end the ground. Then did the guide ropes, pegged and attached the door.

I took my time first off and was done in like 30mins inc laying the floor. I had the lite weave floor that was made fit the awning - I was quite impressed with its quality.

So - I then over the coming days reviewed the awning on how it stood the stand up test. We only had a slight bit of wind and gorgeous sunshine and it stood up well. The things I am worried about are the tension on the front guide ropes. I could never get it really taught.

On the Uk campsite pic of the awning:

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/membershop/bluediamond/spacelite1.jpg

It shows it with the storm straps. As straight out of the bag, it has the normnal guide rops. I will try this next time as may give a better way to tension it.

The thing with a porch awening is that the sides are not secured and flap when its windy. This awning has side flaps that go inwards say about 40cm, with a elastic on the seam so you can make it nice and tight and this stops the flapping to some degree - again a nice touch.

Take down. I took it of the rain and folded it up on the floor. Very easy. The bag it goes in has alot of give and some velcro straps the hold it in place - nice touch. I did not leave the main side on the awning rail as you need really need some spralws or a way to stop it moving on the rail

Overall impressions. Liked it, nice and big space, easy to put up. Test will be when its windy and wet.
Cons - noticed the odd seam was not stitched quite well, but can live with that as its an easy fix.

Scott

Put my spacelite up last weekend,Heavy rain and strong gusting wind.

made a roof pole using old awning pole from  "normall awning", and also had an upright pole in centre of front.  This worked very well and added almost no weight.

fixed the roof pole by tying a small loop of line onto eyelet (already on spacelite at centre of roof bag on van end) and attached other end through eyelet at cntre of roof front( already on spacelite. (when I unpacked the awning there was a line tied between these two eyelets )

I think without this extra support the awning would bag and collect rain in the roof.

The front centre guy line could then be tensioned very easily,withoput too much pressure .

I agree quality very good.  but thisadditional strengthening is easy to make and worked well.

Ken Beswick

Used our new Spacelite for the first time over the Whit holiday (5 nights). Pitched practically on the beach at Lligwy bay, Anglesey on sloping field. Experienced very strong winds straight off sea into front of awning (should have pitched other way round!) but awning coped admirably albeit with a lot of flapping!

We used both methods of guying - storm straps and guys to give confidence but both held well in soft sandy ground. Will take awning skirt from our other awning next time as it was drafty sitting inside awning. Used the rope roof support - not sure it did much but in heavy rain the water did not pool on the awning roof at all.

Took awning down in rain and found it easy to put away and were able to half erect it to dry at home which we would never have been able to do with our Trio full awning. So impressed that we are thinking of taking it on our 3 weeks in France instead of the Trio.

Just one mystery - what are the "quick clip buckles" attached to the roof next to the awning rail inside bag used for? We could not see how to use them at all!

Question - the rope roof support , was it a case of just pull it and make is as taunt as possible?

Scott