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My Ultima 260 didn't leak initially, but it took a real battering in some strong winds last year, and now leaks. Its as though the buffeting weakened the seams/fabric and now lets the water in. I have tried re-proofing it but it still leaks, I guess the next step is to use seam sealer.

We've had ours since last year, don't normally use it in bad weather, but put it up last weekend because we were away for the week.  It took a right battering.  Everything in it got wet, there were puddles in our crocs and the worse bit seemed to be right over our van door.  We got our chairs in before the bad weather set in, but in the morning they had huge wet patches.  No way could the kids sit in it during the wet weather, it was useless, in effect.  Shame really, I've always recommended them.

The other thing was that the winds were that bad that it actually kept bowing inwards towards the van and springing back out.  Eventually it managed to bow completely down to touch the van and wouldn't spring back into place.  Enough was enough, we called in reinforcements to help hold it while OH took it down.  We found that a lot of the plastic tubes had actually split like bamboo and one of the metal poles now looks like a dogs hind leg.  OH managed to do a temporary fix with Duck Tape and hopefully it'll last the season.  A bit of it ripped up in the corner and I managed to bust the bottom of the zip by getting it jammed in the material.  Not a good weekend for the awning!!

We noticed that one of the neighbouring vans, who bought theirs only recently, had a flap over the top of theirs, we were thinking that maybe it was added after, to try and prevent the rain coming in.

Quote: Originally posted by Karen13 on 02/6/2008

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We noticed that one of the neighbouring vans, who bought theirs only recently, had a flap over the top of theirs, we were thinking that maybe it was added after, to try and prevent the rain coming in.

 

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Karen, could it have been the Windsor 260, which can be carried inside a bag on the awning rail?

See here; http://www.tamworthcamping.co.uk/tamworth_camping/3720/mia/d/royal+windsor+260+caravan+porch+awning/pid/6808538

We have had ours since last autumn.

At first we had no trouble even in the gales last October and it was fine at Easter.

The last week however it was useless - could have taken a shower by the caravan door and kept forming puddles that had to be pushed out.

Have brought some sealer and will see what we can do...

Quote: Originally posted by Eddie12 on 02/6/2008

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Quote: Originally posted by Karen13 on 02/6/2008

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We noticed that one of the neighbouring vans, who bought theirs only recently, had a flap over the top of theirs, we were thinking that maybe it was added after, to try and prevent the rain coming in.

 

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Karen, could it have been the Windsor 260, which can be carried inside a bag on the awning rail?

See here; http://www.tamworthcamping.co.uk/tamworth_camping/3720/mia/d/royal+windsor+260+caravan+porch+awning/pid/6808538

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Yep, that's the one Eddie!

These awnings are not meant to be used in extreme weather, if the awning was bowing in the wind as badly as you say Karen, then is it any wonder the poles snapped and it all went Pete Tong?

The instructions are quite specific about the weather conditions it is suited for and we count ourselves very lucky ours held up in last year's rain.  If you want something more robust then spend 5 or 6 times as much and buy a porch awning in canvas rather than one of the Ultima types.

At the end of the day they are what they are at an affordable price but due to their slabsided nature are never going to withstand extremes of weather.

Ali