Are Isabella Awnings Worth the Money?
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Vehicle-based camping can be a pleasurable recreational activity. However, adding an awning to the mix is a great way to upgrade your camper or caravan experience. Isabella awnings are a favorite choice for many, but are they really worth the money?
Isabella awnings are worth the money because they are convenient, highly functional, and made with quality materials. However, some people complain about leaks, defective manufacturing, and inadequate and often confrontational customer service.
The rest of this article will explain everything you need to know about the pros and cons of Isabella awnings, so you can make an informed decision about whether or not an Isabella awning is right for you.
Pros of an Isabella Awning
Isabella awnings are favored for their list of pros. While they do have their cons, the benefits of these particular awnings ultimately outweigh the downsides.
Here are some of the pros that come with an Isabella awning:
- They’re easy to set up, and you can buy Isabella-made tools for assembly
- They’re great at providing protection from the sun
- They’re made with quality materials
- Isabella sells tools designed specifically for assembly
- Isabella has decades of experience
- There’s a wide variety of models and sizes to choose from
- The color won’t fade due to sun exposure
- Spare parts are available for purchase
- You can upgrade your awning with additional extras
Let’s look at each of these pros in more detail.
Easy To Set Up
Despite the functional complexities of some higher-end models, Isabella awnings are actually pretty easy to set up. Each awning comes with clear and specific instructions to help you correctly assemble your awning.
In addition to this, Isabella also sells their own line of assembly tools specifically designed to make installation run as smoothly as possible.
Protection From the Sun
One of the main reasons why people tend to purchase an awning (besides protection from the rain) is protection from the sun.
Fortunately, Isabella awnings are excellent at doing just that. They offer a wide selection of awning variations like sun canopies, which can keep you and your camper cool during the summer months by providing you with shade and shelter.
This is great because RVs and other mobile living spaces often get really hot during the summer. An Isabella awning provides you with both an extra outdoor space and shade to ensure that you stay cool when your camper gets too hot.
High-Quality Materials
Isabella is proud of the fact that they use the highest-quality materials to create exceptional products.
Some of the materials they use include isacryl, PVC, polyester, UV-proof foil. They also coat their materials with acrylic treatment to ensure their products are weatherproof and durable.
Decades of Experience
One of the best benefits that Isabella awnings provide is their legacy and experience in the industry.
Isabella has been manufacturing and selling high-quality camping equipment since 1957. This means that they have over 60 years of experience in their craft, so you can trust that they genuinely know what they are doing. They have an extensive background in the world of awnings and other camping accessories, so you can rest knowing that you’re in good hands.
Wide Variety of Models and Sizes To Choose From
In addition to being high-quality awnings, another thing that makes Isabella so great is the variety of models and sizes you can choose from.
Isabella awnings range from basic models that provide a shaded area next to your camper to fully-enclosed models that offer maximum shade and protection from the elements. Some models also cover the entire length of the camper, while others might only cover a small portion along the side.
Some of their largest models stretch up to 11 ft (3.6 m) from the base of the camper, motorhome, or caravan. They advertise some of their larger awnings as “porch” awnings, as they mimic the size and function of an enclosed porch at home.
When you purchase camping equipment through Isabella, you can choose from a broad selection of different products to find an item that best fits your personal situation.
Color Won’t Fade From Sun Exposure
When anything is exposed to the sun for long periods of time, fading is common and often unavoidable. However, this isn’t the case with Isabella awnings.
Isabella coats their awnings with an acrylic material that protects your awning from the sun and prevents it from fading. This is an excellent feature because it will keep your awning looking brand new for years to come.
Spare Parts Available for Purchase
Another cool feature about Isabella awnings is that you can purchase additional parts and accessories as needed.
This is super convenient because we’re all human, and part of being human means being prone to making a mistake every now and then. Losing things is often just a part of life. Luckily for you, losing an essential piece to your Isabella awning doesn’t mean that you have to purchase an entirely new unit.
Upgrade Your Awning With Extras
Another great benefit of an Isabella brand awning is that you can purchase extras to boost your awning’s functionality.
Some of these awning extras include partitions, curtains, skirts and wheel arch covers, and more. These extras can add additional convenience to your vehicle-based camping experience/
Cons of an Isabella Awning
While Isabella awnings have a lot of really cool features and benefits, they also have quite a few cons you might want to consider before making an investment.
Here are some of the cons of an Isabella awning:
- Isabella awnings are expensive
- Water leakage and faulty waterproof systems
- Customers have reported manufacturing errors
- Customer service complaints are common
Expensive Pricing
While some people are willing to pay lots of money to invest in an Isabella awning, not everyone has the desire or the funds to do so.
Isabella’s pricing is one of the most commonly debated subjects when discussing their pros and cons. While Isabella awnings are considered high-end, the price alone is enough to send people looking elsewhere for other awning options.
They do have a pretty broad range of models, so pricing varies for each one. But the cost of an Isabella is ultimately high no matter which specific model you decide to go with.
If you’re a person who uses an awning often, it might be a good idea to invest in an Isabella awning despite the high cost because you’ll get a high-quality product that’s designed to last. However, if you plan on using an awning sparingly, the cost of making a purchase through Isabella might not be worth it.
Water Leakage
Water leakage seems to be another common problem with Isabella awnings.
As I discussed earlier, Isabella offers a wide variety of awning models that come in a broad range of shapes, colors, styles, sizes, costs, and functions. Some of these models are sold as waterproof, but many negative customer reviews claim they had water leakage problems.
This can be a significant issue if you plan on using an Isabella awning specifically for shelter from the elements. You should also keep this con in consideration if you’ll be using your awning in an area where the climate is rainy year-round. If this is the case, an Isabella might not be the best route for you.
Defective Manufacturing
Manufacturing errors are another common customer complaint that you should keep in mind.
When setting up your Isabella awning, you must follow proper assembly instructions and use the right tools. However, incorrect assembly isn’t always the root cause behind defective awning parts. Manufacturing errors are not uncommon, and customers have reported such faults after purchasing an Isabella awning.
Customer Service Complaints
Unfortunately, one of the downsides to investing in an Isabella awning includes the risk of encountering poor customer service if the need arises.
Some of the most common complaints about Isabella’s awnings revolve around customer service. Sadly, some Isabella customers have left poor reviews about confrontational customer service representatives who often acted rude, unprofessional, or just simply weren’t able to provide helpful or constructive assistance.
Customer service is essential for investments like Isabella awnings because they’re such expensive products. This means that any issues that arise are likely to be of high value to you, so it might be frustrating if you can’t get adequate customer service.