What are Caravan Anti-Flap Kits?

Picture this; you’re sitting outside and enjoying a cup of coffee beneath the shade of your awning. All of a sudden, a gust of wind blows and the awning starts flapping uncontrollably. Annoyed by the flapping sound, you roll the awning in and proceed to go inside the caravan. No one likes dealing with a flappy awning since it takes away the entire caravanning experience, but thankfully there’s a solution to this problem and it’s called an anti-flap kit.

As the name suggests, an anti-flap kit is a caravan accessory that limits the amount of flapping your awning does when it’s windy outside. It provides excellent awning stability and protects the awning from being torn or ripped. But before you go ahead and buy an awning kit, you need to understand what they’re all about. Let’s take a close look at this caravan accessory and see if it’s a worthy investment for your camping buddy.

Why use anti-flap kits?

An anti-flap kit does more than just stabilise your awnings as they allow for easy installation of your annex walls and privacy screens as well. It’s a versatile piece of equipment that consists primarily of 2 aluminium rafters that run the full depth of your awning when it’s rolled out (from the van to the roller). These bars use a clamping system to hold down the outside edge of your awning and eliminate flapping once and for all.

There’s a reason why experienced caravanners carry an anti-flap kit with them at all times as there are plenty of benefits to using one. These are:

• Prevents water from pooling on your awning

• Inbuilt tracks for installing fly netting, sunscreens, and annex walls

• Protects your awning from rips and tears

• Allows for the use of a roll-out awning in moderately windy conditions

• Creates a wind and waterproof seal between the privacy wall and the edge of the awning fabric

Anti-flap kits allow you to sit comfortably beneath the awning and have other items such as deck chairs, picnic tables, and more without having to worry about them getting damaged. These are available for caravans along with pop-top caravans which means every Aussie traveller can enjoy a flap-free adventure anytime, anywhere.

Choosing the right-sized anti-flap kit

Anti-flap kits come in three different lengths to accommodate a variety of awning sizes. Before you purchase an anti-flap kit, make sure to measure your awning so that it fits the accessory without any issues. As a general rule of thumb, you want to measure twice and cut once. Make sure your awning is rolled out completely and the roller tube is set to the three o'clock position when measuring the required size.

The three main sizes of an anti-flap kit are as follows:

• Short: 2100mm - 2200mm

• Medium: 2200mm - 2300mm

• Long: 2300mm - 2400mm

Installing an anti-flap kit

When installing an anti-flap kit, you’ll need to install a few brackets and drill a few holes to accommodate the anti-flap rafters. It’s a pretty straightforward process, but there are a couple of things you need to keep in mind:

• Setting up the awning correctly before drilling the holes in the roller tube – most people end up with the awning rolled too far out which is something you want to avoid.

• Avoiding the internal mechanisms of the roller bar when drilling. There are important bits in there and most awnings fail because people have damaged them when installing DIY anti-flap kits.

• Getting the appropriate anti-flap kit for the size of your awning. If you’re unsure which size of anti-flap kit to pick up, it’s worth contacting a professional for assistance.

Once you’ve got the ideal anti-flap kit for your awning, it’s time to install the anti-flap rafters themselves. On one end you’ll find a clip where it hooks up to the bracket you installed and the other end is a pin which inserts into the whole you drilled. From there, simply close down the clamping mechanism to hold the awning securely in place.

There’s also an optional curved roof rafter that sits in the middle of your awning to prevent it from sagging and promote water run-off. Curved roof rafters also keep the awning taught for even more stability along with the anti-flap kit itself.

Considering that most annex walls require an anti-flap kit to install,  you won’t have to worry about anything else if you plan on setting up a full-sized annex in the future. If you use cloth-type caravan walls, you’ll find that hanging them from the anti-flap kit looks much neater than hanging them off of the awning rafter.

Where to pick up an anti-flap kit

Not all anti-flap kits are created equal. Some are made out of cheap steel while others are made of high-quality aluminium. If you’re looking for a durable anti-flap kit that’s built to withstand daily usage, then look no further than RV Parts Express. We are Australia’s number one choice when it comes to caravan accessories and our range of anti-flap kits are the ideal partner for a flap-free awning. We have anti-flap kits that come in various sizes which means you’ll be able to find the right anti-flap kit for you.

For more information on all of our RV parts and accessories, feel free to visit our website or contact us for further details.