nurburg340 Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Hello, I own a campsite in East Sussex but have only just bought a caravan for us to stay in (been staying in a cabin). The caravan is a 2005 Abbey Spectrum 520 5 berth. I'm looking for a second hand awning and have found one on Gumtree. He advertises it as a Dorema 850-900cm. I have looked online and the correct size awning fit for mine is 1025cm. Does anyone know if this awning would fit okay, I understand it will not cover the full length of the caravan but have seen many caravans with awnings that cover only half or three quarters of the van. Don't know if they just have a universal fit for awnings. ..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WispMan Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Those awnings that only partially cover the sides are called porch awnings. Google them to see some. The gumtree awning offerred to you is over a metre too short so it will be off the ground! Definitely the wrong one. I also suggest you check the awning size of your van yourself as the wrong awning is useless. Measure ground to ground through the awning rail with, say, string. Don't buy an awning that is too long or too short! Quote Graham Unless otherwise stated all posts are my personal opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-T Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 The half or three quarter fit awnings you have seen are most likely to have been "porch" awnings, designed to partly fit caravans. The full Dorema awning you mention will not fit your caravan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurburg340 Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 Okay thanks for all your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WispMan Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 We have good advice pages so look at the CT link below for advice. http://www. caravantalk. co. uk/caravan-advice/awnings/choose-the-right-caravan-awning Also CT has caravan specifications and your van's specs are here : giving an awning size of 1050 http://www. caravantalk. co. uk/caravan-specifications/abbey/spectrum-520-2005_1773 Quote Graham Unless otherwise stated all posts are my personal opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummond Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 Isabella will shorten their own awnings by up to 50cm, for a price(about £200). Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurburg340 Posted October 6, 2014 Author Share Posted October 6, 2014 151426592364 (eBay item number) So something like that would be good? Only want it to keep shoes in and get dry in the rain before going in the van. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Lord Posted October 6, 2014 Share Posted October 6, 2014 You can make any awning do what you want to do. Just make sure that where the front comes down is not in the middle of a window. To use it you need a front leg and a buffer ( not cheap Isabella sell a kit for £90 ) then you measure the height of the van when on the level where the front will fall, and measure the same distance on the tape the feeds into the rail from the end of the awning where you wish it to fall. Then at that point use a sharp Stanley knife and cut the tape just enough to cut the interior piping. Now starting at the back of the van feed the awning through using the cut as your starting point and pull it all the way through till the back just rests off the floor, when you put all the poles in you have a goodly sized porch. My awning length is 940cm and to bring the awning down just behind the front window I use a 750cm awning. It allows all the light from the front windows to come into the van and gives the maximum sized porch that I can have. 151426592364 (eBay item number) So something like that would be good? Only want it to keep shoes in and get dry in the rain before going in the van. That would do the trick. Quote Bill Growing old is compulsory, growing up is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a13est Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 You can make any awning do what you want to do. Just make sure that where the front comes down is not in the middle of a window. To use it you need a front leg and a buffer ( not cheap Isabella sell a kit for £90 ) then you measure the height of the van when on the level where the front will fall, and measure the same distance on the tape the feeds into the rail from the end of the awning where you wish it to fall. Then at that point use a sharp Stanley knife and cut the tape just enough to cut the interior piping. Now starting at the back of the van feed the awning through using the cut as your starting point and pull it all the way through till the back just rests off the floor, when you put all the poles in you have a goodly sized porch. My awning length is 940cm and to bring the awning down just behind the front window I use a 750cm awning. It allows all the light from the front windows to come into the van and gives the maximum sized porch that I can have. That would do the trick. But, surely, the best advice is to purchase an awning of the right size any other suggestions would render the awning unsatisfactory and cause more problems than it solves? Alan Isabella will shorten their own awnings by up to 50cm, for a price(about £200). Tim But the OP wants a bigger awning, not a smaller one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Lord Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 (edited) But, surely, the best advice is to purchase an awning of the right size any other suggestions would render the awning unsatisfactory and cause more problems than it solves? Alan But the OP wants a bigger awning, not a smaller one! Not necessarily, the OP said he understood that it would not cover the full side, what I said tells him how to do it. I have a 940 Isabella in my garage which is a full awning for my van, I wanted something smaller that would fit so bought a Minor porch ( after trying various lightweight porches that were neither use nor ornament ), this great in the winter but in the summer I wanted something that did not cover the window but gave me as much space as possible. I then bought an Isabella 750 and cut it to fit as a porch. Now I use nothing else, it is big enough for the two of gives lots of light in the van and is perfect for what we want. Anyone who tries it is likely to find it fulfils the job that he wants to perfection. If I could have used one I would have bought a Major porch but that would have covered the window, however I would have thought that one of those or the Ventura equivalent would be great for the OP. Edited October 7, 2014 by Bill Lord Quote Bill Growing old is compulsory, growing up is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierbite Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Go onto the Isabella site and look at the video for Combi fit awning, that will explain what BILL LORD is telling you to do, it is a feasible option for your awning, just need to do a little measuring as the video will show you Combi kits are available at the £50 mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Lord Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Go onto the Isabella site and look at the video for Combi fit awning, that will explain what BILL LORD is telling you to do, it is a feasible option for your awning, just need to do a little measuring as the video will show you Combi kits are available at the £50 mark Where from? When I wanted one the cheapest was anout £90 so I sorted my own out using a pole from my minor porch and some pipe insulation. Quote Bill Growing old is compulsory, growing up is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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