Kampa Rally Ace 400 Leaking

[outnumbered]

6 months ago i decided to give Kampa another chance to see if there products could win me over with having major issues with there New product when the 520 first came out.

We purchased the Kampa Rally Ace another new product had a few small teething issues with parts missing and wrong coloured curtains we now find that after having it up the first time in the rain it leaks quiet badly in the places where the double seems are. I do understand the concept of the stitching when drying out from wet filling the void but this is a bit extreme.

of all the some 48 years caravaning and having awning after awning with no issues why are there still issues with this type of product.

i have attatched some of many pictures taken of what i call unacceptable.

we have still in the garage the old Blue kampa Rally 390 that was worth every penny we spent on it and it has never leaked or caused any issues that the new products are.

thanks

mike

 

[shipbroker]

Dealer first call. if no joy then Kampa Max. ......simples

 

geoff

[Kampa Max]

Hi Outnumbered,

From where the water is coming in, it looks to me that this is the first time the awning has come into contact with water.

Certain points on our lightweight awnings unfortunately can not have seam tape placed over them due to the materials used. Instead a special threading is used that swells when it first comes into contact with water to fill the holes.

This can unfortunately result in some slight leaking on first use in rain and is detailed in the instructions. Once the threading has swollen, water will not leak through.

Kind Regards
Kampa Max

[outnumbered]

Thats what i said in my opening post that it was the first time wet.

my concern is about the amount of leakage.

please look at these other pictures and confirm if that is normal.

mike

 

[Kampa Max]

Unfortunately, I'm inclined to say yes.

 

Were you out this last weekend? The weather was atrocious for condensation unfortunately. One of my colleagues was camping this last weekend in a tent that has never had any condensation issues before and they experienced some slight condensation as well.

Going back to the weathering. The key areas are the awning beading attachment point and the zip threading as these can not have seam tape placed along them due to the material used. This appears to be the two areas you are highlighting in your photos.

I recommend that you give the awning another shot now that the seams have been weathered.

Kind Regards
Kampa Max

[outnumbered]

Thank you for the clarification.

mike

[Eddiewin88]

Hi Outnumbered,

 

From where the water is coming in, it looks to me that this is the first time the awning has come into contact with water.

 

Certain points on our lightweight awnings unfortunately can not have seam tape placed over them due to the materials used. Instead a special threading is used that swells when it first comes into contact with water to fill the holes.

 

This can unfortunately result in some slight leaking on first use in rain and is detailed in the instructions. Once the threading has swollen, water will not leak through.

 

Kind Regards

Kampa Max

I don't understand the reasoning behind the supposed swelling of 'special threading' to seal leaking seams.

 

This was (is) something peculiar to cotton tents, using cotton thread for stiching panels together. I was a 'given' that such tents had to be 'weathered' before first use, and that part of the weathering processs was the swelling of natural fibres to close the inevitable machine needle holes.

 

It was never something that applied to synthetic materials - which use synthetic thread as part of the production process. It was universally accepted in the industry that the synthetic threads could not swell, as per the cotton variety, and thus it was necessary to seal seams with tape.

 

Hence my puzzlement at your statement - are you saying thtat Kampa are using cotton thread to stitch syntthetic fabric?

[Kampa Max]

We are using cotton thread to stitch non-synthetic material, zip points and awning beading attachment points being the parts referred to.

 

The main material uses synthetic threading where seam tape is used.

Kind Regards
Kampa Max

[Garry BP6]

My 2014 rally 390 pro leaked like this in the same places which I expected it would do with its first outing in the rain, the first week we had out with the 390 the weather was rain and sun for a few days and with this the leaks have now stopped, bank holiday Monday just gone was realy wet and I mean wet and we had no leaks at all. ..

[cammi]

Outnumbered, just seen your pic of what looks like the awing leaking down the side of the caravan from the awning rail. .....I have a 4 year old Kampa awning that does this (looking at replacing it this year) that has always done this too, worse in fact, totally unusable in rain. Have mentioned this problem to the local caravan shop and they had no pearls of wisdom to share, just wondering if you managed to solve the problem?

[outnumbered]

Outnumbered, just seen your pic of what looks like the awing leaking down the side of the caravan from the awning rail. .....I have a 4 year old Kampa awning that does this (looking at replacing it this year) that has always done this too, worse in fact, totally unusable in rain. Have mentioned this problem to the local caravan shop and they had no pearls of wisdom to share, just wondering if you managed to solve the problem?

solved it by not using Kampa products.

from selling that on to purchasing a Quest rollaway and a isabella 420 i havwe had no more leaks . hope that helps.

mike

[cammi]

Ah certainly interesting!! This seems a very bias towards Kampa forum at times, refreshing someone getting rid. Ours is like a waterfall from the awning rail, maybe not a Kampa for my new awning then, its Outdoor Revolution vs kampa vs dorema at the mo

[holmes l3]

Hi just out of interest are the awnings been used on bailey alutech vans as we had the same problem with our kampa rally 260 and 390 leaking on the awning rails . It just poured down the side of the meaning we had to move everything when it rained. Bailey changed the rail but it still leaked.

[outnumbered]

Just the normal awning rail on mine although its a Bailey.

mike

[cammi]

Mines a 99 swift, so being on a modern van can't be kampa's excuse lol

[olblueeyes]

I would say stick with it, we dontvhave the air version but do have the poled one and ours leaked first time it saw rain, we werecaway last weekendcand it emptied down saturday night and on inspection sunday morning it hadnt let a drop past, martin

[cammi]

Mines four years old now its not improved in its four years, don't think it will now lol.

[nigel smith]

we have just had a new outdoor revolution air420 it leaks Dow n the awning rail and it leaks at the front over the middle door but we have only used it once so we will have to see

[GBHostmaster]

Kampa clearly state on their instructions that this problem can occur until weathered, after a couple of soakings mine is now fine as it's fully weathered.

 

Problem solved.

[crazydaisy]

I have all of the problems described by others. My problem is, the awning leaks more now than at any other time. Makes me laugh that Kampa actually have the audacity to charge for Monsson Poles!!! Why not correct the overall design of the roof and avoid 'pooling' and leaks!

[julia0004]

Tried out the new Kampa air 400 awning it's fantastic never want to go back to poles it was just so easy.

[milkymarsh]

We haven't looked back since moving to airframe last year

[GBHostmaster]

Tried out the new Kampa air 400 awning it's fantastic never want to go back to poles it was just so easy.

 

Same here, the Kampa Air Ace 400 is excellent.