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Hi i have just come back from a week hols in the caravan and using our new bradcot awning we came back a day early...kids unhappy..... a terribly stormy nught our poles were blew from van perhaps it was a little short although should have been right it was 4-6" from the ground and didnt ttach guy ropes cos the guarentee is invalidated and didnt have a storm kit. Can some nice people give me some basic tips?????...cant say the people on the site were particulary helpful (fellow campers) except for one.xxxxxxxxxx

We had to get rid of our Bradcot Awning ( with easy alloy poles) as it was useless in the wind ! We spent many a night stood in the awning trying to minimise the damage

If you have alloy poles maybe try and get a set of steel poles.

IWe got a Bradcot alloy pole awning with our caravan and the first thing we noticed was how light it is - during a storm in Italy last week it was a bit scary as the whole awning and front poles were literally bouncing in the wind.  OH secured it with extra guys and as it was rocky extra rock pegs.  We have now ordered Bradcot's own storm straps which fit inside the awning not the outside as apparently if you put a storm strap on the outside touching the roof it invalidates any warranty as it will rub away at the waterproof layer.  I'd also recommend Delta pegs - we have the plastic ones at the moment pinched from our tent but it might be worth you checking with Rob Orr on here as to whether plastic or metal ones are recommended - but they will definitely help keep it 'down' during bad weather. 

I can't help re the tension of the poles as ours are working fine at the mo (touch wood).  I have to say though if the awning hadn't come with the caravan and almost new I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole (sorry Bradcot).

Ahem. Why would attaching the guy ropes invalidate the guarantee? Are you sure you've got that right?  I'd be more inclined to think it would invalidate the guarantee if you didn't erect the awning correctly and it got damage. Guylines contribute a great deal to the stability and strength of awnings and tents...I'm not at all surprised you ended up trying to hold it down all night. That's what the guylines are supposed to do!

Agree about not putting a storm strap over the outside of the canvas though. But there are several designs that attach to the frame underneath the canvas and which don't damage the fabric.

I didn't say attaching guy ropes invalidates guarantee - just the use of external storm straps..

Oops sorry val you were talking to OP not me

Yes agree with Val guy ropes totally essential - we are adding more to ours

Quote: Originally posted by Valk_scot on 24/8/2010

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Ahem. Why would attaching the guy ropes invalidate the guarantee? Are you sure you've got that right?  I'd be more inclined to think it would invalidate the guarantee if you didn't erect the awning correctly and it got damage. Guylines contribute a great deal to the stability and strength of awnings and tents...I'm not at all surprised you ended up trying to hold it down all night. That's what the guylines are supposed to do!

Agree about not putting a storm strap over the outside of the canvas though. But there are several designs that attach to the frame underneath the canvas and which don't damage the fabric.

It says in their destruction booklet that it invalidates it but the storm kit is avaliable they have a list of do's and don'ts

this is not easy when your starting out as it can pu you right off waking up half naked and holding onto the poles fr dear life waking the kids to empty the awning xxxxx

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surely if an awning should have guy ropes they should be included when you buy one ?? (you dont have to buy guy ropes for your tent well i never have they come with it ?)

I can highly recomend the dorema montana awning has been great in wind and hardly moved at all and it has the clips on the outside to attach storm straps too

surely if an awning should have guy ropes they should be included when you buy one ?? (you dont have to buy guy ropes for your tent well i never have they come with it ?)

I can highly recomend the dorema montana awning has been great in wind and hardly moved at all and it has the clips on the outside to attach storm straps too

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2009 30 nights
18/2-21/2 Conkers cc&c
1/4-6/4 peakgateway
23/4-25/4 greenhills leisure park
May bank holiday pillaton
late may bank 28-1 conkers
june elvaston 2 nights
27/7-8/8 chy carne directions page 116
august chirk
17/9-19/9 pillaton the return
28/10-31/10 lower lacon

HI CAN I ASK WHICH POLE SYSTEM YOU USE WITH YOURS...........?????

Quote: Originally posted by carrieannbull on 24/8/2010

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It says in their destruction booklet that it invalidates it but the storm kit is avaliable they have a list of do's and don'ts

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Sorry, but I had to laugh a when reading your typo here. You're clearly not pleased with this awning are you?

Yes I can see how using certain storm kits would invalidate the guarantee if they fitted over the canvas and thus abraded the canvas. But someone else posted here  that their own make of storm strap passes under the canvas...perhaps you've misread the dos and don't here and they meant using storm straps other than their own invalidates the guarantee?

As for where to attach the guy lines, don't they go over the spikes at the top of the awning poles? Were there guy ropes suplied with the awning? If so, you're presumably meant to use them.

Other thought...you did peg it out round the bottom, yes?

As to running around half naked in the middle if the night dealing with a tent in a storm...been there, done that. I remember being out in the Loire storm of 2002 (massive damage down the length of the Loire valley)double guying out the awning of our trailer tent while dressed in my nightie and dodging flying branches and twigs, eek.

 

Quote: Originally posted by Valk_scot on 24/8/2010

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Quote: Originally posted by carrieannbull on 24/8/2010

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It says in their destruction booklet that it invalidates it but the storm kit is avaliable they have a list of do's and don'ts

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Sorry, but I had to laugh a when reading your typo here. You're clearly not pleased with this awning are you?

Yes I can see how using certain storm kits would invalidate the guarantee if they fitted over the canvas and thus abraded the canvas. But someone else posted here  that their own make of storm strap passes under the canvas...perhaps you've misread the dos and don't here and they meant using storm straps other than their own invalidates the guarantee?

As for where to attach the guy lines, don't they go over the spikes at the top of the awning poles? Were there guy ropes suplied with the awning? If so, you're presumably meant to use them.

Other thought...you did peg it out round the bottom, yes?

As to running around half naked in the middle if the night dealing with a tent in a storm...been there, done that. I remember being out in the Loire storm of 2002 (massive damage down the length of the Loire valley)double guying out the awning of our trailer tent while dressed in my nightie and dodging flying branches and twigs, eek.

 

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,,,,,,unfortunately the typo was not a typo the "destructions" were very basic i needed more info......... could the problem be that a 960 was not the right size even though it was recommended it fell about 5 " too short around all sides.......if the destructions had have mentioned the guy ropes i wold have used them. I really do not recommend bradcot but dont want to waste good money after bad..... can i continue to use it with confidence that it aint gonna blow away...........or is it cos we are in need of more experience

Video.

http://www.dorema.co.uk/montana.php

this is the one we have with the steel poles its really easy to put up

we also have the quick lock pads (our dealer threw them in for us )