CaravansForSale knows that the first thing you want to do when you arrive at your camp spot is to get out, explore and make the most of your time away, so we understand that getting set up as quickly as possible is very important.
We have created a guide to help you put up your caravan awning, hopefully making life that little bit easier and reducing the time spent setting up.
There are a couple of things to check before getting started:
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Check that the awning channel is open all the way along and that there are no sharp edges that may damage the awning - If the channel has closed at any point you can gently leaver it open using a small piece of wood or an awning rail separator.
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If the awning channel is too badly damaged it can be replaced at a caravan dealer.
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Any sharp edges can be filed down with a piece of sandpaper or emery board.
Every awning is put up differently so it’s important to read through the instructions before getting started. Make sure you read the instructions the whole way through.
The first time putting your awning up is always going to be the trickiest and although it’s possible to be done single-handedly after a lot of practice, it’s generally a two-man job.
1. First, you will need to thread the awning cord through the channel - It’s best to do this starting from the end (usually the rear end of the caravan) and have one person feeding it in and another helping it along. A step will be needed for this part and if your awning is particularly stubborn there are lubricants available to help thread the awning.
2. Once that first step is completed, position the awning central and leave it hanging whilst you sort out the poles. Position the poles alongside the caravan and check that everything fits together correctly. Don’t extend the legs yet as this will make it harder.
3. Attach the centre roof pole to the caravan then connect this to the centre leg pole. You will need to adjust the leg to the desired height now and repeat these steps under the canvas.
4. Once you have repeated the steps under the canvas, you can tension the awning in small sections.
Be aware that if the wind picks up and blows under the awning roof it may blow the awning over which may go over the top of the caravan. If there are strong winds we advise not to put the awning up or take it down altogether.
5. To avoid the awning blowing over add the guy ropes as quickly as possible. Peg out the skirt of the awning starting at the sides closest to the caravan and angle the pegs in at an angle for better grip in the ground.
6. Cross peg the base of the awning to take the strain off the zips. After that add the draught skirt, wheel arch cover and curtains.
For more information on caravan awnings, please visit https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/
