Oh no, not someone needed awning advice again!

Good point!  My partner and I aren't amazingly fit or very tall, so we need to think about practicalities.  I do think that air awnings are out for us, not least because of the weight.

Thank you SO much! That's brilliant advice (I was already thinking we needed to completely have our ducks in a row before going to the NEC and flashing the cash.  One of the problems is that although we've read lots of info on what size of awning we need, the more we read, the more confused we're getting.

It doesn't help that awning companies seem to sell awnings in "set sizes", rather than the size you actually need!  This concerns me as what do you do with the "extra" since clearly you need to go slightly larger than you need, if you have the choice between a stock size awning that's a bit too large or a bit too small.

Hi, Assuming that your van is based on the 574 the awning A measurement is 1010/1020 depending on where you look. The Isabella size is 1000 and, looking  on FB Marketplace there seems to be quite a good number for sale.

Prices will likely rise as Spring approaches and people start to think about getting out again.

Why not just buy an awning that suits the two of you and let adult daughter and partner buy a separate tent that suits them? 

We have never bought a new awning. Many get traded in along with vans, so dealers often have quite a few for sale. Ours have always been in very good condition, and come with all the poles, curtains etc…. We did buy one that needed altering to size, but that was easily done as well. It’s saved us quite a substantial amount down the years. We did buy a cheap porch awning for our big van, but you wouldn’t have wanted to sleep in it.😁

You say "Our adult daughter and son in law would like to come away with us occasionally in the summer " and later you mention staying on CL's with uneven ground.

I'm thinking along the lines of eurotraveller Buy a good 2nd hand awning that meets your needs 95% of the time and for when your daughter and son in law come along a separate tent as these are usually OK on a CL, unlike a main C&MC site.

Your options will be greater, you'll have more flexibility and costs are probably going to be less. They will also have more privacy, as will you.

Colin

I echo some of the other comments, we bought a second hand awning 2 years ago from a local seller in the club classifieds to replace a medium sized (360) awning that came with our van but got damaged (someone's mad dog jumped through the side!).  The one we bought was a 'poled' Kampa 390 'plus' with an annexe, we find this is plenty large enough for the 2 of us in normal configuration and the annexe can be added if we take offspring with us (rarely like you).  We paid less than £100 for it, it's still 100% watertight and sound, we've had 2 years good use out of it already and if we want to buy a new one, I know that the size/design is perfect for us and happy with Kampa's design material/durability etc etc before I make a substantial purchase.

The downside to a 'full' awning is that if you might swap your van, you may well find the rail length is different so you need to buy a new awning as well, whereas a '390' or similar will fit any largeish van.

We got our Bradcot Porch awning on eBay. It was only two years old and had hardly been used. The seller had a fixed price open to offers. I made a silly one that was eventually accepted. 😀 

If you decide on an air awning I'd advise getting an electric pump as well. Remember that awnings made to fit right round the caravan rail will be of no use when you change your caravan. I prefer one that is slightly shorter than the caravan and I find a manufacturer's annex zipped into the end of the awning is best for sleeping extra relatives.

Hi, I finally decided to make a comment about my awning in the hope that others don’t make the same mistake. I know this is a bit of an old chestnut but I wanted to get it off my chest. 

I purchased a Kampa Grande Air Pro about 18 months ago and am totally disappointed with it. 

Unless your pitch is like a snooker table at the Crucible this awning does not fit nicely on the ground at all and most importantly, in NO WAY is this awning waterproof. The roof leaks as does every seam. 

Only on a really level pitch and a sunny day is this fit for purpose. Unless I was just unlucky I would recommend you try another brand. If it wasn’t so expensive I would chuck it in the bin. Avoid like the plague.