Travel & Product Tips

In the world of caravanning, Fiamma awnings have earned a reputation for being really durable and fit enough to be used all year round. The company produces some of the finest caravan awnings in the market they have carved a niche for themselves with their range of top notch awning products.

However, these awnings won’t deliver quality performance if they are not maintained properly. It is not rocket science. You just need to know what you need to check and how you need to performance basic maintenance. That’s all there is to it.

Check out these simple tips to keep your Fiamma awning working perfectly throughout the year.

Roll Away the Awning at Night

You should always roll up the awning at night when it is not in use or when you are away from the vehicle. This is especially important for the F45ti model without the privacy enclosure and the zip model without the zip enclosure. The reason for rolling it up when not in use is that a sudden gust of strong wind can damage the awning fabric. This will rid you of the comfort that you are supposed to get from the awning.

Put a Tie-Down Strap Over the Awning

Make sure that you always use tie down straps when using awnings. By tying it down, you can make the most out of awnings that do not have enclosures. In this case, you need to put the strap over the arms by the front lead bar. Don’t let it go under the canvas though. This will prevent the canvas from being stretched beyond its limit. For awnings with enclosures, place the straps over the canvas but near the front lead bar.

Don’t Use the Curved Tension Rafter When the Sun is Out

The curved tension rafter is designed to prevent rainwater from accumulating on the canvas causing the material to stretch. Never use it when the sun is out as the heat will cause the canvas to stretch. Keep the rafter inside when not in use.

Use Tension and Magic Rafters to Strengthen Your Awning

Tension and magic rafters are great for strengthen your Fiamma awning and ensuring longer periods of quality usage. These accessories prevent the canvas from stretching and getting damaged due to the accumulated water.

Don’t Leave the Awnings Out in Bad Weather

The Fiamma caravan awnings may be strong and really durable, but that does not mean you should leave it out in the open, especially in bad weather. These awnings need to be managed carefully just like any other awning.

Have you ever wanted the perfect combination of an awning and a caravan annexe? The Fiamma Zip Awning offers a great awning with your personal enclosure. Fiamma has come up with this amazing technology which allows the walls to be zipped to the fabric of the awning with the use of special zippers. So before you even know it, the enclosure would be ready in front of you with minimal effort being required for it.

The Fiamma Awning (ZIP) is ideal for motorhomes, caravans and van conversions. In terms of design, the ZIP awning is based on the Fiamma F45 model which serves as the base structure for the accommodation of the zipped side panels. This is a great addition to your RV as the entire enclosure can be set up within minutes.

For installing the ZIP awning correctly and ensuring smooth operation of the entire structure, follow these steps and you should be able to get things done without any hassle.

• Open out the awning by using the required level and extend it to its full length. Once done, you need to bring out the support arms and place them firmly on the ground.

• If this is your first time, then go through the instructions manual to get an understanding of the things that need to be attached to the awning to make it a complete enclosure.

• Fix the two sockets on either end of the awning rail and tighten them with the screws (provided) till they are firmly in place. Make sure you adjust the position so that everything is aligned perfectly.

• Put the foam columns inside the given space in the side panels. This will give some rigidity to one of the ends / edges of the side panels and it would allow them to be placed properly along with the awning.

• The poles would have been provided in disassembled parts. Join these parts to form long poles. There are adjusting screws on them so you need to set the height of the poles accordingly.

• Once the poles are assembled, insert them in the space provided in the side panels. The rods would have a protruding section at one end. This section needs to be inserted in the socket provided at the end of the awning rail (fixed earlier).

• The other end of the pole has a grooved socket type end which fits between the side panel and the fabric of the awning.

• If you take a good look at the front part of the awning, there would be a slot for sliding the front panel inside the entire section. So all you need to do here is to take the front panel (the one with the door / windows) and slide it in the slot.

• Here comes the interesting part. You would have been provided with 2 coiled rings. Take each ring and attach it to the hole / slot provided at the top part of the side panel. This will give you the initial position of the zipper. Just move the zipper up towards the rail and the side panels would have been zipped in to position.

• Repeat the same for the front panels. The mechanism is the same for both the side panels and the front panel.

• Now you need to attach the supporting poles at the back end of the enclosure. Once this is done, you need to strap the free end of the side panel at the back to the pole.

• This clears off the major work that had to be done while installing a ZIP awning. All that remains to be done is to use the pegs to pin down the flap / extra fabric at the end of each panel, to the ground.

The window sections in the panels are provided with grooves where you can fix curtains and make the space even more “homely”. So the next time you plan a road trip with your family or friends, don’t forget to take along the Fiamma Zip Awning for a truly spectacular and relaxing holiday.