KAMPA DOMETIC CLUB ALL SEASON 330
A great choice of optional extras makes this a versatile awning, says Peter Baber
KAMPA, STILL ONLY 14 years old, was already the UK market leader in air awnings when it was acquired by Dometic at the end of 2018.
Apart from the name change to Kampa Dometic, the only other difference you might notice is that these awnings no longer come with the characteristic blue square logo.
This, then, is the latest new addition to the Kampa range, the first all-season awning for the company’s range of polycotton awnings, known as Club.
Made from Kampa’s own Weathershield All-season fabric, the awning features the same Airframe single-point inflation technology that was initially Kampa’s USP.
And like many other Kampa awnings, it has a dual-pitch roof, to improve the overall shape and provide better headroom.
Our test model was the 330, and so, in effect, a porch model.
But whether you go for this one, the larger 390 or the smaller 275, all come with full-height extensions (in effect a porch for the awning), which can be fitted either side, and don’t rely just on the caravan for support.
The awning proper is only 2.75m deep (small enough to fit on a 5m-wide pitch, if you include the width of a caravan, with a bit to spare). But if you do have enough space out front, you can extend the awning in this direction as well, with a 2.2m-deep canopy. This is in addition to the integral inflatable canopy on the awning itself. With all of that in position, your porch awning might start to look like a very grand affair indeed.
For the purposes of our test, however, we just used the main awning, which was relatively easy to put up, thanks to the single-point inflation system and simple design. Front and side panels can be removed to lighten the load, if you find heaving the awning onto the rail a bit of a struggle. They can also be folded down, verandah style, or interchanged with an optional mesh panel.
The mud walls are pegged in internally, but in any case, Kampa has laminated the bottom half of the walls in PVC, to make them easier to clean. Outside, adjustable storm straps, rather than ropes, make this a truly all-season awning.
There’s also an optional ‘tall’ annexe, high enough for most people to stand up in.
‘With all of the extensions in place, this awning is a very grand affair indeed’
VERDICT
This is a fine all-season addition to what is already a popular range. Perhaps polycotton doesn’t carry quite the same technical standards as the more artificial fabrics, but this awning should still last well, and with its numerous optional extras, is superbly flexible.