With prices starting at around £400, Outdoor Revolution’s New England full awning can be described as ‘cheap and cheerful’.

It is certainly cheap. As for being cheerful, however… Well, it is the only awning with large areas of black we’ve ever reviewed, so ‘cheerful’ is not the word to describe it. It could be very hot inside the New England in summer, although, in fairness, it will be in any full awning that sits in the sun. However, the New England has full ventilation/insect screens in both side panels and the front panels.

The material comes in five pieces – the roof plus two side and two front panels. Ground-to-ground sizes start at 800cm and rise to 1125cm, while the depth is 250cm.

The one-piece roof means that there is no chance of rain getting in through any seams. The side panels are interchangeable and each can be replaced by an annexe. The zip-out front panels are not interchangeable because their top edges follow the pitch of the roof. They can be let down partially when used with an optional veranda pole.

The material is 220gm acrylic-coated polyester and is double thickness in the corners and centre of the roof to resist wear caused by pole movement. The pegging elastics are top quality, being both extremely strong and easily replaceable should it become necessary. A ladder pegging rubber has been stitched in each corner through which a spike on the end of the vertical pole is pushed ensuring that the canvas is pulled tight against the pole when the awning is fully tensioned. Unlike much of the competition, the New England comes with tie-down straps.

Two frames are available – steel and the one used in this review, Carbon-lite, which is similar to Isabella’s CarbonX. Unlike its premium-priced rival, Outdoor Revolution’s frame has old-fashioned, inconvenient wing nut locking. It recovers ground, though, with fix-on bracket pads, which are clipped onto the bead in the roof and locked in position rather than being slid on from the end.

The New England is available in anthracite/mercury – the one we tested – and blue graphite/sand. We haven’t seen the latter, but it’s likely to be a little lighter in colour than the one pictured here.

Verdict

With prices starting around £400, you can call the New England an ‘entry-level’ product, but it has plenty more to commend it than others in its class. It will interest anyone who uses a full awning occasionally.

Price From £411
Tel 01924 410 050
Web www.outdoor-revolution.com

Reviewed in the February 2012 issue of Practical Caravan