Best Porch Awnings for Caravans

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Porch awnings are popular amongst caravan owners for their versatility, easy installation, and practicality. Full caravan awnings can take up a lot of time to set up and aren’t easy to store away when not in use, which is why most people prefer smaller awnings.

These porch awnings are ideal for enjoying the outdoors in cold or wet weather conditions, shielding a barbecue from the wind, providing an area for shade in the summer, or even just a place to safely leave your muddy shoes to dry.

Porch awnings also add an extra layer of protection for the interior of your caravan against bad weather – so you don’t have to worry about opening the door to allow rain into your caravan.

A porch awning can enhance a caravan experience, so here are the best porch awnings for caravans.

 

 

Our Top Pick

Our top pick is the Sunncamp Swift 390 Air Caravan Awning – a stylish awning that is as easy to install as it is to take it down. All windows come with curtains, the door rolls up with the option to be held by poles, and it features LED light pockets for an optional LED light system. This awning is an all-rounder in the porch awning world!

Best Porch Awnings for Caravans

 

Sunncamp Swift 390 Air Caravan Awning

 

 

 

The Sunncamp Swift 390 awning is everything a caravan owner should want in a porch awning. Sizing at 390 centimetres x 240 centimetres in floor plan and up to 250cm in height, it’s an ideal size for any size of family within the caravan. It weighs roughly 11.5kg and sizes to 79 x 32.5cm when stored away in its pack.

The size of this awning can also fit in another tent, an awning carpet, and an abundance of furniture such as fold-up chairs.

Not all porch awnings feature windows, so it’s a bonus that this product has them. These windows have curtains for added privacy, and the door can be rolled up with the option of holding it up with poles to extend the porch. This allows for a good air flow.

Pros:

• Good size
• Lightweight
• Easy to erect and take down
• Windows with curtains for privacy
• Roll up door for air flow

Cons:

• Instructions are vague – beginners should find a YouTube tutorial to help erect the awning

 

Sunncamp Swift 220 Plus

 

 

This Sunncamp Swift 220 Plus awning stands out on the market as it is a single pole awning.

With a fibreglass roof pole and steel uprights, the assembly for this awning is possibly the most straightforward on our list. With this single pole assembly, it only weighs 6.5kg.

This awning is 220cm wide and projects 225cm from your caravan, making it a decent size for a semi-permanent extension. It is best designed for caravans with a rail height of 235cm – 250cm.

The air flow is great for this awning, with a zipped doorway and two side doors, which is ideal for providing shade and preventing stuffiness in hot weather. This awning comes with bumper pads to improve the seal to the caravan wall.

Pros:

• Lightweight and good size
• Adjustable height
• Great air flow
• Single pole makes it easy to assemble

Cons:

• Single pole means it may not hold up well in extreme winds

 

Quest Leisure Gemini Air 390 Caravan Porch Awning

 

 

If you are looking for a porch awning that is as stylish as it is practical – this is the awning for you.

The Quest Leisure Gemini Air 390 awning features a modern blue and grey colouring with three front panels to customise entrances and exits to the awning.

There is also a side door which provides closer and faster access to the caravan door, so you don’t have to get your muddy shoes all over the porch awning floor.

The size of this awning is 390cm in width and 250cm in depth. The height is adjustable to anywhere between 235 – 250 centimetres, and the awning weighs 13kg.

Whilst this awning is not designed or warranted for extreme weather conditions, it does feature P.U coated panels and a gutter on the external windows to prevent rain from getting inside.

Pros:

• Stylish and customisable doors/windows
• Good size and weight
• Side door for faster access to caravan door
• Great ventilation

Cons:

• Not designed or warranted for bad weather conditions

 

Sunncamp Swift 325 Air Caravan Awning

 

 

Another Sunncamp product, the Swift 325 Air awning is all about an easy assembly.

With inflatable poles, the pitching time is only said to be 8 minutes. If you want the door to be held up, you will need to purchase separate poles.

This awning kit comes with a free pump to inflate the poles, as well as free storm buckles and straps to help with bad weather conditions. It is made of 150D Polyester 5000H fabric to also aid with water protection, which subsequently makes it a durable awning.

This awning sizes at 325cm in width and 240cm in height. The curtains all feature windows for option privacy, as well as zip openings for ventilation.

Pros:

• Inflatable pole
• Very fast assembly
• High quality fabric
• Good against bad weather conditions

Cons:

• Side does not zip out, so it cannot hold a universal annexe

 

Sunncamp Sunshield Universal Canopy Awning

 

 

Whilst this technically isn’t a full porch awning, this sun canopy is a great purchase to make for a caravan owner.

Available in either 240cm, 280cm, or 390cm long, this canopy is great for providing a large amount of shade without the fuss of assembling side panels, windows, or doors. This makes it the best awning for good ventilation on our list!

In terms of assembly, this canopy attaches to the caravan directly as with a regular awning. The maximum height is 2 metres, which is not a problem for the majority of humans.

This canopy/awning is best for the sunniest and warmest of days, where people can use the shade without having to sacrifice the fresh air. Perfect for having a BBQ.

Pros:

• Very easy installation
• Good size availability
• Perfect for warm and sunny weather
• No chance of bad ventilation

Cons:

• Not a full porch awning

 

Buyer’s Guide

Porch Awning Benefits

Caravan porch awnings are designed to work in any weather condition. These semi-permanent extensions are the perfect excuse of going outside to get fresh air without actually going outside.

Picture this – you’ve decided to have a staycation weekend in the countryside, but the glorious British weather is unfortunately wet and miserable.

You’re still adamant to make use of your weekend break and go outdoors, but you don’t want to risk getting your caravan muddy or leaving your shoes to get soaking outside. A porch awning is perfect for this instance, because you can leave all of your wet shoes and clothes in the awning to dry off!

Likewise, in the summer a porch awning can act as a perfect shade from the sun. You can even use a portable caravan air conditioning unit in the awning if it gets too hot if you have an external socket.

It can get quite stuffy, however, so remember to roll up the windows and doors to allow for proper airflow and ventilation. This is great for barbecues, taking a break from the sun’s rays, and providing a sociable area to get to know and befriend other caravan owners.

A porch awning can even provide an extra sleeping space for those who want to camp outside of your caravan, as it acts in a similar way to a tent!

Pitching a Porch Awning and Tips

Different porch awnings will require different pitching methods. Fortunately, most awnings come with instructions and/or YouTube tutorials to teach beginners how to assemble and pitch their awning, as well as how to take it down properly. Over time, you will get the hang of the assembly process.

When taking your porch awning down, try to make sure it is as dry as possible. This is to prevent mould growing.

Also, do you research on whether your camping site allows awnings. Some camping sites charge more for porch awnings as most sites charge by how much land you take up, so look into this prior to booking!

Different Types of Awnings

There are a variety of different caravan awning types, which all provide different practical uses.

Full Caravan Awnings

Full caravan awnings, as the name suggests, are the largest of the awning types as they cover the whole side of a caravan.

They are essentially a large outdoors tent, almost the size of the caravan itself. With this size, they are the most beneficial for large families or gatherings.

Due to their size, they take the longest to construct. This makes them most ideal for caravan owners who are staying in their caravan spot for at least a week, so you don’t have to waste precious time on the assembly.

They can also be heavy and take up a lot of storage space, which is something to consider when planning a caravan trip away.

Porch Awnings

Porch awnings for a caravan are smaller versions of full awnings. This size is most common for caravan owners, as they do not take much time to assemble or disassemble and provide enough space for a variety of usages.

That being said, some porch awnings can be as large as full size caravan awnings.

Due to their quick assembly time, porch awnings are perfect for those wanting a quick weekend getaway (or even longer). They are incredibly useful for providing extra space for the caravan, to store muddy clothes and shoes, and to get shade from the sun.

Canopies

Canopies are the most simple and quick style of awnings. These awnings don’t have sides, walls, windows, or doors – it’s literally just an additional roof. They can be permanently fitted to the caravan, so they just need to be pulled out or pushed in when needed.

The only downside to canopies is that they offer very little protection from bad weather conditions, and do not offer any privacy from the lack of walls.

Air vs Pole

All forms of caravan awnings are supported by the caravan itself and some form of pole. There are several forms of poles for awnings, including steel, fibreglass, aluminium, and air.

Steel poles are the best for long awning usage and especially against bad weather conditions. This type of pole is strong and heavy, which is the most durable type of pole for an awning.

Aluminium and fibreglass are the lightweight versions of steel poles. This is more beneficial for those who will be going to multiple campsites, as they can be easily assembled and stored away.

Air poles are the most modern form of awning pole, and are the most lightweight and efficient. All they require is a pump to inflate them, and they’re up! However, this does mean they are the least effective in bad weather.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size awning do I need for my caravan?

This all depends on your model of caravan. Fortunately, most manufacturers will quote the measurements, so you will know what size is best for you.

You need to consider and measure the height from the ground, and the length of the caravan. The length is most important to consider if you are deciding between a full size or porch awning, as the length is what sets them apart.

When looking for a porch awning, make sure to consider the height as well as the floor space, as getting a porch that makes your tall husband bend his knees whilst standing is not worth the money.

What type of awning should I get for my caravan?

This depends on personal preference and your intentions for using the awning!

If you like to set up camp for 1-2 weeks, a full size awning is better suited for long usage as they take longer to assemble and dismantle. They are also better for bad weather.

Canopies are best suited for short and sunny trips away as they are so easy to erect, and porch awnings are a popular choice for any type of trip. It all depends on how much space you want to use, and how long you intend to use it for.

Are caravan porch awnings waterproof?

Porch awnings are designed to be waterproof, but that doesn’t mean that water won’t get through. Naturally, over time your awning will wear and tear, so some leakages may be inevitable.

Fortunately, leaking can be solved as easily as putting duct tape over the breaks in the material! Reproofing agents are also great for awnings that have experienced rain many times in the past, as the fibres will begin to dry out from soaking up the water.

You will also need to spread out your awning so no water will pool in sagging areas, and make sure that the awning is completely dry before you store it away.