ADVICE AND ACCESSORIES
Clever kit, expert tips!
› Consider taping your pump tubes together, to prevent them from popping apart in mid-inflation.
› Consider colour-coding your poles, to show how they connect together. This is especially important if you are only going to use your awning once or twice a year.
› Take a headtorch if your awning build will continue after dark.
› On hardstandings, consider using a cordless drill and slim masonry bit to drill guide holes for your pegs (ensuring that you cause no damage to the pitch).
› When folding your awning for storage, try to fold on the seams as much as possible, and keep the plastic window panels as flat or curved as you can.
› Always aim to put your awning away bone-dry. If it’s damp or wet, you should get it out once you’re home, to dry it properly. Avoid leaving it in the bag while damp for more than a day or so.
› Double-check for tent pegs before leaving the campsite, especially if the grass is longer.
› Fairy lights add cheap, pretty, low-consumption illumination to any awning. Choose solar-powered ones to minimise cabling through windows, but always carry spare rechargeable batteries, just in case.
› Alternatively, consider uplighters, which create a similar, softer light that looks and feels better. There’s a huge array of awning lighting options at all price-points, so look online.
› If you mainly tour abroad, have a look at the brilliant wind-out awnings from the likes of Fiamma (F-series) and Thule (Omnistor). These are permanently mounted in a ‘ roller tube’ along the top edge of the caravan’s door-side wall (although they’re more common on motorhomes). They wind out with a handle, to provide a roof that will protect against rain and provide a sunshade. There are two legs supporting the front edge of the cover, and side panels can be added to create an enclosed awning in poor weather. These awnings typically cost from £500-£1000 and weigh in the region of 50kg, so should be factored into your payload calculations, because they are a permanent fixture.
› If the waterproofing of your awning material is failing in places, consider Isabella Aquatex impregnator spray to reproof the affected area (one litre costs £7.99).
› Awning linings are available to enhance the homely appearance of the interior, creating more of a ‘posh marquee’ effect.
› Clean your awning fabric with extreme care. Carefully remove loose mud and dirt with a dry cloth or brush, then spray water (no chemicals or detergents) onto affected areas to soften more resistant marks, before gently rubbing them off. Cleaning is best done with the awning erected. Follow the washing instructions for interior fabrics and curtains, but do not tumble-dry.
› Use your awning soon after you buy it and you’ll have a better chance of obtaining a replacement or a refund if there are problems. If you buy it at an October show and don’t use it until the following Easter, you won’t be able to use it at the start of the season if there’s an issue with it.
› Buy good quality pegs. Skimping at this stage will cost you later!