Has Anyone Had Any Issues With Awning Leaking From Awning Rail

[And0918]

Purchase new Ventura pascal 390 awning and 2017 Laser. Caravan was used last week and it was found water running down the wall of the caravan on the inside. Not sure if it's the awning or the awning rail problem. Has anyone experienced this issue before. Need to investigate further to make sure awning rail has been fixed correctly and sealed.

[Les Medes]

Not experienced this, but return quickly to the dealers to save further water ingress before you know it you will need new wallboards and with the main season coming up, you don't want the van ff the road for to long, Good Luck

[CPDavis]

I think this is fairly common on a new awning that they have to get wet initially to shrink the stitched seams.

 

This was certainly the case with my new Kampa awning a couple of years ago.

 

Assuming the awning is erected correctly on level pitch, I would guess it will be fine next time you use it.

[CPDavis]

Not experienced this, but return quickly to the dealers to save further water ingress before you know it you will need new wallboards and with the main season coming up, you don't want the van ff the road for to long, Good Luck

 

I think OP was suggesting the water was running down the inside of the awning, not the inside of the caravan.

[Stevan]

Purchase new Ventura pascal 390 awning and 2017 Laser. Caravan was used last week and it was found water running down the wall of the caravan on the inside. Not sure if it's the awning or the awning rail problem. Has anyone experienced this issue before. Need to investigate further to make sure awning rail has been fixed correctly and sealed.

Do you mean on the "inside" of the awning or the caravan! The former is commonplace and trivial, the latter is a major issue with the van.

[firstimer]

I had a small leakage from the awning rail area the first time out with my Kampa 390 air, It never happened again even in torrential downpours, So as has been said already i think the stitching needs to get wet so as to swell up and seal, Without taking my awning out of the bag i think that the rail seam was the only one that was not a 'taped "seam.

[Les Medes]

 

I think OP was suggesting the water was running down the inside of the awning, not the inside of the caravan.

Not that exlicit

[BWT]

Hi Ando918

Yes there is a problem with awning rails leaking on these caravans there is a thread on here about it. Every time i use an awning and it rains water runs down the wall I have tried several things to stop this with no joy. I wish you the best of luck in stopping this.

I have attached the link to this issue http://www. caravantalk. co. uk/community/topic/108771-awnings-on-2015-coachman-vans/?view=findpost&p=1230439&hl=%2Bawning+%2Brail

 

Regards

Edited April 1, 2017 by BWT

[And0918]

Just to confirm the water is running down the external face of the caravan wall inside the awning. Never had this on our last Laser and Isabella Commador. Will try different awning to see where the problem is. Has the rail been changed for a different design?

[Stevan]

Never had a caravan/awning where it did not happen sometimes. The fitting of bead into awning track is not designed to be watertight, so if the wind is in the wrong direction in heavy rain leaking is pretty much inevitable.

[Stockcroft]

In my case there are a couple of joints in the awning rail and water occasionally seeps down from there. I just haven't got around to putting a bit of clear mastic into the joints (ie on the outside of the joint).

[gumdrop]

It sounds as if you have perhaps overtensioned the awning opening up the stitch holes.

Mind you my last couple of awnings had external strips designed to cope with heavy

run off from the caravan roof and gutters. Your awning is made by a very good maker

so I would think the quality is not in the leasr suspect

[kiaboy]

Yes we have,

If you look at or run your finger over the gap, the profile of the awning rail you will see the top section is slightly under the lower profile which will allow the water to get into the awning. No matter how tight you pull the awning, it will leak into the awning after a while.

I thought Coachman would have fixed this as I mentioned to Coachman back in 2015 when we brought ours.

 

After careful consideration, I did not see the point and the hassle to have it replaced due to potential damage to side wall of the van

[joanie]

our last awning would leak just above the caravan door if we pulled it out too tight, then the last year we had it, it would leak by the door whatever we did. The one we have now is okay, though when it was used in the rain the first time we had a 'mist' coming through, which I believe is to be expected first time out.

[And0918]

Many thanks to all of you for advice. I've got a few things to try and I will discuss this with the dealer. The amount of water gushing down the wall of the caravan is far too much to accept. This awning was near to a grand. Luckily we have purchased both from the same place so this should make it easier. We are away Easter so I'll try having the caravan slightly off level. In the meantime I'll get up and inspect the rail and get a understanding of what you guys are talking about, the upper and lower lip.

[kiaboy]

Many thanks to all of you for advice. I've got a few things to try and I will discuss this with the dealer. The amount of water gushing down the wall of the caravan is far too much to accept. This awning was near to a grand. Luckily we have purchased both from the same place so this should make it easier. We are away Easter so I'll try having the caravan slightly off level. In the meantime I'll get up and inspect the rail and get a understanding of what you guys are talking about, the upper and lower lip.

 

You do not need to get up to the roof level to see the profile of the "lip" just stand at any point of the rail and run your finger over it to feel the slight dip. .

[Glen and Les]

Hi And0918,

 

Have you noticed how the water runs off the roof in torrents when there's no awning up? We had this problem with our VIP - there's no lip on the edge of the roof to stop it and depending on which way the van was leaning it would literally keep running off the roof in the same place. We were lucky in that we used an Isabella Magnum and the run off was outside the awning, but if we'd used a full or longer awning I'm sure it would have come through like you describe.

 

We now have the Pastiche, which has a lip on the edge of the roof, deflecting run off to front or back, but if we'd kept the VIP we were going to get a small length of "L" shaped plastic and stick it on the roof to deflect the water behind the pillars. Swift had a similar problem and this was their solution! I'm guessing that having the van slightly higher on the awning side will also do the trick.

 

Glen.

Edited April 1, 2017 by Glen and Les

[And0918]

Thanks Glen. As I said I'll have a better look and if need be put the older Isabella awning back up as we know this is ok on our older Laser. If that leaks then it's got to be the awning rail design.

[BWT]

And0918

Heres alink to the run off that Glen was talking about i had completly forgotten about this. Now its back to the fore think i will try this. This might just be enough to deflect the water running on to the awning bead.

 

http://www. caravantalk. co. uk/community/topic/77854-water-running-off-roof-down-side-window/

 

Regards

Beetee

[gumdrop]

Eriba owners had a special strip, made especially to stop roof torrents

swamping the awning rail awning joint.

[kiaboy]

Hi And0918,

 

Have you noticed how the water runs off the roof in torrents when there's no awning up? We had this problem with our VIP - there's no lip on the edge of the roof to stop it and depending on which way the van was leaning it would literally keep running off the roof in the same place. We were lucky in that we used an Isabella Magnum and the run off was outside the awning, but if we'd used a full or longer awning I'm sure it would have come through like you describe.

 

We now have the Pastiche, which has a lip on the edge of the roof, deflecting run off to front or back, but if we'd kept the VIP we were going to get a small length of "L" shaped plastic and stick it on the roof to deflect the water behind the pillars. Swift had a similar problem and this was their solution! I'm guessing that having the van slightly higher on the awning side will also do the trick.

 

Glen.

 

Hi Glen

After looking at what you said and thought about it. I decided to take the plunge and fitted "L" shaped plastic trim strips the whole length of the van inside the roof rails (thought about fitting to the outside of the rails but could be seen from the side) I bought 2x 5 metre trim strips from the local builder merchants £5. 50 each, along with a tube of mastic (already in the garage from previous work) and a bottle of uPVC cleaning fluid at £2. 95 and waited for a dry day, I spent a bit of time deciding the best way to bond them, ended up keeping the plastic close to the 3 roof mounts, but splitting the trim due to the solar panel on one side and cutting part of it to fit round the TV twig.

It has not stopped raining today, so the test has already been done, must say the sides are quite dry and water is running off back and front. So I think that will sort out the problem of excessive water pouring over the sides.

Photo not brilliant but you can just make it out

Happy so far

 

KB

Edited May 12, 2017 by kiaboy

[Glen and Les]

So pleased the modification has worked. It used to really bug me on the VIP. Fortunately, we don't get the problem on the new Pastiche as it has a raised edge where the roof meets the sides.

 

Job well done I think.

 

Glen.

[richandjan]

Whilst not a torrent, I think this tale similarly explains an annoying dripping from the roof on the off-side onto the top convexity (if that makes sense) of a window below that was keeping me awake with a constant drip. ..drip. ..drip. I had thought it was the external pump connector leaking a little and dripping onto the Aquaroll until I was maddened enough to investigate in the middle of a rainy night whilst away. I always try to level the van very slightly down on the off-side away from the awning to help waste water drain. Reading this, I suppose this also helps keep water away from the awning and the problem described. Will now consider the suggestions above to help resolve.

[Shirl250]

I think this is fairly common on a new awning that they have to get wet initially to shrink the stitched seams.

 

This was certainly the case with my new Kampa awning a couple of years ago.

 

Assuming the awning is erected correctly on level pitch, I would guess it will be fine next time you use it.

 

Same with ours. Hasn't leaked from there since.

[And0918]

Sorry it's taken a while to come back. Took the Ventura back and exchanged it for a Kampa 380. What a difference. Easier to put up and best of all so far does not leak even in a heavy downpour. Much better quality awning. Now happy.