caravan awnings - Air versus Pole awnings

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In this video I compare air awnings to pole awnings and show which awning style is actually quicker to put up. In this side by side comparison, I invited Isabella to compare their Ventura Trinus 400 alongside the more traditional magnum 400 flint poled awning.
I also discuss some of the pros and cons of each awning style.
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[@HortoncommonCoUkcaravansite]

Running a small caravan site and watching our guests put up both traditional pole and air awnings over recent years, the result fits with what we have observed. Air awnings are heavy and more difficult to get into and along the rail. However, I do think that air awnings generally cope better with higher wind speeds and gusts of wind.

[@scotiajinker8392]

My wife helps me feed our air awning into the channel, it’s a lot quicker than doing it solo, we also have an electric pump . Doing it this way the awning is up in around 10 mins with no hassle.

[@kenwatson4890]

I have had multiple pole Awnings and can clearly state that the Isabella pole Awning is by far the best Awning in the world. I am considering the Isabella Cirrus Air 400 as my next purchase if I am only going away for a few days, however my pole Awning from Isabella will always be my Awning of choice. Most people don't erect pole awnings correctly but Isabella have a solution to that with the regulator tabs to make sure everything is even and straight. Air awnings I have looked at don't seem to pass muster in the overall quality and condensation capabilities apart from the Isabella Cirrus Air. There is a reason these awnings are expensive in the same way a car is more expensive because mainly the materials are better quality Great video by the way keep up the great work

[@boogoeswild5965]

This was really helpful! As a complete newbie to the caravan community - still working hard to save up for my first one - vlogs like this are invaluable for me! It's the only way I'm going to learn!

[@billi996]

I was a newbie about 10yrs ago. I did lots of research and when I got my first caravan I even went to talk to other people about their awnings, I asked if I could look inside and got their opinions on them. Made friends and got to learn about pros and cons, it helped us choose the right awning for us, hope this helps, happy caravanning

[@kenroberts6907]

I just purchased a Vango Balletto 200 air awning simply as I have a disabled wife and it was hard for me to put up a pole awning on my own (I am 70 years old soon) . I was also concerned that a pole may accidentally damaged the side of the caravan. I found putting up the air awning so much easier. Another great video Dan .

[@hettysmotorhomeadventures4860]

Well done Dan, I agree that air awnings are heavy to put into the rail, we used to take all the zipped panels out to make it lighter, then zip them back before pegging. 👍

[@davideastwood3479]

Good result for the pole awning and well deserved. It would be interesting to compare the dismantling of pole and air awnings including packing away. My observations are that to deflate is easy but the total extraction of air and the packing away in the bag is laborious and the pole awning will win again. Challenge thus set.

[@tswthestallwoods3638]

Having had both, we have gone back to the exact same poled awning, the Isabella Magnum flint 400 - as you know. Horses for courses, there are some that will prefer the air and others that prefer the poled such is life. 2 bags are easier to manoeuvre than 1 as the weight is split. Time wise as you show, there's really very little difference, so people just make the choice that's right for you, A x

[@ThisOldManOfTheSea]

There are 3 elements - erecting, taking down and packing away which need to be taken into consideration when comparing. For example the extra weight of the air awning is an advantage when taking down due to gravity but it’s probably harder to pack away. It would be nice to compare these 3 phases for a full comparison. Also, standing on the caravan step, and getting your arms higher, helps with pulling the air awning through the awning rails.

[@janscott3031]

Dan, a couple of comments. Only Isabella have the regulator tabs as part of their awnings to allow for uneven ground !!! Also use of the Kampa awning pulley makes putting an air awning into the rail easy. I have one and can do it on my own in a lot less than 7 minutes. Nick T.

[@michaelh.2473]

We have a steel pole full awning and it takes both of us over an hour to get it up before pegging. We are both over 60. So we are changing it for an air awning. My wife's foot couldn't put up with another pole falling on it! However, a good video Dan which does show that the carbon poles are an alternative to both steel and air.

[@taichpaul]

Get a Kampa awning pulley, best gadget we've ever bought for caravan. It makes it so easy to pull on the awning in seconds.

[@britsd6397]

Hi Dan, I have a Kampa Air Ace 500 and a Ventura 250 carbon full awning. I was not surprised at the result and have always given the advice to not buy an air awning if its just for speed purposes only. Using an air awnings in windy conditions cannot be understated as it just moves with the wind and is quieter if its windy overnight as you have no canvas slapping on the poles. Also I have been using Mr Sheen in the awning rail for years and can easily put both up on my own. There is an advantage to air as you can get on with other setup activities while its inflating. Love all of your videos and this one is a real relevant one..

[@laptopsid]

It’s poled awnings every time for us. And we have had them both.

[@jamiemiller8910]

I find taking down an air awning MUCH quicker and easier than a pole. The disadvantage of the weight for putting the air awning on doesn't have the same effect when taking down, and we've found taking down the air awning much easier :)

[@M..R....]

We're still currently on one of your favourite sites at Burford and have a Leisurewize 390 air awning.We've seen many caravans come and go over this last week and all of the ones we've seen have had 2 or more people erecting them. Had this video been real life with 2 people erecting it I think the air awning would have been on the rail in no time ,inflated ,pegged and ready to use. We also use the air beams (6 off) as cushioning in the caravan when travelling. Now off to make some LED strip lighting following your videos....

[@StephenOsborne-nz3cd]

I’ve had both pole and air awnings. By far the hardest part of effecting an air awning is pulling the entire weight through the awning channel by myself. On the plus side once the awning is in place correctly, inflating with an electric pump is far easier than trying to balance awning poles especially when a little gust of wind keeps taking your awning. Pros and cons to both.

[@CaraVanOlogywithBecky]

Very interesting and useful test Dan and great delegation skills ;-) the most telling bit for me was that the chap who put the air awning up needed a good sized bottle of water to recover despite both “willing” volunteers being hugely experienced and fit! As I often put our awning up single handily I’d rather not have to break into too much of a sweat - at least until the kids are old enough to sort it all out, then I’ll delegate with a cuppa in hand ;-)

[@terencebaker4269]

We have both, mostly use the air awning, my helper feeds the canvas into the rail, and I pull it through. This makes it very quick to put up, but as you say, uneven ground is a problem. We (and most of the others with air awnings) had to take them down recently in high winds, but as its a quick and easy awning to take down and put up this was not a problem. Great video's, always interesting and above all very helpful.

[@mikehallmark.8984]

Just been away and my air awning took 40 mph winds with no Problem but with any awning its the pegging out that takes the time which ever you have

[@garydavis1528]

Had both, I find air easier and quicker if short of hands to help. Near clifftop north Cornwall this year at Gwithian Towans had 56-68mph winds for constant 60 hours and it stood it very well. (I just bought and added some internal guy ropes to aid its shape / secure roof position more the first morning after it all kicked off to protect awning rail stresses and the awning material!) Some of those around us took pole awnings down, a few left up came apart with their pegs pulled out by the wind force and chaos that ensued! Ours stayed in and up fine though the sound of it under such stress raised concerns (hence my precautionary action with added internal guy rope) but it clearly demonstrated the air can take a strong battering ok if needs to. Both are good but I found dealers this year won’t take pole awnings with part ex now, only if air so when change c’van part ex you will have to dispose of any pole awning yourself later if it won’t fit your New c’van.

[@davedyer3654]

I use a Kampa Air Beam on my Bessacarr 645, best money I ever spent, so much easier to erect (electric pump) and in a recent storm I didn't need to constantly monitor it, it flexed in the wind and I was seriously impressed. For me, Air awning every time, especially on a big van.

[@ryanshort7435]

Pole awning are excellent in high winds. I spent time in a caravan overnight with a pole awning set up with up to 50mph winds and I was just happy sitting there with no problems.

[@graemeroberts5730]

Excellent video! Result was very surprising and the look of the Isabella was far superior! We have a caravanstore zip system. We are going to be really looking forward to Isabella’s air awning being presented at Dusseldorf! Should be fascinating. 😃😃🤔

[@eldodos83]

I have the caravanstore zip too, great job

[@tonyvial7716]

Great video. I always preferred pole awnings. Much easier to put up. But, I have had poles break or bend in high winds causing damage to the tent and van. Now using an airbeam awning. Much heavier and harder to put up but more forgiving.

[@geoffb7772]

We have used both air & pole in smaller awnings and we’re now looking for a larger awning. This been an Excellent review for us…. Thank you very much The Trugians…… please keep up the great reviews!!

[@malcolmsiddons6916]

An interesting and informative demonstration. After 40 years caravanning and with a few birthdays under my belt I'm never too old to learn and constantly looking of ways to make our pastime easier and more enjoyable. Clearly the jury is still out as to air v poled awnings - each has its' pros and cons. I have a Kampa poled awning for the summer months where time spent erecting and dismantling is not an issue. I don't always get a horizontal/level pitch and I do believe this type of awning is more adaptable. Awning weight is an important consideration for me and generally air awnings appear to be rather heavy when packed away into the one bag. A separate bag containing poles is a plus for me when lifting the awning into and out of the car or garage during transportation or storage. I am looking to replace my current (ageing) lightweight porch awning for weekend and short stay use and I had decided that it's maybe time to consider a branded lightweight air option. Your excellent video has given me real food for thought..................... Thanks again

[@darthsarcastus1064]

We were pitched earlier this summer in Cornwall with our Dorema (fibreglass) poled awning, our neighbour (in a camper) reported high winds were coming overnight so I fitted the Dorema Storm Lashing system. Awning was solid, I could have fitted two more sets of poles (it has 5 supporting the roof and sides but usually only needs 3) but chose not to. Fair enough, we pitched in a fairly sheltered spot but the wind still gave us a bit of a battering. Sat out with a bottle of wine before we settled in for the evening, awning was noisy with the wind but didn't budge the whole night long. Our friend with an air awning got up (middle of the night) to check her awning but accidentally deflated it! Ooops! she spent a while trying to reinflate it in the storm. I'll stick with poles for now.

[@jonathanslocombe1934]

Have just returned home from a very wet holiday in Wales with my brand new Isabella magnum flint 400 water poured in along the awning rail the awning was great apart from the mini waterfall will be contacting Isabella uk on Monday

[@ianmcgarvey6897]

Having used both air and pole awnings, I much prefer my Isabella Magnum, takes about 30 minutes to put up fully pegged, quicker than than the air awning which was a sunncamp. I found I spent more time fussing over the sunn camp as I could never seem to get it neat, also as in the video, found it heavy to handle. The Magnum is much crisper and not as much fuss. Great Video, it is all a matter of opinion though.

[@ianreynolds1704]

I'm not sure that this is much of a comparison as this is only half a video, because there is no mention of taking them down and packing them away. In my experience it takes 1/4 of the time to take down the air awning, which is why I now own one.

[@TheTrudgians]

Maybe that might be a future video? 😎

[@ianreynolds1704]

@@TheTrudgians I look forward to it. Also perhaps it was just the camera angle, but the lad putting up the air awning looked about a foot shorter than the other one. Height is a big advantage when putting up any awning.

[@dnallen]

Great video Dan, we tried pole and air over the course of seasons and went back to pole. Also on full awning you have better fit and seal than 390 or 400 awning. Love see your review on full vs porch awning

[@robertkelly6751]

I have both, but prefer the finish on the pole awning.

[@wiltsman1]

Dan great video as always think it would of been interesting if your installers were not experts when I had a pole awning it normally took me ten minutes to work out which pole went where lol changed to a vango porch and main awning and never looked back.

[@cathrynbagley8005]

I agree - also we generally have one person feeding into the rail and one person pulling so the air would have gone up faster.

[@sonjaianhattiescaravanadve4847]

Great video. Was so surprised that the air awning was quicker to put up. However at my age it takes me a lot longer to put my Isabella Marlin awning up, normally about 30 to 40 minutes fully pegged. Perhaps you could do a video on comparing how overweight nearly 60 year olds put each type up 😁😁😁 Ian & Sonja

[@lynnebarkas6906]

I thought the pole awning was the quicker.

[@sonjaianhattiescaravanadve4847]

Lynne Barkas. My mistake 🤪🤪🤪

[@alansquire9476]

I've gone back to pole as found the air awning too heavy to get round the rail with my arthritis. plus the airframe split on a seam on its 2nd use, even though it has got a built in safety valve .but airframe replaced under warranty in 2 days x

[@johnob1824]

@@alansquire9476 me too

[@lostweekendscaravan]

Hi Dan Well I didn't expect that result. Very interesting film. I think both Awning types are great. I personally would use Air for Touring and Pole for Seasonal Pitching. Great insight. Thanks for the mention. Phil & Juliet👍🙂

[@peteyourdoom]

Good video! We've just changed awning as we had an air one but the fabric at the top eventually got damaged and letting in water. We've got a pole awning one but it's no heavier.

[@thedicksons1284]

Hi thanks for that Dan, I'm surprised at how heavy the air awning is because I stupidly assumed they would be lighter than poles...much lighter. My only observation is that with a pole awning you can replace poles or make shift something on site in an emergency but I'n not sure the air tubes are as durable.

[@bluetonic9538]

Great video. I'll keep my 12 year old Magnum 400, still looks like new

[@andrewmoorey6103]

Great video. Not surprised with the result. We’ve had both types (a horrible Kampa Fiesta Air Pro). I can put my Isabella Capri and Magnum up far quicker than the Kampa and they always look so much better. The secret to putting up the poled awning is the technique you use. Take the time to learn how to erect and tension a poled awning properly, it’s amazing how quickly and easily they go up and you’ll never suffer with all the problems that a lot of people suffer with through incorrectly putting one up. Mine doesn’t shake or rattle, clatter the poles in a wind or mark the side of the caravan.

[@geoffwilson9127]

Hi, What about the time to take down and also the storage size of both?

[@crazyslaine3458]

Great video as always. The summary implied that pole awnings cannot survive high winds, I have camped in some pretty horrendous conditions and a frame awning put up properly will happily survive anything thrown at it.

[@colinrimmer789]

Hi Dan video highlighted a valid point, weight. I have a Kampa Air Pro 390, it weighs in at 39kg, it’s heavy to fix it in the awning rail, getting in and out of the car, storage at home is also awkward. I used to keep the awning in the garage loft but when I bought the Kampa there was no way I was getting it above my head from a set of step ladders far too dangerous. It lives in the house now. Having said that I love it on site, plenty of room and a separate porch area to walk into and keep the dogs cage. Great video.

[@johntoghill3269]

I've got a Kampa 390 grande Colin and agree they are a heavy lump. Get yourself a Kampa awning pulley and you'll find installing it in the rail a doddle mate.

[@Warrior6504]

I’ve got an air awning and it takes me 15 minutes to get it up and corners pegged and it’s great in windy conditions. I’ve had pole awnings before and I’ll never go back to them.

[@bbud2611]

But it leaks like a sieve!

[@Warrior6504]

B BUD2 your right it does and this year it was really bad that bad I’ve reproofed it with two coats of water proof. Not been anywhere since so I don’t know if it’s worked yet.

[@alancooke6630]

We have a air awning that was pegged out correctly on hard standing gravel. During a storm it moved about on the gravel and the material on the base of the air tubes wore away. 2 layers of material shredded. Fortunately, still usable.

[@stevechurchman1824]

Hi Dan. Some interesting points made. It really is a case of horses for courses. We use a poled Isabella sun canopy during the summer and smaller air awning during the colder months. We really like them both. Air does seem to be better in high winds, though. Steve.

[@thecaravanus4067]

Hi Dan, that has to be one of the best videos uploaded regarding awning comparison. I am biased towards pole awnings & wasn’t surprised by the outcome. In the short time we’ve been caravanning we’ve had both poled & air. I would now always chose pooled over air. Great video & thanks for sharing.

[@richardfromcornwall5492]

Really interesting! We're now about to buy a porch awning and having this debate. I'm often told Air awnings are quicker to erect but this test says this is not really the case! Yes, the pole awning does look better trimmed than the air.

[@617539]

Dan, Very interesting, my own thoughts are tried and tested usually win (Isabella) and the air awnings are a fad. In the showrooms the air awnings seem to be good, but in the field I think the pole awning win.

[@TheTrudgians]

Hi Bernie, were about to have a go with a full poled awing for the very first time in a couple of weeks... wish us luck....

[@ronaldyardley8965]

We bought a nice little light weight Isabella mina in 2014, quick and easy to put up and still looks good, my only concern is pole damage to our new caravan!.. 👍

[@williammorrissey]

On the ball we have put up plenty awnings over the years some with good results and some with bad results we found the air awnings hard to pull on the caravan rail but using an another person or wife we find the air awning easy from that point true it can be a pain to get level but overall the best thing to happen to Caravanning since the Motor mover Another great video thanks and well done again

[@darcyswan9150]

Great comparison. We have a large pole awning for longer stays and an air porch awning for weekends. I was thinking about replacing the larger one for an air awning, thinking that it would be quicker to erect. This video shows that would be a mistake. I'll stick with my Ventura Pacific. Cheers Dan - another informative video.

[@al9600mc]

Good vid Dan ill stick to my Isabella Magnum 250 Coal porch Awning, Best Awning we have had and we have had a few LOL

[@mickkingston1450]

I find my air awning better for my back ! With having a spinal disability the air awning is less painful to erect and i use an electric pump off 240 v using the outside socket . Easy as a pole awning with the wife helping pull the awning along the rail as i feed it in the same as the old pole awnings we had. The air awning has also stopped the arguments and tempers lost on windy days erecting the awning too with no messing with poles ! 👍😂😂

[@nickfoster6139]

entertaining video, thanks. Clearly the guy putting the air awning up got a sweat on a needed water to recover! The victor looked to have expended less energy! In the discussion air -v- pole I've just spent a frustrating week with my Air Ace pro 500. In windy conditions the thing developed several leaks and each morning was rather limp in several places. Such is life, I plan to replace next year with a poled equivalent or just leave all the kids bikes and stuff at home.

[@zafychap]

Fantastic video Dan, just like to mention ref the matter of adjustment to poles on poled awnings, I believe Kampa & Sunncamp sell air beam packing pads so you can take up minor adjustment of uneven pitches when using air frame which when used between the air beam & caravan or ground help keep the material taught. Perhaps another item you could test & make a video about lol 👍😊

[@kirstenfarr5071]

Yes, felt the same way, we've had both and time is not what they say, very similar times to put up. Also agree poles are daughter and in rain poles have less pooling of water on the roof in fact I've seen one photo of an air awning where the rain had pooled so much it had caused the air beams to buckle in the middle collapsing the awning. But I will now stick to air purely because of how they deal with strong winds, we list an awning for the first time a couple of years ago. It ended up on the roof of the caravan with the poles damaging it.

[@andyupton5851]

Should have done the video with 2 teams of husband and wife. After an hour the thing would be back in the bag and the caravan driven back home in silence. On a non related point I have tried both and own neither. 😁

[@wednesdayupnorth]

Just returned to caravanning after a 13 year gap. Putting up our trusty old canvas poled awning used to almost always end in tears/ tantrums/ threats of divorce. So just bought an air awning to try this weekend so I'll let you know if that helps the temperament and marriage or not!

[@nickbell8634]

Agree with a lot of comments about one feeding and one pulling the awning into the channel making it quicker. However that might have saved 5 minutes and looking at the difference in both once erect I'd rather spend longer and have the better looking poled one. Also reading all the comments there are a noticeable amount of caravanners who don't like their air awning or have gone back to pole. Poles are complicated to start with but if you colour code the poles and zips it soon becomes much easier.

[@tonks1968]

I expected that result but good to see the proof . What would have been good is to see a similar test but taking down and packing the awning. I think that may be another win for the pole awning, perhaps with a bigger winning margin. Cheers Dan

[@willramshaw4677]

Good video Dan, we have the vango varkala 360 air and we won't be changing to a pole awning. The guys are great at erecting the awnings as they do them all the time, but for a "normal" person I belive air is the winner everytime.

[@tswthestallwoods3638]

We're normal people 😂 and there really isn't much in it once you know your awning, A x

[@rhinogooner]

We have had poled awnings and air awnings and use an air sun canopy. We prefer the air type. When putting the awning on we never had a problem sliding onto the van. I suppose it is better with two people, I hook a long handled peg puller through the ring on the top edge of the awning and pull while my good lady feeds it in and it goes on easily. We definitely put an air up quicker than a pole and using a 12v pump can guide it as it’s inflating.

[@ianwilliamson2980]

I've got the Shetland winter storms to look forward to now in my old swift caravan.hope it holds out.praying .

[@TheSpainy]

Funny to watch this. We had a coleman airtent for 5 years and then moved to a pole tent, and the pole tent was soooooo slow to put up compared to the coleman. The downside was that we had three of the tubes explode over the 5 years, and they are not cheap to replace. Plus two of the explosions also ripped the tent open, in very difficult places to repare so we ended up not bothering and using as is. Be interested to see how many inflations you get before they begin to explode.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Excellent video and I guess the same applies to Motorhome Driveway Awnings. It's the weight of the air beam drive away awning when attaching it to the rollout awaning that slows it down.

[@funnyhow1972]

It would be interesting to see these being put up buy 2 people to see if it is as close.

[@ooheaven1459]

I doubt it, as there would not be the issue with feeding the awing onto the rail which cost the air awning in this test. There are also clever ways you can tighten an air awning if the ground is slightly uneven, using foam pads between the van side and the air tube - a couple of good vids about that on youtube. It takes me and the good lady no more than two minutes to feed our Bradcot modulair onto the van, all three pieces of it on a 640 twin axle. Then she can make a cuppa while the pump inflates it.

[@neiltroman6851]

To get to same stage with elec pump and two if us is 12 mins

[@jhtech5807]

The video showed 2 pros that do this for a living. Do a Video of 2 new people new to caravaing and see witch one does it quicker!! Money says the air awning would be up before the man with the poled stops Scratching-his head wondering witch pole goes wer!! am only new to caravanong and am sold to kampa allseason grande air awnings ,the materials of there awnings comparing to others iv seen is a massive difference in Quality and thickness etc, there easy to put up and take down . And once’s it’s up it’s up , iv seen the poled awning in action this year for my 1st time at caravan sites soon as the high winds start or the heavy rain , every one with a poles awning starts shiting them selfs and runing about pegging down extra pegs , checking straps , tightening poles ,putting extra poles in across the roofs to stop pooling , trying every thing they can to make sure there awning doesn’t blow away or damage there caravan ..so for me if something has the chance to break or damage your caravan it’s a no go brainer for me ..

[@NatSatFat]

Dan, This test is not at all relivent! you had 2 guys, professional staff, who new their business and probably did not own the Awnings. When observing awnings being put up in CAMC sites, the normal and more accurate & reasonble way awnings are put up are with a couple, Man & Woman aged 50 plus, with their own awning (who love their awning a lot), sometimes they forget the sequence of erection and make mistakes and look annoyed at each other or have words?, and I have noticed the actual putting the awning into the caravan's awning rails seems to be the most"fun" (for an observer). I have had both myself, and it has taken me maybe 2-3 hours to fully erect an awning, this is with a steel pole full awning, (good job the were no axes nearby), and have recieved wonderful help from other caravanners always, and believe it or not I would call myself "competant", I love my air awning because it is so fast under normal circumstances ( except putting it into the caravans awning chanel), it beats my experience of a poled awniing, yes it looks better but no matter, its more peace of mind. So, your test was a good try, but totally failed in its intension, because of the guys doing it, way too professional looking. Great for showroom stuff but nothing for actual caravaners.

[@HowardB54]

Bryn Noble totally agree with you on this Why didn’t you get 2 regular caravanners of more mature years and get them to erect both - to reflect a real world scenario instead of this staged corporate event. What’s happened to your regular vlogs about ordinary caravanning? This is becoming more a commercially led channel with subsequent videos.

[@TheBrianako]

Very helpful video. Both guys are clearly experts, and I wonder if you would have the same result with rookies. Isn’t the main disadvantage of the pole awning the time it takes the average person to figure it out?

[@LatitudeAdventures]

Really interesting result. We find our air awning really heavy and feeding through the rail is particularly challenging. This may make us consider a pole awning in the future. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻😄

[@ajc7166]

Yea, I was surprised at the similarity in weight. I too find the air awning heavy.

[@LatitudeAdventures]

AJC definitely it takes two of us to thread the awning in the rail one feeding it into rail and other holding in position with a rope through the eyelet in end!

[@ajc7166]

@@LatitudeAdventures I use a telescopic pole with a hook attached to pull the awning while wife threads.

[@lawrencedevaney3951]

We now have an air awning after using a steel pole one. The air is easier to put up with two. Mainly because one can feed the rail whilst the stronger one pulls it on. Then an electric pump inflates it in less than 4 minutes.. pegging out is the same for both. However, we made the mistake with the pole in going for a full length awning which makes getting the poles up more time consuming. The mistake we made with the air is we bought a Bradcot one. It's been back to the makers once soon after buying as the air tubes were not straight and one was linked. I believe its still not perfect and this possibly adds to the mentioned issues on uneven ground. Recently at Modbury on an inclined pitch we had a 2 inch gap between the side of the van and the vertical end bracing pole.

[@digitalchimpuk]

Vango air awning and Kampa awning pulley makes it a lot easier. We've had some high winds and all we had to do was attach the storm straps. Had no problems at all and its endured all weathers. Both pole and air have their advantages and disadvantages to be fair. It's what comes down to personal choice. I will add that the air awning can be taken down a lot quicker than a pole one.

[@jackfisher2668]

We have just bought a air awning Isabella venture 390 like the plug in pump makes it a lot easier

[@TheCaravanNut]

Good informative vlog Dan. We have had a pole awning but now have air, is air easier......I don’t think so. The pole awning looks better, if we are on a sloping pitch the air can be awkward to put up and doesn’t site right. It is a great awning but will think carefully if we change it again. cheers Martin 🙂

[@johncooke2739]

Very interesting vlog Dan. I thought the sir awning would win hands down. Our Kampa goes up easy enough as long ad Tina ensures it goes into the awning rail ok then I do the rest. It's certainly true about the weight of it as you feel it into the rail. Don't think it will be too long before we get an air porch. Hope to see you soon mate.

[@taichpaul]

Yep, Kampa pulley and a good bit of wind and we'll see who's faster. Experience from a couple of weekends ago showed very clearly it ain't gonna be any pole awning that's for sure. The air awnings go up and look great and the pole awnings take forever and look like they were blown on to the vans.

[@Caravanningwiththehoopers]

Interesting that a lot of condensation problems are down to the tautness, makes sense but it’s never mentioned. It’s clear these guys know what there doing, give that poled and air awning to someone that only puts an awning up a few times a year and I’d expect a different result, personally I have an air awning but I do think it’s a faff so much prefer my sun canopy

[@jamestrueman3462]

I'm honestly not convinced by this (sorry Dan) - for two reasons 1) parity of awnings in the test, and 2) technique 1) Why did the air awning require an internal frame and a canopy awning frame, but the pole awning only required an internal frame? (small point - but the other variables were fixed, pegs, skirt etc.) Surely there are enough on the market to have selected two that either did or did not need external framing? 2) IMHO the way the air awning was put onto the caravan slowed things down (i.e. it was poor technique - surprising as he says he does this a lot?). This is because the awning was left behind Lee and far away from the caravan - so he was fighting with the weight and dragging it behind him. That's a killer and definitely contributed to (caused) the issues he had. If he'd positioned the weight of the air beams better (under/in front), he'd have had less issues and a quicker time (from experience feeding a Vango air awning myself). There's no doubt that an air awning is heavier - but this isn't a good test. The canvas of a pole awning is easier to run on because it's light - but with the right nack, I've found air awnings much quicker to complete, start to finish. Again, sorry Dan, normally your videos are clearly balanced and impartial. But this one just doesn't have that ring.

[@AndyClarke1]

Inclined to agree. Good tip for feeding air awnings on to the rail is to use a dog lead. With one person pulling and one person feeding it can be on the rail in seconds👍🏻

[@jamestrueman3462]

@@AndyClarke1 I agree, with two someone feeding and someone hooked onto the pull loop make it a doddle. But as this was a 1on 1 I'll give them that. Although I've realised they were pulling on the awning edge - which I thought was a no-no? Dunno about Isabella's though. Not a great 'professional' demo if you're not.

[@HitchUpAndTow]

I agree, had both, but find pole awning easier and quicker to put up on my own.

[@jimbray7259]

Another benefit of pole awnings is that a standard awning use the full length of your van. Most air awnings need to be put against the van sides with poles

[@greglewis8843]

Nice idea for this vlog the magnum looks so much better I get mine up in 15-20 minutes but speed doesn't really matter to me never had to put a guy rope on mine important in the pitch black I'm usually in thanks

[@RollingwithTheRobsons]

I was surprised by that result. I did notice it's hard work putting the 390 air we have up onto the rail. Would be good if someone could think of a solution. I do think the wind resistance is a big plus for the air awning. We used to have to get up and take our old awning down as it used to really struggle with the wind.

[@Swiftadventures2019]

We have the Isabella Capri north with carbon X poles, very sturdy once up.

[@graemescarbrough7029]

We've had our Vango Kalari air awning for two years now, and it hasn't grown on me as I hoped. Main complaints are the weight - it's extremely heavy to manipulate onto the rail - and, the fact that there is no adjustment capability is extremely frustrating on the slightest uneven pitch. If it wasn't such an expensive item I would not hesitate in changing.

[@davecook3138]

Good video, Dan. I wish I has seen something like this before buying my Kampa Air awning.

[@DorisDart]

thank you for this valuable information, and certainly helps when making our first purchase

[@garylloyd-coxhead1837]

The biggest issue with air awnings is deflating them fully so they can be packed away neatly. Many people seem to struggle with this and end up not putting the air awning back in the bag because they can’t get it to fit! This is a real issue if you are a regular weekend caravanner on Rally’s etc.

[@paulreimers6805]

We have always had a pole Awning full and porch 2 years ago the wife wanted a air Awning...it was a 420 pro we used it twice so heavy to pull up and I am not weak! And then you can never get them back in the bag! I hated it sold it for half the price!! .

[@greenroneye6516]

And of course ...... you can't use the Isabella lampshade with the air awning. The most important benefit of a pole awning ! I think a film extolling the virtue of this underused awning accessory is a must.

[@andysmith8890]

I bought a pole Kampa Rally 260 for £50 second hand from a chap locally....it’s as good as new, used it for first time last week. Easy to put up and great......£1500 for an awning is insane imho

[@secondchance6603]

Completely overpriced for what you're getting.

[@Daveindurham]

It would be interesting to see if the outcome was the same if they were put up by others who are not awning ‘specialists’. Also what about taking them down, again compare the time it takes. Just a thought.

[@outwrite11]

Scott Mills should use this video for his 'Innuendo bingo' game on Radio 1 :)

[@Ifyoudonttakeitucantfakeit]

Air awning on a motor home was impossible to re-connect. Sold after a month and don’t bother now.

[@raymondporter2094]

To be fair, it was a close run thing with the poled awning being completed only a short while before the air-awning. Now, if they had been erected by two teams of 2 (as most awnings on site are) I guess the air awning would have been quicker as it would have avoided all that to-ing and fro-ing with the awning Channel. ALSO if the lad had used an electric 12v pump like my Kampa one (attached either in the caravan or the cigarette lighter plug in the car), the air awning would have been up quicker as the lad would have been able to do other jobs (eg pegging out) whilst the air was being topped up automatically. The best thing about my Kampa Ace Air Pro 400 is that its tubes (single point of inflation) are very robust - I put the electric pump up to 9.5 psi - and once up, with 3 brush shanks with rubber awning suckers on the end, bracing between the air-pole legs on the awning, it will stand up to strong winds. Over 60mph. With a poled awning once, camping at Ripon, there was a sudden and unexpected gusty wind that only lasted a very short time. It took us all by surprise. It took down some awnings and toilet tents belonging to my friends. But my poled awning (a strong, quality, German model) was literally ripped out of the ground and blown over the roof of the van, still attached via the awning Channel where it wasn’t ripped, and draped over the roof and down the other side of the van. The fight ending thing about that is that my (then young son) has been in the awning and could have been badly injured - “I didn’t do anything, Dad!”. The poles from the awning were catapaulted our. There were another van in a row behind ours. The awning poles had been flung over the top of that van and were stuck in the ground, at an angle like javelins, about 50 feet behind. They would have gone through the side of a caravan if one had been in the way. An air awning would have bent onwards then, after the gust, would have flexed back out. Air awnings for me!

[@raymondporter2094]

The FRIGHTENING THING is what I meant (not fight ended or whatever predictive text thought I meant, above).

[@hammie2012]

Imagine this with also a roofbed possibility, and I see 2 sides of foldeble options for slightly more spice, or indoor roofbed path.

[@tinysmallfryskitchen8610]

I bought an air awning when we got our caravan first trip out (on good Friday) it went pop, with everywhere shut we couldn’t replace it or get it fixed and it was so badly burst even the puncture kit was useless. So it’s always going to be a poled awning for me now.

[@jeanvines6646]

I've had air awning for 5years now. what i have learnt is 1 - in hot weather reduce pressure in tube(s). 2 - in wind n rain more pressure in tubes. 3 - In very high winds 50-70 vastly reduce pressure even as much that it lays against caravan wall to ensure damage is greatly reduced. I would never go back to poles. i caravan single female age 73 so for me no contest. If you have clip on storm straps pull awning through channel from the ground once you have turned the corner of your runner.

[@jodyrafter]

Very interesting didn’t think that the air awning would be slower

[@appleyardgardenwoodencraft8736]

Do you think if one person is taller than the other taller finds it easier to reach up better just a thought 🤔

[@paulandbiancaadventures3458]

I wasn’t expecting that. Interesting 👍🏼

[@alberthill4168]

We are sure pole awning are best as we got a tear in our royal wessex air beam awning roof which you can not repair as pole awning you can repair

[@hetheringtonfamily8798]

Interesting 🤔 Thank you 😊

[@Robinms100]

Awning related question, what lighting do you use for the awning? Also side note, thanks for all the videos, we’ve recently bought our first caravan and your videos have been my main source of research :)