Vango Air Away Kela Van Awning

[@huwredwards]

This a good awning, we have used this pretty much every spring/summer weekend for the past year and a half. For the sake of marital harmony, I erect the awning myself and it takes me 20 minutes from bag to full deployment. The tent is robust and watertight & looks good when it is pulled out tight. This video is not showing the easiest way of doing this & would certainly be troublesome in breezy weather My tips are: 1. Buy the groundsheet (about £25-30) as it protects the bottom of the tent on hard standing pitches but also you can use it as the template in erecting the awning. I line up the edge of the sheet with the back doors of my T5 and put it approx 2-3 inches from the wheels. I know then that the awning will be in the right place. 2. Peg out the two furthest outer corners first using the groundsheet as a guide. I normally knock the pegs in half way so I can adjust later. 3. Attach the awning to the Kadar strip/rail & blow up the tube nearest the van first, then the second one & insert the ceiling tube. 4. You are then in a position to pull the entire awning square and then peg out the awning and then the ropes. If your awning roof is not tight against the van, you run the risk of the tent snagging in the sliding door or being caught up in the joins between the 'figure of 8' plastic connectors on the Kadar strip. If rain showers are forecast on your departure date, you might find one of the Karcher window cleaner vacuums helpful in drying out the tent prior to packing (though not much use if it is sheeting down!). On its own, the tent will dry out quickly though... When you fold the tent up prior to rolling it, arrange the fabric so that it is all within the square integral groundsheet area, fold into thirds and fold the van side material LAST (so when you come to erect again you can easily spot which way round your awning is). It rolls easily into the bag and all you need to check is that the 'thirds' width matches the length of the carry bag. We use our awnings at Caravan Club (CC) sites and you should be aware that some pitches are tight with the T5/Kela on it. Some negotiation may be required with the Warden to maintain a 6m segregation between you and the neighbours' kit that they require. In all you will need a 4.5 - 5 m width on your pitch, but remember you might be allowed to go "Front to Back" on the pitch to fit it on. We liked this awning so much, we also bought the bigger brother (Sapera) with is 2m longer - this is erected in exactly the same way & gives us more space on longer stays. For us, we have managed to fit this one also on CC pitches, but this definitely requires prior consultation with the site you want to go to.

[@TwoLeftSh0es]

Good review guys, thanks. Might have been worth just showing what it's like to put it up after you've done it once before also. I think the manufacturer does recommend that it's attached to the van before inflating it. Also people would probably be interested to see how easily it goes back in the bag : )

[@jamesrennie8209]

Get your self a ACSI camping card . For £14 you get two books and a map of Europe with thousands of campsites listed, all discounted off season. We travelled from Cornwall to Turkey via Italy and Greece, this ACSI was invaluable, allowing us to plan route and site in advance. Hope this helps.

[@winstonsmith3690]

Using two straps over the top, what prevents the middle bit above the door from sagging?

[@brendamorris7705]

Gave up and put it back in the bag,I wish I seen this before I attempted it.

[@janethaynes577]

Thanks...great video and the awning is just what I'm looking for, but your website says you are out of stock on this model!!!

[@threezerocornwall]

Thanks we are glad you liked the review. If you follow the link at the end of the video this will direct you to model we have in stock, the one you may have looked at was a previous years model and we are fully sold out. Or follow the link below www.penroseoutdoors.co.uk/p/17784/Vango-Air-Away-Kela-Std-Driveaway-Awning---Van-Awning

[@Dorsetyke]

I would have been interested to know how long in total it took you on your own. Plus, for those using, it is advised to first attach with Kador and then pull out at right angle and peg front down before putting air into beams. Another plus that should have been mentioned is that you can't over inflate. Watching with interest as putting mine up for the first time this weekend!

[@threezerocornwall]

It took about 10-15 minutes start to finish, but like you said if we had been able to connect the Kador strip to an awning rail or J rail first, and then inflate the awning in position it would have been quite a lot quicker and a slightly better fit. This method is shown well in our Varkala 280 Airbeam Caravan awning review, where it was attached first via an awning rail and then inflated.

[@mw0jze]

Correct edgrrr101 attach to the van first, much easier!!