Vango Varkala Connect 360 - Caravan Air Awning
Whether you use it to accommodate guests, as an extra dining room or somewhere to store your outdoor gear, having an awning up while on adventures is a great way to create extra space - and the Varkala Connect takes space to the next level.
As Vango Ambassadors, we love having the opportunity to try out different equipment and share our thoughts (good and bad) with you, and we couldn’t wait to try out this air awning.
As the name would suggest, the Varkala Connect range has extra spaces that you can “connect” to the main awning in order to create the best set-up to suit your needs, including; an annexe, a porch, an extension room and a sun canopy. These optional extras make the Varkala one of the most versatile awnings available, but we’re not here to talk in detail about those, we’re here to tell you how we got on with the main awning - So let’s start with the basics!
Specifications:
Length: 360cm (also available in 280cm, 420cm and 520cm)
Width: 250cm
Height: Adjustable 236cm-250cm
Weight: 28kg
Pitching Time: Around 20 minutes
What is Included?
Sentinel Pro 420D Fabric Awning with Diamond Clear Windows
Bracer Beams
Double-action Pump
Foam Draught Pads
PVC Draught Skirt & 2 Wheel Arch Covers
Storm Straps
Steel Rock Pegs & Mallet, with Carry Bag
Drawstring Awning Bag
Putting Up a Vango Varkala Connect 360 Caravan Awning
After feeding the awning through the awning rail on your caravan, use the double-action pump to inflate the 3 main air beams. Once it is standing, inflate the 4 internal bracer beams and velcro them inside, on the ceiling between the main beams. If the side walls aren’t already attached, zip them in and fit the foam draught pads snugly where the awning meets your caravan using the supplied poles. Peg out and adjust the straps to suit.
How Did We Get On With The Varkala Connect 360?
Although we have a bit of experience with air awnings, we had used traditional poled ones more in the past, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect. But after having it up for a few days we were really pleasantly surprised by how much we liked it!
Our Positives:
The Space - One of the first things we noticed when using the Varkala Connect was how spacious it felt! It is a fairly large awning to begin with, but the large windows and skylights flood it with light and make it feel even bigger. We were comfortably able to fit my large electric wheelchair, a 4-seater picnic table, Stephen’s chair and my wheelchair ramps, and still had room for more!
The Skylights - Having a big strip of window above allows us to look up at the trees, watch the clouds sail by, enjoy the sunshine and the moonlight without having to have the curtains open, giving us a degree of privacy while still being able to enjoy nature.
The Awning Skirt - We loved that this was attached with velcro as it kept it neat and tidy and stopped the draughts really well.
Foam Draught Excluders - The soft padding created a tight seal whilst protecting the caravan from any accidental scrapes the poles might cause in high winds.
The Curtains - We like that they were already in place and we didn’t have to spend time setting them up. It’s also nice to have the option to have them stowed, pegged back, or closed completely.
The Fabric - It felt strong and durable.
The Steel Pegs and Mallet - We like that it came with a good selection of pegs and that the mallet seems very high quality and heavy-duty.
Tensioning Straps - The main pegging points and storm straps are adjustable, making them really easy to get in just the right position.
Easy Access - The wide and flat-entry doorways are fantastic for wheelchair users, and even just carrying large items in and out (bbq and furniture etc).
Can be used as a Sun Canopy - We don’t think it’s designed for it, but when all of the sides are taken out it makes a wonderful, open, sun canopy!
Our Not-So-Positives:
Heavy For One Person - Handling the awning (feeding it into the awning rail) is doable but difficult for one person when it has the sides in. However, it’s significantly easier to feed it through without the sides, then zip them in later.
The Awning Bag - Considering the high quality of the awning, we were disappointed with the thin fabric of the bag. It was difficult to use when packing away, which wasn’t helped by it having an end opening with a drawstring. We personally prefer bags with zips that run the length of it, as you can open it up and lie the awning straight in. It would also be nice to have shorter/adjustable straps with padding in the centre because we found the straps so long that was difficult to get the weight of it off the ground.
Lack of Fly Screens - It would be nice to have the option to have fly screens, so we could get some air flowing around without inviting flies and wasps in.
Overall Verdict
We absolutely love the Varkala Connect 360 air awning. It creates such a light and airy space where we can enjoy being outdoors without being exposed to the elements (or passersby), and we find ourselves eager to sit in it night and day. There are so many positives to it, and the few negatives we found are not significant enough to put us off - Overall, we think it’s a great addition to any caravan outfit.
Update: The Varkala has been replaced by the Balletto for the 2022 season.
We don’t often use an awning, but the Varkala reminded us how nice it is to have one up!