An awning attached to the side of your caravan can be needed when you're on holiday, as the material provides shade as well as protection from wind, a light rain, and even humidity. A caravan awning with walls can also provide privacy and sound insulation, all of which make your camping trip much more comfortable overall. While most awnings are very durable, and you shouldn't expect to face any problems with their use or operation for years, note a few issues you might have with your caravan awning and how to address these problems.

Leaks

As a caravan awning gets older, it will eventually suffer rips and tears, simply due to the material being stretched into place and exposed to bright sunlight or brittle cold. However, an awning might also develop leaks due to exposure to saltwater, or chemicals in insect repellents. Extreme heat, such as from cooking on a grill under the awning, can also weaken the material and cause leaks. Use a patching compound made for your caravan awning material in particular, and avoid spraying insect repellents under the awning; use a fan by the grill to direct heat away from its fabric as well.

Watermarks

You may wonder why a caravan awning would show watermarks or stains when it's supposed to protect you from rain, but note that you need to allow your awning to dry completely before packing it away. If it's still damp when you roll it up, that water won't be able to dry, and it may then cause stains. Be sure you allow the awning to dry completely before rolling it up; if you must store it while it's still wet, unroll it and hang it out to dry as quickly as possible, even giving it a good cleaning with detergent meant for that material in particular, so those watermarks and stains won't show.

The sides droop or middle sags

If the caravan awning droops or sags, this often means you have an awning that is too large for your caravan in particular, or it was not installed properly, so that the fabric has no tension. It may also be that water or snow sat and pooled on the top of the awning, so that the fabric then stretched out due to this excess weight. An awning repair person may be able to re-stretch and then trim the material of the awning so that it hangs properly and doesn't sag or droop, and so that it fits your size of caravan.

For more information on caravan awnings and caravan awning spares, contact a local professional.