FIND YOUR PERFECT AWNING
What to think about when you go shopping
Standards
First and foremost, always look for awnings that have been standards-assessed to meet 8936 legislation, and/or carry British (BS), European (EN), International (ISO) or German (TUV) standards marks.
Budget
A good awning can cost anything from around £300 for a small porch, to £2700 or more for an all-singing, all-dancing full awning. The latter sounds (and is) costly, but it will last for years and doubles the size of your accommodation. To put this in perspective, these days, it’s the cost of one modest family holiday abroad.
Full or porch?
Once you’ve decided on an air or a pole awning, the next choice is the size.
Initially, there are actually two choices: a full awning covers the entire side of your caravan, while a porch awning will cover a portion of it – depending on the size you buy. For example, a couple might only need a small awning, say six feet across, as their van is spacious; they just want somewhere to dry the dog and leave their boots.
Meanwhile, a family of four or more might want an awning to dine in, to chill out in on a summer’s evening, or as a place to store wetsuits and surf boards. Most hobbyist caravanners also appreciate the vast extra space of a full awning or a large porch awning, to store their paraphernalia.
Size
The maximum size of a porch awning is the length of the straight run of awning rail across the top of the caravan side wall, stopping at the point before the rail starts to curve downwards. Any porch awning that length, or smaller, will fit your van.
Porch awnings come in popular sizes, such as 200, 250, 330 or 390 centimetres. Lay a tape measure, extended to your preferred length, on the ground next to your caravan, to see where both ends of the awning will fall.
Obviously, the awning needs to cover the van door, but then what width must it be so that (ideally) it doesn’t cut across a window, preventing it from opening? In addition, think about washroom windows, which you might want to keep open for ventilation.
Do you want the fridge venting into your living space? Consider which side of the van the facilities are on. Never position the ends of the awning so that they block fridge or heating vents, which could be dangerous.
If any of these scenarios occur, consider whether the awning can be moved along and repositioned, or choose a different size.
Most tourers are 2.35-2.50m high, and porch awnings are designed to work within this range. However, it’s worth checking.
For full awnings, you need to know the caravan’s A-measurement. This is the distance from the ground, up and around the entire length of the awning rail and back down to the ground at the other end. This measurement can be found in your caravan’s manual and might be expressed in centimetres, such as 850 or 1050.
Isabella.net has a handy database of all caravan awning sizes from 1970 onwards.
Remember that a full awning will cover all of the windows down one side of your caravan, so consider how that might affect the light levels inside. Also, Club campers need to be mindful of on-site awning rules, which could preclude the use of certain types.
Usage
Will you only use the awning in warmer weather, or are you a hardcore, four-seasons caravanner? Buy appropriately, and look for the Lightweight ‘L’ designation for summer use, and the Touring ‘T’ designation for all-year caravanning, excluding snow.
Design
Do you require a front canopy? How light does it need to be? Will you be fitting extra annexes for sleeping? The combinations are limitless these days, as manufacturers create modular designs. Take the time to work out exactly what’s available and how they might match your requirements.
Warranty
How long is your awning guaranteed for, and how long is it likely to take if it needs to be sent for repair? Inflatables tend to offer extended guarantees on airbeams.
These are super-tough and rigid, comprising a rubberised cell in a durable nylon liner. Even the best might need a little extra air once a week, but if it’s more frequent than that, you could have a problem that requires repairing. Check out reviews and feedback scores for the awning company’s customer service standards before committing.
Materials
Materials technology has come on in leaps and bounds, while affordability has also improved. Gone are the days of wafer-thin, mildewy canvas awning sides that lose their colour and have the light-blocking abilities of stained glass.
Now, dense, polyester, rip-stop fabrics keep most of the light out and most of the heat in. They’re durable and resist tearing, and often the colours are actually part of the fibres, rather than dyes.
Fabric thickness is measured in denier, so an awning material could be 100D or 200D. The higher the number, the denser and thicker the fabric will be – but it will also be heavier. Be aware, thickness does not necessarily equal strength, which is affected by the weave and fabric coating.
Sales staff might talk about Oxford weave, which refers to the way in which the individual threads are woven together. Oxford Polyester is soft yet durable, and it dries quickly and resists dirt; for these reasons, many caravanners think that this is the ideal awning material.
Dense, 100% waterproof fabrics can lead to the build-up of condensation in your awning, which could make some think that it is leaking. Condensation is almost unavoidable in misty or damp British weather, and the only way to minimise it is through excellent ventilation.
Polycotton awning fabrics are more like traditional tent canvas – strong, durable and heavy – while acrylics are incredibly strong, warm, and when ‘pigment dyed’, very resistant to UV fading.
Acrylic is considered a great material for longer-term and seasonal siting. Some high-end materials feature a polyester base with acrylic layers on top.
Exterior coatings for these synthetic fabrics are constantly being developed and improved. Each manufacturer has its own configuration and name, including brands such as Weathershield, from Kampa, and Dormatex, from Dorema.
In terms of the awning’s build quality, take a close look at the precision of the seam stitching, and for an even coating on hot-galvanised steel poles.
Waterproofing
Hydrostatic head (HH) is a measure of the material’s water resistance. EU standards state a fabric is waterproof at 1000mm HH, but awning manufacturers usually exceed this figure, to allow for degradation of the material over time. Typically, you might see an HH of 3000 or 4000, which ensures excellent waterproofing performance, even in conditions of driving rain.
Features
Modern awnings have dozens of great features. Look for clever additions, such as reflective/high-vis guy ropes (never trip over again!), reflective door surrounds, opening and removable side panels, zip-on annexe extensions and facilities for interior storage.
As with most things in life, you get what you pay for when purchasing an awning. While cheaper models can be found online, we believe the extra expenditure to buy a recognised brand will pay dividends in the long run. That said, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider a secondhand awning from one of the well-known brands, thereby saving yourself a few bob.