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Topic: Porch awning problems

trigano575

04/6/2016 at 2:09am
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Sprite Major 6 TD

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Hi
We bought an inaca porch awning which the caravan shop said was suitable and misses the windows which it does but in order for it to do so,the upright piece that fits against the van goes across the vent for the fridge and another vent though they are not fully blocked.

As the upright does not fit snuggly too we were thinking this is not an issue.

However I have been reading about people using lagging to ensure their porches do fit snuggly and also how to peg those padded uprights to get rhe snuggest fit. If we do that the vent will get a bit of blockage but not fully. Would this be a no no? I guess we could add lagging but not over those vents and rain is unlikely to get in?

Also we had an external 240v plug fitted to the van but we forgot this when buying the porch. So we now cannot use this. We do not want a full awning as we think we wpuld only wrestle with it once a year and that it would not be economic to have one therefore. Is there any way to use this external socket safely if it is outside of the awning? I presume not so we have paid for a pointless item. I had hoped to run our camping freezer in the awning but think it will have to be in the van which isnt too bad as we have space for it to fit but even so...Had also hoped to be able to use slow cooker in there and the like. Any other way of running these items in there without using th external socket if we cannot use the external socket?

It is a nuisance as the awning was not cheap and now feel like it is a mistake.

Lou x

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Ronni54

04/6/2016 at 6:56am
Location: Shropshire
Outfit: None Entered

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Is your external plug socket inside a locker? If so, you could run an extension lead from it into your awning - the type you would use in the garden rather than an internal one. We do this inside our full awning as we need the plug for the annexe at the opposite end from where the external socket is. Just make sure the extension is off the ground.

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Ronni

birdman101

04/6/2016 at 7:24am
Location: Milton Keynes
Outfit: 2023Archway Woodford

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Our external socket is in the side of the van outside the porch awning and we run a short lead from it to inside of awning.When the plug is in the cover shuts over it which has a water tight seal.Our awning we bought the optional rear poles which keeps it a good fit against the side of caravan.

checkley1973

04/6/2016 at 11:09am
Location: Sheffield
Outfit: Sterling Eccles Sport 636

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Quote: Originally posted by birdman101 on 04/6/2016
Our external socket is in the side of the van outside the porch awning and we run a short lead from it to inside of awning.When the plug is in the cover shuts over it which has a water tight seal.Our awning we bought the optional rear poles which keeps it a good fit against the side of caravan.

we do the same, although our plug doesn't seal it has a weatherproof cover over it. Never been an issue. Not sure I would cover the fridge vents though.

trigano575

04/6/2016 at 12:14pm
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Sprite Major 6 TD

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Quote: Originally posted by checkley1973 on 04/6/2016

Quote: Originally posted by birdman101 on 04/6/2016
Our external socket is in the side of the van outside the porch awning and we run a short lead from it to inside of awning.When the plug is in the cover shuts over it which has a water tight seal.Our awning we bought the optional rear poles which keeps it a good fit against the side of caravan.

we do the same, although our plug doesn't seal it has a weatherproof cover over it. Never been an issue. Not sure I would cover the fridge vents though.

With the fridge vent it would not cover the whole ot if. There is no way to avoid it as if we pull it clear of the vent the other side goes on a window. It would only block the width of the pad say 3 inches of 15 inches not the full vent. If we lagged between the pad and van perhaps we could leave a gap where the vent is and we may get a slight rain ingress if the weather is blowing that direction.

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Have upgraded from folding camper to caravan - Sprite Major 6 TD

trigano575

04/6/2016 at 12:17pm
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Sprite Major 6 TD

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With the socket it cannot be closed when a plug is running from it. It would flap over it but not seal so I am guessing we cannot run a lead from it even an external garden type one?

If we can run one where do you get these external leads? I was going to get on anyway.

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Have upgraded from folding camper to caravan - Sprite Major 6 TD

trigano575

04/6/2016 at 12:21pm
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: Sprite Major 6 TD

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Think with the awning not fitting well with the vents etc maybe we should perhaps take it back. When we bought it we asked the sellers to check it fit our van and they even measured it up outside on a van the same as ours. Yes it misses the windows but they have not spotted the vent. Not sure they will take it back though. We might have to part ex it. Might get a full awning and then a smaller blow up for short trips.

Think maybe we made an error here.

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Have upgraded from folding camper to caravan - Sprite Major 6 TD

birdman101

04/6/2016 at 3:45pm
Location: Milton Keynes
Outfit: 2023Archway Woodford

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If your external socket is Swift factory fitted as ours was the cover should click shut when the plug is in.Their is a rubber seal along the lower edge which seals where the cable comes out.

clbewi

04/6/2016 at 5:04pm
Location: Essex
Outfit: Lunar Delta TS 2017

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Quote: Originally posted by birdman101 on 04/6/2016
If your external socket is Swift factory fitted as ours was the cover should click shut when the plug is in.Their is a rubber seal along the lower edge which seals where the cable comes out.

Same as ours

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Claire and Colin

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