While inflatable caravan air awnings are becoming more popular are they really a better choice over a standard pole awning?
How Durable Is An Inflatable Air Awning?
The first company that came up with the concept of an inflatable awning was Vango with its Air Beam concept.
The design of the air tubes is based on outer canvas materials with a thick PVC inner tube. You may be wondering how long it will last. PVC air tube in order to withstand punctures, etc?
From the feedback I’ve received from guests, it’s very solid. I’ve only had one person comment on the beam was leaking. slow leak.
But, it was an unrepaired purchase from eBay, so that comes with the area. They were successfully sorted though, relatively quickly.
Of those who purchased their inflatable air awnings that were brand new, I’ve never read any horror stories about air beams that leak.
One thing I am certain of is that air awnings made of inflatable are far superior at handling the winds.
Inflatable caravan air awnings are a lot better at managing the force of wind.
With a typical poleawning (depending on the manufacturer and how it was put up) poles can be moved out of their position.
However, inflatable caravan awnings will move with the wind, and then snap back into position!
This doesn’t mean I don’t still recommend decent storm straps and pegs that keep the awning in its place.
Does An Inflatable Caravan Air Awning Weight More?
It is something that couple of guests who have an inflatable air awning have remarked on. It is true that an air awning is heavier than an ordinary pole awning.
This is due to the ‘all in one’ nature the air awning. With a pole awning there are two bags, one containing the fabric of the awning, and another for the poles.
In the case of an air awning, its just one thing. And there’s more PVC/fabric involved.
In general, yes an air-filled awning inflatable can weigh more than an ordinary bag of awnings.
Could One Person Install An Inflatable Air Awning On Their Own?
It follows well from the previous question. Inflatable air awnings can be easier to put up by yourself.
However, the additional weight of an inflatable air awning is something to consider. Remember, lift with your legs, not on your back
The style and design of the manufacturer the awning will have an air valve for every pole or just one Air value (cross-beam). I’ve heard jokes from guests about an awning being a “divorce in a bag’.
Therefore if you are looking to put up an air awning of your own, you must consider a cross-beam design.
If you’re using a cross-beam awning it’s just a matter of laying it out before connecting your pump with one air value. Two pumps later the awning is done and divorce can be avoided!
To make it simpler for a single person to put up an awning, take a look at an Easy Awning Pulle
Top Tip: One the most difficult aspects of setting an awning yourself is to get it in the rail. Then, you might be tempted to use a bit of WD40, or a similar product to lubricate your rail.
Yet, WD40 and detergent-based products may actually cause deterioration of the weatherproofing on the material of the awning.
Thus, acquiring a small bottle of rail-lubricant to awnings a better option. If the lubricant is properly applied it’s possible for one or more people to push the awning along the caravan rail.
How Often Do You Need To Inflate An Awning?
If you have it set up properly, you shouldn’t have to be getting the pump out to check it again. I’ve seen guests checking the pressure of their air beams every week, and maybe an rare pump.
Most manufacturers, such as Kampa recommend a pressure between 8-11 psi.
If the poles appear to be falling, it’s usually not due to a crack in the air beam but an unfitting. The tubes are usually dark gray with cross-beam awnings that link the air poles.
During storage, packaging and assembly could have been disturbed. Kampa offers a two-year guarantee for the air poles. However, it is also possible to repair the beams with an approved adhesive tape and kit.
It is vital that the air beams of the awning are not put in too much stress.
Does An Air Awning Expand When The Air Temperature Rises?
This is a legitimate issue, because you don’t expect to sound a big thud when the sun comes out and see your air awning in the ground!
Kampa which is one of the top brands for air awnings, says temperature rise isn’t an issue.
According to the guidelines, the suggested inflation pressure is between 8-11psi, but they are tested to 22psi. Kampa provides a chart to demonstrate the relationship between temperature and pressure changes.
The pressure chart Kampa makes use of to illustrate the connection between temperature and pressure changes.
In the UK even in the middle of summer, getting more than thirty degrees Celsius is an extremely rare event.
If you are able to set the temperature at 20 degrees, and the temperature rises to 30 degrees in the following couple of days, that’s not more than 1psi increase in pressure.
Also, there’s no need to fret about an inflatable awning exploding during hot summer days. Therefore there are no pressure relief valves that are fitted.
This could increase the expense and add another possible leakage point.
Can I Use An Electric Pump To Raise An Inflatable Awning?
Inflatable air awnings are either sold with a manual pump with the purchase, or provide one as an optional accessory.
With a manual pump it takes around a minute enough to increase the desired pressure, but it’s not terribly difficult. However, some may be interested in using an electric pump to do the job for them.
Some of the inflatable air awning manufacturers provide with their own pumps set to a pressure of 11psi. Could you use your own pump?
But only when you are able to set the pressure on the pump. You shouldn’t use one that can keep building pressure until something pops!
You could pretty easily cause damage to the awning, which could void the warranty.
It is not recommended to utilize a compressor with a 12V voltage to inflate an air awning unless you are able to limit that pressure up to 11 PSI.
Many of our guests opt to buy Kampa Air awnings. Kampa is a renowned brand in the market for outdoor leisure They also offer several popular caravan kettles.
While Vango was the first to develop the concept and has a significant presence in the inflatable tent market, it’s Kampa that seems to be ruling the market for inflatable caravan awnings.
Are There Other Brands inflatable air awnings?
Apart from Kampa, there’s air awnings with inflatable air that are made available by companies such as Quest, SunnCamp, Outwell, Outdoor Revolution and, of course, Vango.
Conclusions On Inflatable Caravan Air Awnings
This post was written in combination with the feedback I’ve received from guests, I do feel that air awnings can be a viable option worth looking into for many.
I think where air awnings particularly shine is for larger setups with multiple porches and annexes.
This is when putting up an awning based on poles could be a genuine challenge. There is a chance to fix an air awning if your building does leak.
Copyright Reseau Actu.