Our caravan is 4.75 metres in length. We are undecided whether to purchase a Ventura Cadet porch awning or a full Ventura awning.
The Cadet awning is 260 length x 200 cm wide. It has 5 upright poles and poles are fibreglass. A full awning has 3 upright poles and is 250cm deep. Can be fibreglass and if so cost difference is about £280! Dorema etc are about £100+ cheaper.
We mainly go away for 2 -3 days at a time with occasional breaks of up to a week. We think that it probaly take about the same time to put up either the porch or full awning.
Either way we require some sort of awning as we have 2 x small dogs and a cat.
Bit of a dilemna deciding which way to go. Advice please. Thanks.
We have a Towsure full awning and have owned a Bradcot porch awning. We found that they took a similar amount of time to put up so we ended up selling the Bradoct porch.
If we go away for a week we would always take the full awning, particularly as we have two children and find the extra space is essential. For short trips I now have a small Portico porch awning that is more like a tent and takes about 20 mins to put up. It provides just enough space to take shoes off and stop the door slamming in the wind.
One other thing - I find we use the awning less in the winter as it is too cold to sit outside, but in the summer we spend most of our time in it. That might influence your decision.
Can HIGHLY recommend the Towsure Insignia by the way if you want a brilliant quality full awning at a bargain price.
(My van is 7.3m long BTW).
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Although porch awnings are quite popular nowadays I'm not that impressed with them at all really. The fact is that a full awning fits into the rail all the way round which shuts out any draughts completely. With a porch awning there is always a gap down the back and if the wind gets up they can be quite draughty and noisy, also I have seen where they can slightly score the caravan side each side of the door if used on a regular basis. You don't get this with a full awning and for the time they take to erect I think it's just as well to erect a full awning. The thing to consider though is the extra weight to carry but the full awning provides much more living space especially if you have 2 dogs and a cat. Dorema have a factory clearance of brand new awnings for a give away price and second hand wanings don't come much cheaper than this. I have recently bought one direct from Dorema and their customer services were second to none.
CLICK ON PICTURES look here too......... www.nrawnings.net good quality at the right price and a 5 year warranty.we have a full dorema and its really good quality.we also have an old bradcot porch awning we use for short trips. made in Britain and some good offers that end today.
Tango55 I agree with your sentiments which is why we decided on the Ventura porch awning as it is the only porch awning that fits up flush against the side of the caravan and has substantial padding top prevent the draughts. With the exception of the Isabella I don't know of any other porch awning that is a flush fit.
Although a different type of porch awning, the Kampa Rally is a nice draughtproof snug fit, and a good as any conventional porch awning i have ever owned in over 25years of caravanning. We bought the extra Kampa rear upright poles, and the awning comes with the thick downright pads already attached, so its just a case of tying them together the same as you would do on a conventional porch to make a snug fit.
On one of my old NR porches, i had to use the thick foam pipe lagging that comes in 2mtr lengths you get from builders merchants, clipped it onto the rear downright poles to boost the thickness of the awning pads that were attached, to make a better snug fit, not really ideal, but it did work and maybe a tip for anyone with such a problem of gaps and draughts with their present porch awning.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
On one of my old NR porches, i had to use the thick foam pipe lagging that comes in 2mtr lengths you get from builders merchants, clipped it onto the rear downright poles to boost the thickness of the awning pads that were attached, to make a better snug fit, not really ideal, but it did work and maybe a tip for anyone with such a problem of gaps and draughts with their present porch awning
yes done this on our old porch awning and it works well.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Quote: Originally posted by Surfer01 on 28/2/2011
Tango55 I agree with your sentiments which is why we decided on the Ventura porch awning as it is the only porch awning that fits up flush against the side of the caravan and has substantial padding top prevent the draughts. With the exception of the Isabella I don't know of any other porch awning that is a flush fit.
I think you'll find the Kampa Rally may be as good as the Ventura is claiming to be. Mind you I had to laugh when I had a look at the Ventura web site and the picture they show has the awning down the middle of a window where it would be nigh on impossible to get a good seal, foam or no foam.
We tend to use the full awning for stays of 3 nights or more as it is worth putting it up.
The porch awning is not a massive one - big enough for 2 comfy chairs, tv and a wine table (must not forget the wine table!!) - it is adequate for 2 nights but we do prefer the full awning.
------------- Degsy Rowlands is my love, my life and a lunatic!!!!!!!! Louise x
Surfer please do not be tempted with one of the cheaper lightweight awnings.I have had the Sunncamp 260,Towsures 390 and now a Kampa390 which is far superior in both design and build materials. You get what you pay for is a good addage here.
We've got a full sized Bradcot Awning for when we are away in the dryer months, especially for when we are away for 7 days or more. And we also have a Suncamp canvas porch awning.
The Bradcot probably takes us a little under an hour to put up, and the Suncamp a little under half an hour.
I did have a light weight porch awning of the lean to type, and found it really good at what it was built for, which was very quick to put up (about 15 minutes once you are used to it, less if there are two of you putting it up), and was really just there to keep the rain out when you opened the door, just enough room for shoes and a step. For this, these kinds of awnings are really good. But if you want real usable space, I agree with the above, go for canvas everythime. A pig to dry out if you have to take down wet, but worth it.
Most of the lightweight awnings are either 2m60cm or 3m90cm long, thats a lot of space. We usually put our free standing table in there with 2 good chairs and another table to sit water, dog food etc on. Our GSD can still sprawl out full length.
Surfer have a run up to Tamworh Camping and have a good look around, even if you don't buy one from there at least you can have a good look, and more importantly, feel of the materials in use. The cheaper they are, the thinner they are. If its wet when we pack it away we just take it home with us and pop it over the line and it's dry in no time and back into it's back nice and easy.
Topic: Porch or full awning
