Air awnings versus normal poles, what's everyone's feelings /preferences on them. Vango seem to make awing's aimed at vw transporters and they all look almost the same and i need to check measurements but they might fit my 320. By memory two models with poles & two that are air awnings.

I had wondered about the Vango Bondi Low (fibreglass pole version)which appear to need an awning rail height of 180-210. does anyone have any experience of this model & I'm slight unsure of the awing rail height on my 2015 320, does anyone know? Also i would need to check it would just slide on the the current awning rail, i will need to measure where it would fit to against the sides of the caravan/windows!

They also do a siesta Air low which as you can gather is an air awning.
They do make another version of each with different names but they are made for "Go Out Doors"
One other thought that just occurred, with my simple shadow awning it’s easy to fold away. Awnings generally need drying, you sometimes see people taking them down the day before they move whilst it’s dry or people trying to dry them out at home. Then with the plastic windows in them I presume you have to try fold without getting any corner type folds otherwise I presume there at danger of splitting, how long do the windows last.

Personally we’ve swapped from poles to air awning just to stop the (to us) nightmare of assembling frames, having them collapse and then poles catching and damaging the van. There’s no advantage to the weight carried I don’t think as air awnings are heavy, haven’t actually weighed it but probably similar to the weight of canvas and poles. It is a lot simpler to take down though, pull the plug and down she comes.
This is just my personal opinion.

Hi Monoboard

Both types good and bad points, and it obviously depends on make as well. Ours are for a Troll

We have Kamps PopAir. The good point is that it is so quick to deflate & pack away and it copes brilliantly with strong winds as the air beams move and give with the wind.

Less good points are that ours is very heavy to hold up and slide into the awning rail, especially as you get to the end. I suppose you do get a bit used to it after erecting it a few times. Also ours is great for hardstanding but not great on uneven surfaces. Once in Aberdarron on a very uneven field we couldn't erect it properly - it was bit like a Hobbit house.

We have two poled ones. One is an old-fashioned steel poled frame which is fiddly and a bit heavy to put up that we don't use anymore. The other is a lightweight Sunncamp Vareo low, built for Campervans but fits our Troll really well. This has lightweight fibre polls and is easy to erect. The material is a bit lightweight but it is a good price.

We like both the Kampa and the Suncamp and it depends where we are going to and for how long.

Good luck

MikeT

We started with a Kit-o-vent poles awning on our Familia that came with it. Fibreglass poles saved some weight but not much. Tedious to erect with all the poles but canvas easier to handle as all three sides zip out.
We then went for a Kampa pop air which was about the same weight but easier to erect with no poles wobbling around. Yes it is heavy to get in the groove but a step helps and once it’s slid in the rest goes up easy.
We kept the pop air when trading up to a Triton but have since changed for the next size up. Wouldn’t go back to a poled awning. The kit-o-vent suffered pooling on the roof due to the shallow pitch and was quite baggy. It flapped loudly in strong winds. The pop air performs much better in high winds, being ok way beyond where I would have taken down the Kit-o-vent.

I also have a 2015 Famila 320, I have a pole awning and a Kampa air awning. I much prefer the air awning as it fairs a lot better in windy weather and it is a lot easier to put up and down. The Kampa is specialty made for the Eriba so it is a good fit, a drive away awning is always going to be a compromise as it has to fit numerous leisure vehicles.

What size Kampa pop air do you have for your 320. And when you’re taking it down & it’s damp & trying to fold and bag up how easy is it and do you then try to dry it when you’re home?
Oh and if you’re using a levelling wedge how easy is it to fit have looking straight/level, didn’t know if they had a built in skirt so to speak so as to be able to vary the fit to fit

Another vote for the kampa air awnings, they're so quick to put up and take down and as has already been mentioned they stand up to high winds better than a poled version. They're also a lot easier to dry out, just blow it up, you don't even need to attach it to the van. We had one for our Puck and currently have kamp air awnings for our Triton and t5

Quote: monoboard wrote in post #6

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What size Kampa pop air do you have for your 320. And when you’re taking it down & it’s damp & trying to fold and bag up how easy is it and do you then try to dry it when you’re home?
Oh and if you’re using a levelling wedge how easy is it to fit have looking straight/level, didn’t know if they had a built in skirt so to speak so as to be able to vary the fit to fit

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We have the Vango Airhub Hexaway awning. It’s absolutely brilliant. We had it on our 310 and also now on our 530. Lots of room inside, blinds built in. Excellent in bad weather too. Takes me about 20mins to fit to the rail, blow up and peg out. I can upload some pics if that helps.

Hopefully this will work, so here is some pictures of our Vango Hexaway:

As well as the carpet for the Kampa Pop air that PopTop320 mentions we also use an awning footprint to go under the carpet. This gives some protection to the underside of the carpet when on a hardstanding.

Can't remember if we got it from Kampa or if it from our stock of groundsheets and footprints from old tents.

MikeT

Oh where do we go from here, I usually only get away for two nights at a time with work & a week once a year. I have a shadow sun canopy & is very good for what it is but it would be handy to have the table & chairs out particularly with the 320 not being huge and I could do with something simple, light, quick to put up & also with no chance of damaging my caravan . Then also easy to take down, pack & dry.
When I glance at the Kampa pop air 290 at £825.00 then they mention a storm strap, carpet, protector to put under the carpet & some people take there’s down the day before. It starts to look a lot of money for something quick & simple. I don’t doubt if I was retired it would be an easy choice.
At the moment I’m wondering about the Elwood low air from go out doors at £250 if they have any left. Decisions decisions

one thing I've just thought of, the Elwwod where its next to the caravan it appears to be 260 wide, i would have to check/measure where that would come to on the van, don't ideally won't it coming mid way across the side window! also with there height i don't won't to shed all the water back onto the caravan. It would be good to see one on a 320 eriba

You forgot the preserver that goes under the protector, that goes under the carpet.

And then there's the cover that goes under the preserver, which etc, etc.......