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Topic: which awning

dandro

21/8/2018 at 1:51pm
Location: kent
Outfit: None Entered

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Hi all,

I have just purchased my first caravan (Abbey Spectrum 215) and so now the fun of buying an awning begins.

we popped down to Camping International over the weekend and saw a reasonable display but we are still not sure if we should go with an air awning or poled version or a full one or porch style.

to start with we will be going for weekends away, and then looking at 5-7 night trips with the odd stop over.

What do you guys go for?

thanks,

James

blueexpo97

21/8/2018 at 2:47pm
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Poled porch.

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silvertopsandra

21/8/2018 at 2:50pm
Location: North Devon
Outfit: Compass Omega 432

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Poled

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sandra

Colin21

21/8/2018 at 7:46pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail

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Poled for me too. Tried an air awning and didn't like it. We have had a poled porch awning with our last caravan and now have a full awning with our current van. Both our poled awnings were made by Trio, but I don't think they are made any more, which is a great pity (if so) as they are great! Very well made, strong, and not difficult to put up. We bought both secondhand.

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Colin

Pixie_Hez

21/8/2018 at 7:57pm
Location: Liverpool
Outfit: Swift Challenger 560

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We have a poled porch but it is 4m so it feels really spacious inside, almost as big as our previous caravans full awning. We caravan a lot in France so decided against an air awning as we have heard bad things about air awnings exploding in very hot temperatures.

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Pixie

rustyfrog

21/8/2018 at 8:27pm
Location: Chorley
Outfit: Sterling 480 Continental - VolvoV90

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We have an air awning.
It is a doddle to erect and we like it.
However I am now aware that there have been a lot of reported problems.
We are not looking forward to it going pop, but will obviously to have keep using it until the day it fails.
After that it will be poles!

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I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left - Seasick Steve 2008

Colin21

21/8/2018 at 9:16pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail

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Strangely enough, the easiest to erect of all the awnings that we have had is the current one, despite the fact that it is a full awning, and it is HUGE! This is probably because it comes in sections. Once the roof section has been pulled through the awning rail, I can do the rest on my own, and I am 69 with back problems. There is a picture of it on my profile.

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Best Regards,
Colin

Hairywol

21/8/2018 at 10:46pm
Location: Teesside
Outfit: Challenger Sport 524 + Volvo V90 D5

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I'd go for poled.

Had a bit of a do in Spain this year when a huge gust of wind caught the (poled) full awning just as I had the poles attached but before the pegs went in, and blew the whole caboodle over the caravan roof (I had all the panels zipped out and was using it for shade).

I was able to rescue it but several bent steel poles. Canvas though was undamaged.

Managed to unbend the poles sufficiently to finish the hol, but very tempted to go for a new air awning, particularly the new Kampas.

However, couldn't bring myself to buy in the end, and have a new set of fibre poles instead. Happy with this choice.

But for me, with both my full and my poled porch awning, most of the carry on comes with fettling and pegging, bot the poles at all.

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Colin21

21/8/2018 at 11:00pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail

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Quote: Originally posted by Hairywol on 21/8/2018

But for me, with both my full and my poled porch awning, most of the carry on comes with fettling and pegging, bot the poles at all.

I quite agree. That is exactly what takes all the time and effort.

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Colin

Hairywol

22/8/2018 at 1:49pm
Location: Teesside
Outfit: Challenger Sport 524 + Volvo V90 D5

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Following up on my previous post, another issue with air awnings (and indeed porch awnings) is that they need guying as well as pegging.

One of the reasons I moved to caravans from tents four years ago is that I was sick of tripping over guys. Plus, the tangles that my Black Lab Max got himself into with guys and leashes was almost unbelievable.

Full awnings are the way for me, except on very short trips.

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