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BUILD GUIDE

An Asian-made porch made of taut, quality fabric that looks smart – and proved simple to build because the complete frame is assembled fi rst

irst impressions count, and we were surrounded by numbered poles, corresponding to a clear diagram, and corner pieces which were easy

to identify. Building the New York porch was going to be easy, we decided within minutes of setting out the frame on the ground. That impression proved to be correct – but we were in for a surprise. For this porch is assembled in a different way to any other awning.

The complete frame is assembled first, on the ground, then the fabric glides smoothly into the rail of our Bailey Unicorn Barcelona. The material is tough, yet the porch is easy to handle because it’s not large. Our test example was the steel frame version; a lighter weight carbon frame brings the cost of the porch to £429.

Instead of building pole-by-pole, you insert the entire front section of the frame into apertures in the fabric, at each front corner.

Next step is to anchor the two forward vertical poles to the fabric, by means of attaching the bases to the rubber ladders that are stitched to each corner of the porch. We’d only been building for a few minutes and already the porch was half constructed. Even at this stage, before peg-down time, the porch feels reassuringly solid, because the frame is attached to the fabric.

Roof-time, now: We fix the securing brackets for the rafters to the fabric. There are three

sections of beading running along the awning rail line – one for each rafter. The brackets attach by clipping onto the beading; you then tighten them by turning a plastic button.

The roof rafter poles are hooked into the brackets in the next stage of our build; as soon as we’ve done this the New York becomes rigid and the build process gets even easier.

Rear vertical sections are next; they’re attached to roof poles by U-shaped clamps. A series of plastic U-shaped clips hold the back poles to the porch’s fabric.

Tensioning is under way now and we’re finding the large grey tough plastic clamps that secure the tension easy to operate,

We’re zipping the sides and front in now; the front section has a spiral zip and the sides have zips of a different type, with straight teeth.

Curtains are sewn into the fabric. One of the side curtains rolls away to expose mesh ventilation. Opening the curtains involves rolling them vertically, carefully, to ensure they end up tidy. You then secure them with loops and toggles. The curtain fabric is amazingly easy to handle. It’s a robust but thin polyester that looks taut when in place and is easy to roll.

Storm strap buckles are attached to the fabric at each corner. Pegging points are elasticated toggles that go through metal rings attached to webbing loops sewn into the porch fabric. They’re uncomplicated and quick to secure.

Outdoor Revolution New York

WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY Val Chapman

F

Price: £359Depth: 2.4mWidth: 3mFabric: PolyesterFrame: Steel or carbonSize: fits any caravan

Contact: Outdoor RevolutionTel: 01924 410050Web: www.outdoor-revolution.com

Specifi cation

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Frames don’t get much simpler to build than this!

Up and ready for pegging

Tester draws the fabric along the rail until it’s in the right position to fit around the windows of the Unicorn Barcelona

With the front frame in place we raise the porch until the roof is taut; it’s easy and quick

Last task – clip on and anchor the storm straps at each front corner

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AWNING TEST EASY-TO-BUILD PORCH

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Outdoor Revolution New York

Our verdictThe New York’s build was swift and straightforward. We liked the method of securing the frame to the fabric early in the construction process by putting the front legs into the rubber ladder points; this made the structure instantly rigid.

This porch, like many of its competitors, is made in Asia and is one of a new breed of higher quality products to come from this far-flung hive of awning manufacture.

Built-in storm

straps

Easy clamps for

tensioningEasy clamps for

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Fabric flaps protect

against chafingFabric flaps protect Î

Ladder-style pegging pointspegging points

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Y-shaped clamps

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AWNING TEST EASY-TO-BUILD PORCH

£359

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