Isabella Minor

[Mad Meg]

Hi all

 

I've got the full Isabella Moonlight but this summer it was just too much material for us to cope with - put it up in high winds and rain, took it down in blazing sunshine. Hubby is 68, we just couldn't manage it, fantastic awning though it is. We shopped around for a smaller porch and homed in on three, went for the Kampa Pro 260. Seems a good awning but as nothing zips out it was just to cumbersome for us. So Towsure Sheffield, who had been most helpful, took it back.

 

So now got the Isabella Minor. Yep it is pricey, but we are familiar with the fittings and know how it all works.

 

My question is erecting it. It has a central roof pole from van to front of awning, but no central front upright. The instructions for erecting it are woeful - what a shame from such a company - so I am trying to work it out. We are used to getting the front central upright in first, but in the Minor there isn't one, so I have worked out that the veranda poles from the Moonlight can double up as a temporary central upright for the purposes of erecting the Minor, and then in fact can provide a veranda pole as well.

 

Anybody got any better ideas?

 

Meg

[drummond]

Isabella have got the Minor instructions on their site, but I agree that it's not clear how you put it up. I would erect one side first, ie upright and pole, then the front on that side, then the central pole, then the other front, then the other side. I would put the central pole in second because otherwise you're going to have to stretch.

 

Alternatively, the central pole from the Moonlight sounds good!

[Griff]

We have a Magnum at the moment which has the centre vertical and we use that to support the load off the front whilst working through the erection, your verandah pole would seem a good idea.

 

However, prior to two Magnums, Standard and Coal, we had a Minor.

 

We would always erect that with two of us, without a centre support.

 

We always started with one of us lifting the awning front and engaging the two front spreaders into the centre jointing piece then locating the jointing piece into awning material.

 

With the the front supported at a reasonable height by one of us, the centre top pole would be located into the Clip-On against the van and this pole extended to fit into the front centre jointing piece.

 

One of us would then hold the front up to a reasonable height while the other engaged the two front corner jointing pieces to the front spreaders then fitting the legs and once fitted and extended the weight was taken.

 

Once the front legs were engaged, still with the front being supported by one of us for good measure, wind etc, the side top poles would be located into the Clip-Ons then opened out into the front corner jointing pieces.

 

This always worked for us but as said to start with, a centre support of some type would help if the weight of the Minor is too much for one of you to support.

 

Edit: Word added.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Griff

[matelodave]

I've got the Ventura Cadet which is virtually identical to the Minor and had the same problem so we bought a central pole to make life easier. It was only about £10 - £12 for a fibreglass pole - Carbon-X poles are a lot more expensive

[JamesF]

Hi all

 

I've got the full Isabella Moonlight but this summer it was just too much material for us to cope with - put it up in high winds and rain, took it down in blazing sunshine. Hubby is 68, we just couldn't manage it, fantastic awning though it is. We shopped around for a smaller porch and homed in on three, went for the Kampa Pro 260. Seems a good awning but as nothing zips out it was just to cumbersome for us. So Towsure Sheffield, who had been most helpful, took it back.

 

So now got the Isabella Minor. Yep it is pricey, but we are familiar with the fittings and know how it all works.

 

My question is erecting it. It has a central roof pole from van to front of awning, but no central front upright. The instructions for erecting it are woeful - what a shame from such a company - so I am trying to work it out. We are used to getting the front central upright in first, but in the Minor there isn't one, so I have worked out that the veranda poles from the Moonlight can double up as a temporary central upright for the purposes of erecting the Minor, and then in fact can provide a veranda pole as well.

 

Anybody got any better ideas?

 

Meg

 

Hi there

 

I think you've made an excellent choice of awning - my second hand Isabella Minor has been really great and has stood up to force 10 (gusting force 12) gales so no problems there.

 

As to erecting it - there was a great video on the Isabella site but I can't find it now, showed one being put up in the snow!!

 

What I do:

 

First put the cover on the rail

 

Then put the 3 roof struts on the fixings.

Then put the front poles together (2 sides and the two top poles) with the small front poles inserted.

Then stand the front up ( it's quite stable) and pull the cover over it and insert the three small front poles into their holes.

 

The locate the centre pole on the 4 way "fitting".

The awning is now reasonably stable so you can fit the two side roof poles and the two down-rights against the 'van side (with the clever fixings) and tension up and level the awning.

 

I find it useful to secure the 'van side poles first and work outwards.

 

Jim

 

 

BTW I'll have another look for that video!!!

Edited August 31, 2014 by JamesF

[Guilbert501]

We also have the Isabella Minor porch awning. The secret to erecting it with only one pair of hands is to use one of the two upright poles that eventually are used to push the pads tight to the side of your van, as a temporary middle upright pole.

Build up the centre "T" piece, connect to centre roof pole, support with either of the back upright poles. Work outwards to the front uprights, now the temporary pole can be removed and used in its rightfull place.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best regards

[JamesF]

Hi

 

Found this attached instruction pdf for a Minor, slightly older than yours but might help a bit

 

and I also found the Video I was thinking about showing how to put up an Isabella 240 (similar to the Minor) in the snow!!! : :D

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Jim

Minor2001-2004. pdf

Edited September 1, 2014 by JamesF

[mayblossom]

We also have the Isabella Minor porch awning. The secret to erecting it with only one pair of hands is to use one of the two upright poles that eventually are used to push the pads tight to the side of your van, as a temporary middle upright pole.

Build up the centre "T" piece, connect to centre roof pole, support with either of the back upright poles. Work outwards to the front uprights, now the temporary pole can be removed and used in its rightfull place.

Hope this helps.

Best regards

Exactly how we do ours ( well hubby puts it up on his own while I make him a cuppa ) I'd only be in the way