‘This is an unpaid review of the OLPRO View 420 Caravan Inflatable Porch Awning. Disclosure: I received an OLPRO View 420 Caravan Inflatable Porch Awning, as part of my ambassadorship with OLPRO.
With half term on the horizon, we’re dreaming about going away in Dolly The Caravan again. I can’t believe we’ve only been away once this year. I’ve definitely got withdrawal symptoms!
We were planning to go away with the same family we camped with during the summer, but the ‘Covid-Carousel’ seems to be spinning out of control and the new laws — groups of 6 or less — have scuppered our plans.
It’s the first time since lockdown began, that I’ve felt really frustrated.
Almost as soon as soon as we start to move forward, the rules change and we’re back to square one.
But anyway.
Thankfully, some other friends have just bought a caravan and as their children are grown up and won’t be camping with them, a half term camping excursion may still be on the cards! Fingers crossed.
In the meantime, I thought I’d introduce you to my new favourite caravan accessory; the OLPRO View 420 Caravan Inflatable Porch Awning.
Quick View of What You'll Find on This Page
What’s the OLPRO View 420 Caravan Awning?
The OLPRO View 420 Caravan Awning is one of the new breed of inflatable awnings.
It’s brilliant for doubling your caravan’s living accommodation. Particularly as — as well as the main body of the awning — it comes complete with a handy porch extension; perfect for boots, bikes and all of the other ‘outdoor’ things that you might not want cluttering up your main living space.
It’s one of the largest awnings we’ve come across, yet it stores away really neatly and is quick and easy to assemble.
When you look at it, in its deflated form, packed into a small bag — measuring just 57cm x 38cm x 38cm — it’s hard to believe how large it is when it’s pitched.
What’s In The Bag
So what does the OLPRO View 420 Caravan Inflatable Porch Awning come with?
This is what you get in the bag.
- Awning — includes reinforced TPU inflatable beams
- Additional Porch
- Manual pump
- Pegs and ties
- Black and white chevron curtains
- Storage bags
The View 420 comes complete with everything you need, apart from a ground-covering.
I won’t mind saying that we were initially cynical about the footpump that was included. I really thought that we might need an electric pump to blow up the inflatable beams; but the manual pump worked a treat.
This is a brilliant thing for wild camping and festivals. Knowing that you’re able to easily put the awning up, with no need for electric hook-up, is really comforting!
How Long Does It Take To Inflate the OLPRO View 420 Caravan Inflatable Porch Awning?
The OLPRO website says ten but it took us around twenty minutes.
That said, it was super easy to erect. The hardest thing (ie not very hard at all!) was threading the awning into the awning rail of the van.
The rest was a piece of cake.
We need to perfect our demolition method though! We had so much stuff to put away before we collapsed the awning. Our pack up routine seemed to take forever!!
Deflating the actual awning was very quick, mind you. And — even though we were skeptical that we’d be able to get it back in it’s little bag — we managed to pack it all away with very little stress.
The Luxury of Space
We found the extra room that the OLPRO View 420 gave us was absolutely invaluable. You can see from these pictures — it has more than doubled the living space of Dolly 3.
We used the awning for living space and tended to just use Dolly for sleeping.
Please excuse the mess in the below picture but this gives a glimpse of life with the View 420.
While we were away, we actually bought a camping organiser unit; which tidied the space up considerably.
As well as tidying up the space, having ‘furniture’ inside the awning really gave it the feeling of being a proper ‘room’.
The lovely curtains also made it really homely. And were a great way of detracting from the chaos inside!
I loved how smart the the OLPRO View 420 looked in comparison to some of the other awnings on the campsite.
It’s modern styling and huge, panoramic windows are a real head-turner. In fact, I had a chat with our neighbour on the campsite, who admitted he’d been coveting it and had decided to get one for himself!
Would We Recommend It?
In a word — YES!
We are so impressed with the quality of the OLPRO View 420. It feels really sturdy when it’s inflated. The inflatable beams feel so solid; they really held up against the wind.
The size of the 420 is a pleasant surprise too; it feels a lot roomier than a lot of caravan awnings we’ve come across. The added bonus of the detachable porch makes the OLPRO View 420 caravan awning incredibly good value too.
For the quality, size and added extras, you get an awful lot for your money; and its modern good looks and lovely design features make this caravan awning one of the best on the market, for the price.
We love it. (And can’t wait for the next time we can make use of it!).
Roll on half term!
Although I was gifted this awning for the purposes of styling this post, all thoughts, words and images — as ever — are entirely my own.
Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
We bought one second hand and the 2 main beams where short somehow . We had to buy 2 extra ones so we still haven’t tried ours yet unfortunately. We can’t wait after reading the reviews
Ours has been absolutely brilliant! Even in high winds. I’m so pleased with it :)