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Subject Topic: Real world tips for first air awning.. Post Reply Post New Topic
Persontakisawa
11/3/2017 at 7:26pm
 Location: Staffs
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Come on, let's have all those little tips that make using an air awning that bit easier...:-)

So, we had an expensive day out at the show and brought a Kampa Rallye Pro. :-)
Usual awning is an old tent like porch Jobbiw. Might try it on the drive before we go away. First time out will be Easter.

Any little nuggets of info that make putting these new tangled air awnings up then...?


Personcheckley1973
11/3/2017 at 7:34pm
 Location: Sheffield
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Put your carpet down first so you know where you want to peg it and it keeps your new awning nice and clean

Lubricate your awning rail as Air awnings tend to be a little heavier to pull though

If your awning has a loop at the end of the beading tie some string to it and use it to pull the awning into the rail.

Peg the awning down at the back nearest to the caravan, but don't do the front until you've blown it up.

Get a 12V pump, enjoy a gin whilst you watch it go up.

Peg the front out and unless it's windy don't bother with all the straps. They are not needed unless it is windy and they are easy to trip over.

Don't heat it - it causes condensation!


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Persontakisawa
11/3/2017 at 8:32pm
 Location: Staffs
 Outfit: Swift Challenger 490 SEL & VW Tiguan View takisawa's Profile View Profile   Reply to takisawa Reply   Quote takisawa Quote  
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Thanks for the tips.
Gin, you say.... :-)


Personcheckley1973
11/3/2017 at 10:28pm
 Location: Sheffield
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Quote: Originally posted by takisawa on 11/3/2017
Thanks for the tips.
Gin, you say.... :-)



Yes. Preferably Hendricks. :-)


Personbaddon
12/3/2017 at 8:07am
 Location: Near Belfast
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Use a decent height caravan step to help.

Mark the awning once used once with a marker so you know which end is which.

Put a pull through length of webbed strap through the loop mentioned so you have something you can pull from ground level.

One person feed awning bead into rail, the other pulls it. NOTE feeding is the more difficult job, I use son to pull and I feed as its easy for bead to get jammed and jump out of the feeding hole.

Silicon spry all the awning rails so it glides in easy.

It is worth setting up once at your own location so you can have this all right before you arrive on site.

We only use carpet once in a blue moon so we don't put it down first.

Did you get storm straps and side seal poles? I recommend you use them all the time as if the wind picks up at night you dont want it to mess with your awning.

Get a high volume air pump from Halfords as it goes up in half the time effort and the end will not keep coming out on you.

My son and I have a routine and we put it up in about 5-10 min.

Once its in the awning rail, blow it up before pegging. Then adjust to where you want it. tie the rail end loops first so it cant move sideways on rail, then start next caravan at one end making sure its as square as possible and work your way round. Finish with storm straps.

When you take it down
Open all valves
remove all pegs
slide to the side you intend to start to fit ( we always go to back as I start at rear)
Roll/fold up,
set beside bag, roll into it
get kids to sit on it as I pull straps tight.

We are on our third Kampa Rally Pro (keep getting bigger)

They are great, especially the speed up and down!


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if your not living life on the edge your taking up tooo much room


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Personbobmel
12/3/2017 at 12:29pm
 Location: Aberdeen
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Do not be tempted to give an extra pump, stick to the PSI guide lines. We have the Outwell Pacific Coast.

-------------
Robert (BoB)


Persontakisawa
12/3/2017 at 2:28pm
 Location: Staffs
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Thanks everyone. The pump will be the one that came with it, so will give that a try first.
Can't wait for the first trip away at Easter.


Personbaddon
12/3/2017 at 5:25pm
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I found as the Kampa pump is very short I kept pulling the top of it as you cant stand up straight.

If like me you will be at Decathlon for a larger volume pump after your first use. Make sure its a double action pump so your pumping up on both the up and down stroke as well. Helps if it has a pressure gauge as well.

-------------
if your not living life on the edge your taking up tooo much room


PersonRainbowsend
15/3/2017 at 6:04pm
 Location: Staffs Cheshire bord
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We have a Kampa Rally Pro 260. One top is to put something under the bottom of the air poles if on hard standing to stop the fabric wearing through, particularly if it's windy and moves about a bit. We find the pump supplied works fine for us. Make sure valves are closed before you start to blow it up, it will still make a hissing noise which makes you think air is escaping but it's just going through the poles.

-------------
Jean

Sometimes a little rain must fall before you reach a rainbow.

The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.


Personbaddon
16/3/2017 at 8:57pm
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The larger the more the large pump will make sense. Ours is a 390 and takes a lot more air/time/pumping to fill.

They are great awnings, enjoy.

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if your not living life on the edge your taking up tooo much room


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Personandrewzoe
27/4/2017 at 12:29pm
 Location: Northamptonshire
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Hi all,

Is it a problem putting your air awning on hardstanding. I'm just concerned about it rubbing or a stone going through our Vango. Does anyone use a matt under each leg or am I worrying too much and they already have sufficient padding at the base of the beams?


Personcheckley1973
27/4/2017 at 1:00pm
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Quote: Originally posted by andrewzoe on 27/4/2017
Hi all,

Is it a problem putting your air awning on hardstanding. I'm just concerned about it rubbing or a stone going through our Vango. Does anyone use a matt under each leg or am I worrying too much and they already have sufficient padding at the base of the beams?




we never have done, just make sure its well pegged down, the feet shouldn't move.


Personmaughanjen
27/4/2017 at 10:08pm
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Peg them properly and they are fine on hardstanding, ours has been used a lot over two years and its rarely on grass. Try not to drag it before inflated in case the Windows get scratched, but that's the same for any awning


PersonAVON EAGLE
28/4/2017 at 1:01pm
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We definitely put our carpet down first. It will keep the awning cleaner. We keep the carpet down when putting the awning away. - ie - the carpet is the first and last thing to be handled.
When putting it up - I feed it in whilst the wife pulls.
I have always used the hand pump (Bit of exercise) but if this goes faulty I suppose it would be best to have some kind of spare. Without a pump the awning is useless. So we are going to get an electric one. However - the one we use for air beds may be ok.
Putting it away -
They do roll up quite easily but make sure the last bit to be rolled up is where the valves are. Then as you are rolling it up it is still squeezing out the last bit of air.
Apart from these few things I go along with what everyone else has said.


PersonMick S.
29/4/2017 at 11:30am
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A mate has just got a new air awning. He has velcro on the underside of the floor flaps, that when folded in provide anchor points for the bottoms of the air poles. Stops any movement dead. He likes it, but he says its a cow to deflate enough to get back into the bag, and takes ages. Any tips here?


Personbotty
30/6/2017 at 6:40pm
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We just bought a new caravan and the air awning we have is going have to go down the window as anyone had scratches on the window by doing this

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s



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