we are virgin vanners and have just bought our first full size awning for our swift charisma. the awning channel is apparently 987 and we have bought a 975 size awning, we have now looked on the bradcote website and found out that it recommends the 990 size awning. Help!
What should we do please, the blooming thing has cost a fortune,andn it looks like we may have bought the wrong size! or do you tihnk this will be fine?
we have had the poles etc out of the box so not sure if we could even return it now if it is wrong!!!
I have Swift Coastline(Charisma)550 with the same size awning rail measurement as yourself, my old awning is 975 my dealer said it will fit but be a little on the tight side. When I checked the isabella web site for size it say's 975/989. As I mentioned my awning is a 975, it's size range is 960 to 985, so to my mind a 4 cm short fall should be ok, but I will find out at Easter when I do a dummy run with my awning.
Roger
------------- I do the towing so it must be my turn to wash the van and clean the inside!!!
Who was it that advised you to purchase a size 975 cms. awning in the first place?
Whenever I buy an awning I always check the manufacturer's website first to see what size I need because I have found out that some manufacturers actually use a different size number for their awning but it's always best to go slightly bigger than shorter. You can't stretch the awning to reach the ground but you can always put the van on ramps to take up the slack.
If you have the receipt and the awning is unused I would return to the outlet where you purchased it from with a full explanation as how you came to purchase the wrong size initially and adhere to the size that Bradcot have confirmed on their website. You are not asking for a refund but an exchange and as the awning you need is bigger it will probably cost more anyway which hopefully they will probably be quite obliging.
Must add that different awning makers have a different way of calculating their awning size ranges. ie 975 for one maker is the middle of it's size range, where with another it is it's maximum size.
I hope you get a result from the shop.
Roger
------------- I do the towing so it must be my turn to wash the van and clean the inside!!!
thanks for all the advice guys, its my fault that we got a 975 as i read somewhere that was what we needed, I didn't realise that they varied across manufacturers in the way that they sized them.
won't make this mistake twice anyway! hubby has been up most of the night worrying about it!
Hi, your awning rail measurement is only 4cm (1 1/2") short of the maximum size of the 975, the range goes from 969-983cm so it would fit, you will not even notice it, i always think a taught awning looks and performs better than a floppy slightly too big fit. Our old awning was an 840cm size and it still fitted our 885cm awning rail (45cm difference), the only time you noticed it was short was if you were only on a very bad slope and you had to peg down on the last part of the rungs, but it was still very useable with all doors opening / closing etc.
In June 2012 I went on Bradcot site for my Swift Charisma 555 and it recommended a 990 size. Having used it a few times I think it is too large and am considering having it reduced by 15cm/6inches although I have to take up with Bradcot. I note that the Bradcot site now says 975 for the Charisma 555 and the same for the 540 (both) five births. It looks like you were recommended 990. What did you do in the end?
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Topic: Help re Bradcot Classic Awning!!!!
