We recently bought a fibre poled dorema daytona. Ummed and ahhed a bit but in the end because its only a small awning (size 9) we decided on a poled awning. Its fine - the time is taken in pegging out the awning rather than putting up the poles.
However a bigger awning with more poles, I might have gone for the air version.
We are pleased with the awning overall - because we went for the poled I was able to get a 270cm depth which is nice and the poles give somewhere to hang things from.
Is there a shop nearby where you can get some advice ?
Had plenty of pole awnings over 47 years of caravanning. Steel ones alloy ones and glass fibre. But bought air awning about 4 years back and now would never go back to poles.
I agree with birdman 101 we have a kampa rally air 260 for weekends and a kampa rally air 390 plus for longer trips, inflated with kampa gale pump, yes they are quite heavy because of the thick material and tubes but once its on the awning rail its simple and quick to put up plus I can do bits while the pump is inflating
Never used a pole awning, I got a Kampa Rally Air 330 as first awning, but two friends who have seen me put it up and take it down on my own have both ditched their 'divorce in a bag' pole awnings and bought the same Kampa Air awning. Both agree it's so much better than their old awnings. Just bought the electric Gale pump and that is a good investment, the hand pump wasn't that much work, but the electric one is just so easy.
Few weeks back when it was very windy, my awning took it all in it's stride, despite wind being much stronger than Kampa advise using the awning in - the wind blew up very quickly and was not forecast so took me by surprise, but was by then far too strong to attempt to take awning down, so it had to stay up and take it's chances, it survived unscathed which is more than can be said for several tents and all the windbreaks on same site!
As to some complaints about weight, don't think it's any heavier than comparable poled awning, just that it's all in one bag as opposed to split over two with flysheet and pole bag, so little difference when it comes to loading the van. As to fitting, I'm an old fart and can do it on my own with relative ease, suggest anyone who struggles simply hasn't developed the right technique.
ok we have a caravan that takes a size 15 awning, we used to have the full size but now use a kampa 390 air, all I can say is check the weight out and of course the size of the pack! a poled awning you can get out the doorway in 2 bags, the air one, well our 390 just fits thr the gap and is equally as heavy so lord knows what a size 15 awning would be like. also when putting the poled awning up we could remove a lot of the weight by removing the front and side panels and getting it on the awning channel was much easier doing that, but with an air awning you cant really do that.
don't get me wrong the kampa is great for what we need and loads of space, so much so we wont be returning to using a full size awning again, and at least this stands a chance of fitting our future caravans, something which your unlikey to do with a full sized one
This is really a question of what suits you best. I have been caravaning for over 30yrs and for most of it with poled full awnings which my wife and I put up between us, but as my wife can't really help anymore I find the air awning is quite heavy but I can put it up by myself. Pegging down takes the same amount of time whichever sort of awning you have.
Post last edited on 01/09/2019 20:55:16
------------- A PESSIMIST, IS AN OPTIMIST WITH EXPERIENCE !!!!
We had a Kampa Air Ace 400 and used it when we toured Scotland. Erected it several times and on our return decided to sell it and buy a Isabella Magnum awning.
The Kampa was very heavy to pull through the awning rail and in the morning it look liked it had rained inside there was that much condensation inside.
They supply you with a huge bad that looks too big when you first take out the awning and then realise why when you come to put the awning back in it. No way can you get that awning flat again and it becomes very bulky.
It is just as quick to put up the traditional awning as the air awning of the same size. Pegging down is about the same time.
We have a Kampa air break windbreak and the same applies regarding getting it back into the bag. It is very bulky as no matter how hard you try, you cannot get it flat again like it was when you first took it out the box.
We have heard many stories of the tubes bursting in hot weather. Do a Google and this will come up.
For the moment we will stick with our traditional awning as we find it easier to erect.
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Topic: Traditional awning or air awning.
via mobile 29/8/2019 at 12:20pm
