Air beam Awnings

[carebear]

Anyone purchased an Airbeam awning suitable (as sold to us ) for the Autotrail Frontier range, this being the bigger three panelled window version

We purchased the Vango Sanna model at the Newbury show last year.

On recommendation of the salesman the model was suitable for our van, due only to the measurement of floor to height of recess awning.

Our first opportunity to use it was just recently at Easter, ( purchased it for use really when the Grandchildren are with us to cage them in, so they cannot wander off without us ).

Once we got it set up, It would be a doddle the second time to do, BUT we have found a big issue.

We cannot open the van door without it catching the roof of the awning, its ok for my husband at 6ft to raise the roof a little, ( in more ways than one, which he did when he realised what was instore ) but not so for me being to short to reach.

Also to open the door fully, one of the airbeams is in the way so this has to be raised, before we can fasten the door against the side of the van.

I have since looked on many sites and the awning is mostly listed as a Caravan awning, on contacting Vango it was explained

The awnings are meant to fit an array of vehicles and do not take into account the door sizes and positions, so suggested best advice was to contact the retailer of purchase, and if necessary provide us with a refund / exchange, this I doubt very much happening in this day and age, as the item is not at fault, maybe miss sold.

I now feel this was an expensive experience we have learnt, from a salesman's recommendation on buying the last day of a show.

Maybe a little advice to anyone looking to buy one, don't go on the advice we were given, check out what is on display and take full measurement's, what we bought was not on display.

I don't think we are going to be able to get the experience of the Doddle second time around, unless we take it to Newbury next week, and see if the Seller would be keen to look at our issue and maybe have feelings for our loss.

[Randonneur]

We had exactly the same problem but with a Dorema awning. We had bought it two years previously but because of illness were unable to try it out. Last September we went to Southport CC site to try it as we knew that that place was ideal and flat but when we tried to put the awning up when the front was to the floor then the back was a long way away from the van and vice versa. Went back to Glossop Caravans and they did an exchange for a Movelite awning which we were very pleased with. It just goes to show that you cannot go off the brochure sizes for the van heights.

[MartinP]

I bought a Kampa Rally Air 390 awning at the CCC NFOL last year (on the last afternoon to do a "deal"). Thankfully we were camping nearby and I could put it up right away. We have an Autotrail Arapaho and I had fears about the height of the awning rail.

Initially I thought one of the inflated AirPoles was in the way of the door opening but with practice it can be positioned in a position to allow the door opening. It easily copes with the height of the awning rail.

Well next day we were off home for 18 hours then off to a wine festival in Germany and a few weeks to Croatia and back. We are very happy with it as I can erect it by myself in 15 mins as opposed to nearer 90 for my other standard awning.