NR Pullman

NR COMPONENTS (Todmorden) Ltd is about the only surviving major manufacturer of caravan awnings which can claim to be truly British – and importantly – still manufacturing in the UK rather than abroad. The company has been in existence for 40 years and sells both direct to the public as well as through a dealer network.

The awning we chose is NR’s most popular full awning, the Pullman. It’s a five-piece awning and is available in three colour combinations: blue/grey; charcoal/grey; and burgundy/grey. Ground-to-ground dimensions range from 686cm to 1185cm.

The PVA-coated roof is made from a single piece of material, eliminating the risk of leaks occurring at the seams. The side and front panels are acrylic-coated polyester, the side ones being interchangeable while the two front panels are not as they are cut to follow the pitch of the roof.

Although there is a zipped ventilation/insect screen above the windows at the front of the awning, we were slightly disappointed that neither of the side panels had one, although a side panel with one is available as available as a £49 option.

Two frames are available, steel and fibreglass. However, the fibreglass option is not available above 1080cm. Both frames feature wing nut locking of the poles which, as we have said elsewhere over the years, we consider to be very old fashioned. Additionally, the centre vertical pole needs some form of retainer – perhaps a press button – to prevent the upper bracket from lifting off the pole if the wind gets under the roof when erecting the awning.

On a positive note, the standard bracket pads clip rather than slide onto the beading stitched into the roof panel. This makes life much easier when fitting, removing, and adjusting the positions of the pads. Similarly, the pegging elastics are without doubt the strongest and easiest to fit and remove of any on the market.

The optional extras include a storm strap kit – the anchor points are already stitched to the roof panel, an annex, and a verandah bar. Importantly too, the awning has a five-year non-transferable guarantee covering any defect in materials.