Verdict
Porch awnings will fit most caravans and when they cope with the rain as well as the sun that’s a bonus.
The Inaca Jeroboam is a superior-quality porch awning that should last a fair few seasons, even if you change your caravan. With that in mind, the price is not as steep as it may at first seem.
Pros
Pitches perfectly
Pegging inside and out gives stability
Choice of steel or glassfibre poles
Well made
Front high-level mesh ventilation panel
Draught skirts
Panels are interchangeable and removable
Annexes available
Built to last
Cons
A side veranda pole is only a cost option
It’s not cheap
Barcelona may be renowned for the quality of its football, but its awnings are European champions, too. Inaca has been making awnings in this part of Spain since 1974 and, in case you’re wondering, they’ve also proved themselves more than capable of coping with our UK weather conditions.
With the full-awnings sector really only appealing to those who want to leave their caravans permanently pitched, there are plenty of opportunities for caravan porch awnings such as this.
One of the advantages of buying a porch awning like this one include the fact that you will be able to switch it to your next caravan, whatever its size – just one aspect where the Jeroboam’s flexibility really does come into its own.
It’s a great fit here to the Fairway 524 caravan (a special-edition model from Broad Lane Leisure in the Midlands, based on the Swift Challenger 524).
Putting up a porch awning like this is relatively straightforward. Once you’ve sorted the location via your awning rail, it’s a simple matter of putting the frame together from the top down.
When it comes to the awning frame, there’s a choice of materials.
We’ve tested Inaca awnings in the past and the one we tested here has a Campion frame that allows you to choose either glassfibre or, as here, steel poles. You might want the steel frame for sterner weather as well as for the lower price, although glassfibre is lighter and easier to transport.
The Jeroboam with steel poles costs £835 and weighs 48kg, while the Jeroboam with glassfibre poles costs £949 and weighs 36.5kg. You can buy an extra veranda pole if you wish, at £12.50 for the steel pole or £32 for a glassfibre pole.
The main Jeroboam awning fabric is a 220g/m2 PVA polyester for the sides with a heavier-duty 280g/m2 Tencate PVA polyester roof.
The canopy adds a further 30cm to the overall depth, while translucent fixed low-level window panels, at the front, help let in extra light. Mesh on each window, combined with the overhead panel at the front, all makes for good ventilation, too.
Buying this Inaca Jeroboam porch awning gives you plenty of extra space, because its dimensions are 360cm wide and 250cm deep. The fixing height is 235cm-250cm.
Here, the key thing is that all three main panels are interchangeable; for example, the front can switch with either of the sides, for different door locations and window/mesh variations.
The side and front panels are fully removable, and you can also take out the side windows altogether.
Either side will take an annexe, which could be used as an extra bedroom (for example, if the children need their own space or bring friends caravanning) or for general, out-of-sight storage. The Luz Annexe XL costs an extra £389, while the Storage Annexe XL costs an extra £362.
Good-quality materials will make an awning such as this a useful investment. Interchangeable panels that can also be removed make this a highly versatile unit that also looks smart.
At the end of your caravan holiday with the Jeroboam awning, the canvas packs down to fit in a bag measuring 120cm by 38cm by 30cm, while the frame fits into a bag that is 120cm by 15cm by 15cm. Any extra annexes that you’ve bought will be packed separately.
Interchangeable panels that can also be removed make this a highly versatile unit that also looks smart
Technical Specifications
Width | 360 |
Length | 250 |
Manufacture website | http://www.inaca.es |