Evening all
Now we have always used Isabella awnings and our current ambassador crown is superb but as the free labour other wise know as kids don't really bother coming in the Van with us anymore
So for ease of erection no pun intended I like the look of the airframe type of awning
Question is who of you use them and what are the pros a cons
Before I make my mind up and sell the Isabella and take the plunge
Thanks Phil
I'll watch this one with interest !!!
Im in exactly the same situation.
I've watched you tube videos on the airframe awnings and they look a doddle, but would like to hear expert opinion. Original Owner.
We have had 3 different Isabella full awnings over the last 12-15 years, but had a break from caravaning for a couple of years. Bought a new van 3 years ago and rather than a full awning we looked and then finally bought a kampa Rally air pro, best decision we made, takes 15 mins to put up (including all pegging) and has more than enough room for 4 of us to eat (and 2 dogs). Had it up in high winds when plenty of people were taking their std awnings down and apart from giving it a couple of extra strokes of the pump we didn't have any issues.
They are not cheap but compared to a full Isabella price they are a bargain.
Take the plunge and get pumping Disco 5, it's not every man's desire, but a connoisseurs choice
24th Feb 2017 10:58 pm
D4mation
Member Since: 29 Jul 2011
Location: Ruralshire
Posts: 593
Air Awnings
Pros
- much quicker to put up
- no wrestling with poles, though Steve Biggs method makes poles a bit easier
- fewer pegs
- doesn't push the caravan around in strong winds, and no canvas flapping against the poles
Cons
- harder to put through the awning rail due to the extra weight of the airframe
- longer to pack away (getting the air out takes a while)
- can suffer from condensation
This is my experience moving from a 1000 cm Ventura full poled awning to a Vango Kalari 420.
I much prefer the air awning though.MY12 D4 HSE Ipanema Sand
25th Feb 2017 12:01 am
ClassikFan
Member Since: 02 Nov 2016
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1027
Just bought an air awning for use on short trips away when space is not so important but speed is of the essence, will still use our Isabella 3.0m wide awning for a week or more.
Its a Kampa Ace Air Rally Pro 400 I think.
25th Feb 2017 1:05 am
frenchy
Member Since: 05 Dec 2007
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 1036
We got a vango Varkala 420......
It's ace easy up and easy down
Hardest bit is threading it through the awning channel, but a bit of silicone spray makes it so much easier2000 D2 TD5 - big red tractor no longer with us
2006 D3 - no longer with us and sadly missed
2010 D4 alas no more, but a lovely colour (Nara)
2016 D4 about to depart
2022 DS nearly...........
25th Feb 2017 1:32 am
Landie71
Member Since: 23 Oct 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Posts: 1019
Slightly different situation to you Phil, but I often take our middle son (12) & daughter (6) away in the van for a weekend and SWMBO stays home with our eldest so I don't have much setup time.
Our van came with a full size Isabella which is a fantastic awning, but to put it up right takes well over an hour (we've got a 24ft caravan). That said when we all go as long as there's no crazy wind I've found it as easy to put it up on my own. It's great for a proper holiday & we practically live in it, rather than the va.
When I'm away for a weekend with just the two kids, we've got an Kampa Rallie Air 390 & it only takes 10-15mins to put up & floor down, it really is that quick. I've got an electric air compressor for it so I start by feeding to onto the awning channel, peg the four corners, hook up the compressor & while it's pumping up the awning, put the rest of the pegs in. Then it's floor down, chairs in, bottle open - happy days. Yes it's not as big as the Isabella, it's actually about half the size of it, but for three of us, it's more than big enough for us to eat in, keep coats, boots, bikes etc in. There's no flapping & the air poles are hard enough to bang your head on.
If it's just for two of you I'd give serious consideration to an air-porch awning, we had a run up to Towsure a couple of weekends ago & they've got an air awning in that's got a bay front on it, can't remember the make, but think it was a bout a grand - even with my man-math's skills I can't justify it, but it did feel very spacious.
Once the weather picks up, you're welcome to pop over & have a look if you like.
Thanks for that Marcus
I'd like to see one in the flesh on a van
Was at Bawtry last Sunday having a look at the kampa range one of the models also had a bay front
It looked well made and had plenty of room
One thing with the Isabella poled awning , when the annex is on as we do have when we do the annual Cornish pilgrimage can be a tad cool in the early hours even with a convection heater left on all night .
The Kampa airframe looked cosy and had less roof space to loose heat through
Some thinking to do
Phil
25th Feb 2017 11:08 am
dadof7kids
Member Since: 23 Aug 2011
Location: sunny Doncaster
Posts: 1303
i would not go back to a framed awning, air is best
no sorting poles out, when your done turn the valves pull off rail and it will fold and go in the bag in less than 10 mins, the old pole awning took 45 mins to put away.
i bought the Kampa ace 400 plenty big enough for our family. you can even get a bedroom on the end.
25th Feb 2017 11:47 am
Bazalab
Member Since: 08 Jul 2016
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 80
Air Awnings
Hi folks
To answer dadof7kids question the simple answer is YES, go for it!
Having bought many Full and Porch Awnings over 35 years caravaning and some still in garage doing nothing, I needed to do away with poles etc due to an arm operation. One of the best things I ever did was buying a Bradcot 390 Air Awning.
Strong robust materiel, little heavy perhaps and helps to have two to pull through awning channel but otherwise great! Easy erection, no pole or flapping noises in stronger winds, Takes a really strong wind easily with no problem although we did not test it to the extreme when storm Katie came to Cornwall last year. I expect another one as soon as we get down there later this month but so very easy to erect and take down.
Noticed in the current Caravan Club Mag just received that Bradcot are offering same but extendable awnings calling them Modul-Air that grow with you as well so all worth a look perhaps. www.bradcot-awnings.co.uk
Incidentally, whilst on the subject of caravans, I have recently had the E & P Hydraulic Self Leveling System fitted to my Luna Delta TS to make life even easier in my dotage. This is a wonderful boys toy and your van is truly level in 2.4 mins! Can take longer to make tea!
Also makes fitting and removing Alko security locks and changing wheels a doddle if punctured for example. E & P Hydraulics are on the web so look them up, Buccaneer and the new Luna Alaria 's now have them fitted. They can be retro-fitted to any van and transferred to any new van as well - by far the best ever to make vanning easier.
Hi All,
We went from full conventional awning on our Bailey senator, to a vango braemar air.
Best change ever made.
Can be assembled and inflated from inside in the rain once the corners are pegged.
Plenty of space, pump sucks it flat when taking it down.
One good mod is to change the two 3 section steel poles which go against the van sides for composite poles.
We got replacement centre front poles for a conventional awning, the ones with 2 part clamps that fit in the centre front of each half.
Way lighter and are telescopic with a lever clamp, better seal against the foam pads against the sides and one handed fitting.
hope this helps
Regards
Bob
25th Feb 2017 8:10 pm
JackNorris
Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1877
I'm still on poles and can erect a porch awning in 15 minutes but these air awning looks very good and if I used it more I think I'd invest.
That hydraulic system i think is about 3k? I'll stick with my cordless drill and ramps, that's a lot of d4 parts lol MY2023 Discovery 5 R-Dynamic 3.0
MY2020 Discovery 5 Landmark 3.0 - SOLD
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MY2019 Discovery 5 SE 3.0 - LR Replaced !
MY2005 Discovery 3 S 2.7 - SOLD
MY2016 Discovery 4 Graphite - SOLD
MY2015 Discovery 4 SE Tech - SOLD
25th Feb 2017 8:18 pm
Landie71
Member Since: 23 Oct 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire
Posts: 1019
Hi Phil
More than happy to get together when the weather picks up a bit to show you the one we've got. We've got our van in storage over at Sherwood Storage (out on the Blyth road) so it's only a few mins away - we could probably just pull the van forward a bit to put it on, they're generous with the lanes between the vans there.
Can't find a decent picture of ours at the moment, but here' one from the LRO show at Peterborough a couple of years ago:
I'd echo Dadof7kids comment too about putting them away, I've found they pack down really easily, I just open the four valves, give it a mo to flop against the van (while its doing this, I'm pulling the pegs), then slide it off the van & then fold/roll it away. One really nice feature of the Kampa (can't say about the other, haven't seen them) is that the storage bag for it is plenty big enough, there's none of that fighting with the bag as there used to be in my tenting days!
Bazalab: very jealous of the E&P system, but not your situation needing it - hope you go on ok, good for you getting it, if it make caravanning easier, then it's well worth it.
Marcus
We also store at Sherwood.
Think we may attend the Bawtry caravan open week from the 4th sometimes they throw a few deals around then put the Isabella up for sale .
I've got a good sized porch awning that we use when we go to Eye Kettleby lakes .Nice site if you like fishing with kids
I can have that up in 30 mins easy .In fact it takes longer to get the legs in .Not a fan of hard standing if the substrate inst done properly.
Thanks
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