Travel & Product Tips

Nothing is ever a hassle as long as you follow the provided instructions carefully. People often find it rather tedious to set up caravan awnings or annexes but the fact is that it is easy to set up such structures. Do not go by the overall construction of these awnings as they may seem to be very technical (which they are), but that is only to make them work properly. However, you do not have to do anything overly technical to set it up.

Here is how you set up a roll out awning for a caravan:

1. The first thing that you need to do is to unlock the travel locks and move the latches into place. This should take just under a minute.
2. Now you need to undo the ratchet. You will notice a small loop hanging out of the awning roll. Grab it with the hook at the end of the rod that you have in your hand, and then just pull it.
3. As soon as you pull away, the awning will come down into position with its attached legs holding it in the right spot. At this point, you need to bring in the support arms and fix it into place.
4. The legs which are attached to the front corners of the awning will have their other end positioned under the caravan. You just need to bring them out and put up the legs in the right position. Lock it into position and give it a light tug to see if it is held in place.
5. Take the pressure off the roller and make sure that it is at 90 degrees. At this point, lock off the supporting arms.

This is just about it and the work would have been done faster if you had an extra person to help you to manage the other side of the awning. Now the above procedure was for a caravan awning that has the legs attached to the lower side of the caravan. If you want the legs to stand upright for the “awning patio position”, then just unlatch the end of the legs from the caravan and move it into position. You could also use this upright awning as a base for putting up your annexe.

For awnings that exceed 16 ft or 17 ft, a central arm is provided to add stability to the structure. So when you have a central arm, just unlock it, remove it from the latch and bring it up to the locating arm. This needs to be locked into position as well.

When you are done with the awning and you need to move on ahead, just follow all of the above mentioned steps in reverse and that should help you to roll up the awning and lock it into place before you drive off. Just do everything in the right order and you should get the things done in a jiffy.

Awnings are great additions to caravans, motorhomes, and other RVs as it adds a lot of floor space wherever the vehicle is parked. You should be grateful to the awning as it gives you shade and a comfortable personal space despite the existing weather conditions – heat, rains, hail, snow, etc. Such harsh weather conditions and life on the road can cause a lot of debris and dust to get accumulated on it. With a few basic measures, you can easily maintain and clean the awning for ensuring that you get a clean, hygienic, and comfortable personal space whenever and wherever you want.

Here are 5 simple steps to help you clean your caravan awning without much effort.

Step 1: Set Up the Awning for Exposing the Entire Material

This is the most basic step involved in the maintenance as well as cleaning of any caravan awning. You can never clean it while it is still folded up. The only way to clean an awning is to set it up so that the material spreads and every area is exposed properly. If you clean a closed awning, then the fluids would not dry up properly and this would cause the development of molds and fungi on the material. Remember, the awnings are made waterproof, so it is very important for the water or other fluids to be dried off and wiped clean. The easiest way of cleaning it without hassles is to select a bright and sunny day and the majority of your work is done for you. The heat from the sun will help the water/fluid (s) to dry up quickly.

Step 2: Remove That Grime Before It’s Too Late

All caravan owners usually face the issue of grime accumulation. Grime is the mixture of dirt, debris, bird droppings, and other stuff that usually settles atop awnings. Now you should get rid of this as soon as possible before the grime begins to set it. If the grime sets, then it could damage the material and also have an adverse effect on the waterproofing feature. Even water, if left over a long period, can cause harm to the material. The best approach would be to clean off any grime, much, or anything that makes the awning look dirty.

Step 3: Water + Soft Cloth = Easy Cleaning Tools

Sometimes, the simplest of cleaning tools can prove to be the most effective. In the case of caravan awnings, a soft cloth and some water can do wonders. Why is this a good idea? Well, awnings are primarily made from canvas and this makes it waterproof. Soft cloth and water are the two things that would not affect the waterproofing ability of the material in any manner. Also, make sure to use a light hand as aggressive strokes could also damage the materials. If the debris gets stuck in the cloth then scratches would easily be made.

Step 4: Use Standard Issue Awning Cleaners

There are many standard-issue awning cleaners out there in the market such as Camco RV Awning Cleaners. You don’t have to search a lot. Probably the RV / Caravan dealer might have a ready stash. You may also try contacting the caravan manufacturer for compatible and safe cleaning fluid. This will give you the much-required boost to the cleaning process without compromising the effectiveness of the waterproofing of the awning’s material.

Step 5: A Final Touch

If the awning is excessively dirty with a lot of grime accumulation, then you may use a cap of bleach mixed in warm water for getting off all dirt effectively. This can make a whole lot of difference in the way you clean your awning and for some really grimy awnings, the cleaning fluids can be a lifesaver. However, this strips some waterproofing from the materials so before monsoon sets in, you would have to reapply water-resistive coating to it.