Travel & Product Tips

Caravan awnings offer great convenience and comfort on the road with your very own personal shade. You can escape the heat or rain by simply putting up the awning wherever you park the caravan. It can be set up easily without a lot of effort. An awning may seem to be a significant part of the caravan, but it offers much more than mere shade. Did you know that your caravan awning can actually help in keeping the caravan cool? There are several benefits of getting an awning for your caravan.

Follow these quick caravan awning tips for ensuring proper health of your caravan awnings and keeping them in proper working condition throughout.

Tip #1: Use a Mild Detergent for Cleaning the Awnings Regularly

It is advisable to use a mild detergent for cleaning the awnings regularly as it will prevent accumulated debris and dirt from damaging the fabric. Make sure you get a bleach-free cleaner as bleach tends to reduce the life of the stitching. You should be careful about accumulated bird droppings as these can be corrosive and can bake into the fabric, thereby making it difficult to remove safely.

Tip #2: Get the Caravan Awning Serviced Annually

Even if you don’t use your caravan frequently, it is suggested to get the caravan awning serviced annually. This includes lubricating the sliding arms, checking the spring tension, making necessary repairs, and checking the overall functioning of the awning. Never miss out on the annual maintenance as it could help in detecting as well as repairing flaws that might have appeared.

Tip #3: Rub caravan wax Over the Stitching to Prevent Rain Water From Dripping

The stitching on the awning, located in the place where the awning slides into the sail rack, needs to be coated with wax to prevent rain water from dripping inside. The stitching is vulnerable as it may not offer a completely water proof layer. Make sure that the wax coating is applied on the area that is hidden after the awning is rolled up. This will prevent sun damage. Several awnings have actually deteriorated a lot just because certain parts were left exposed to the sun for a long time. It is best to take the necessary steps to protect the awning from all things that could cause damage in any form.

Tip #4: Tie Down the Awnings to Keep Them Steady

Sudden gusts of wind can destroy the awning if it has not been tied down properly. A good way to make sure that you are aware of the pegs would be to paint them white. This will keep them visible and you can always check if they have come out from their position. Trust me, this will save you a lot of unnecessary hassle.

Tip #5: Don’t Allow Water to Accumulate

The awning fabric tends to weight down if a lot of water has accumulated causing the awning to collapse. Even if a little amount of water is left on the awning, the fabric tends to stretch. This causes unwanted flapping which loosens the awning’s stitching. A good way to prevent this would be to use anti-flappers and to remove the water from the awning’s surface by allowing the water to run off from one of the sides.

Get a Good Awning to Avoid Problems

You need to get a good quality awning for your caravan so that you don’t have to make frequent repairs on it. It should have a perfect fit with the caravan and the fabric should be good enough to withstand regular usage without the need for frequent servicing. No caravan awning is completely maintenance-free, but a good quality awning will help you to save up on unnecessary expenses and also save time that would have otherwise been spent in getting it checked by professionals. Check out some really good caravan awnings here.