DIY Awning

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BradKW

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I came across this homemade awning...it actually has some benefits over your standard flavors as it wraps around the rear too. The guy who made it says that if he were to do it again, he'd use 2" pipe for hinge and 1" for the spars, that he'd basically over-engineered it.

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I remember that van build. He also built a really nice 6x12 trailer before that - I think that build is posted over on TNTT. He likes to build things - if you notice the van has a do it yourself metal raised roof. For those with less skills, or more importantly less tools and shop, a Fox Wing awning does basically the same thing, can be mounted to a standard rack, and is much lighter.
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...o=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3ijzsv1ads_e_p11
 
Yeah, I followed his build of that home-built raised-roof van, over on the ADV motorcycle forum.

This guy DOES build alotta really nice things, and since he completed this van, he's sold it and is back to building yet another cargo trailer toy-hauler for himself. (he races dirt-bikes)

He typically uses it for a year or two after completion, and sells it, only to start his next build/project. He does really nice work!
 
Is that plastic pipe? Conduit? Where do I get those fittings?
Where, and how is it attached to the van?
Is the awning itself manufactured or home made?
 
that is round steel tubing. this is a type of "bat wing" awning, they are available premade by several companies. just search Bat Wing awning. highdesertranger
 
Where would I get one, what kind of person would I need to add it to my van? Does it attach to a roof rack? I don't have a roof rack.
 
the one shown here does not have a roof rack. the "hinge" is mounted to the metal of the van. there would be any number of ways to mount such a thing.
 
I just Googled Bat wing awning and found the "birds eye" view of it.

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I can imagine an additional panel that would be attached to the 240cm side as a right triangle.
Then the awning would run the whole length of the left side of the Van as seen from the air.   It would require another
tent pole but it may be nice to have just the same. 

I do like the idea of a wrap around awning,  as you can move around the Van during the day
as the Sun passes over.   Thus you can always find some shade.

I like this idea very much, and can imagine it easily attached to a pair of ladder racks as an add on.
When folded up the awning could then be stowed in a heavy canvas bag and the front left post
of the ladder rack could have a bracket that would hold the 4 horizontal poles of the "Bat wing"
fast and safe while the Van is traveling.

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The racks could also carry plastic pipe set up as a water tanks,  solar panels, and so forth.

I've long considered 2 or more ladder racks on the roof of a Van for such functions as awnings,
water tanks, luggage-cargo, and just freeing up room inside the Van where possible.  My first Van's
were not high tops so roof racks just seemed an obvious solution.
 
Brad that link/thread was a great find. They did a nice job on creating a DIY of the batwing (and similar as mentioned by others). One thing I have read over at the Expedition Portal forum (and why we went the way we did) is that as amazing as those awnings (including standard designs similar to Fiamma) is they are not to happy when the wind picks up over say ~20mph~ ...which is why we switched from Fancy-Fiamma to simple-tarp (info link for any interested in the details). This one is of our "Cool Tarp"...

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and here is another with one of our (now four) Noah tarps... this one is the Noah Kelty 9 - nine feet on a side. . . great for quick meals under shade
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: ) Thom
 
I agree with accrete. I would like to add, if you have a rack an awning is easy. highdesertranger
 
here is mine,

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another hint use bungees to hang your tarp.  this will keep it tight and allow the tarp to give in the wind.  the heavier the tarp the stronger the bungees.  highdesertranger
 

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highdesertranger said:
...another hint use bungees to hang your tarp...

Yuppers! And for any who have way to much time on your hands around camp and are bored and want to take the bungee+DIY to the next level ; ) my wife and I made a bunch of the shock cord/bungee thingies shown in the YT video linked below. We have them on all our lines. We didn't have to go this route as simple bungees certainly do the trick as highdesertranger stated, but well, we doodle with _projects_ around camp to pass the time just for fun, like making walking staffs then paracord wrapping them and other totally silly projects. This life is supposed to be fun right? 

Anywhooo.... here is the YT video that got us rolling on our fancy (totally unnecessary, regular bungees do the same thing) DIY tarp tensioners (we also have two very nice Warebonnet Silnylon SuperFly tarps we use over our hammocks which started the project/research)...
 
I like the idea, where possible, of a BIG tarp covering the top of the vehicle, too
I used to use one of those big 'bistro' umbrella when working on my car outside, that Texas sun can be feirce
 
ArtW said:
I like the idea, where possible, of a BIG tarp covering the top of the vehicle, too...

Agreed. IF we had been in the sun during the outing I took the below pictures I would have pulled the tarp over the roof more (this is our 18'x20' "Cool Tarp"). The MaxxFan housing in the open mode might have had some strain on it though?? I'll have to try that sometime.
We only use the cool tarp when it is going to be temps in the 80's or above as you really get cool under there in anything below ~78 to 80 degrees. . . crazy as that sounds the tarp does just what the name implies.

 
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I used to camp for weeks at a time, unmoving, overlooking the Pacific in Baja atop a Bluff, where afternoon winds would exceed 35mph often swirling from all points of the compass, and most tarp shelters would get shredded if not secured properly.

I found that pulling it tight as a guitar string so it could develop no momentum worked best, and be quietest. I get annoyed by the ruffling plastic sound of a loose tarp.

As far as attaching it to the van i used to use C clamps in the roof gutter along with some Pad eyes on the fiberglass, but this method damaged paint and led to rust and with only 5 attachment points, the tarp would stretch and get weak over time.

Later on I installed awning track onto my fiberglass roof for its full ~12 foot length, and this allowed me to pull any tarp much tighter and reduce flapping in 35mph winds. Also no rain was able to get inside, in between van and tarp, and no wind could get between and force it to pull out the grommets.

There is no one right way to do it, just relating my experiences when very high winds were expected and shelter failure was unacceptable.

http://www.sailrite.com/Awning-Track-Flanged-White-48

I also have 24 feet of the special flanged rope which slides easily into the track, 12 feet unused ready for some nice canvas.

I have wrapped a tarp around some plastic airhose and dlis it into the track. Keeping the inside of the track waxed with car wax allows it to slide in easily.

But I quit going to Baja due to bad experiences with Methheads and now rarely use the awning track and never set up the best shelter it would allow me to set up.
 
I've been pondering ways to stay cooler in summer.  This season has been HOT.  
I see a million different examples of DIY awnings.  I've configured a few myself. 
What I'm curious about is a system that would cover the ENTIRE van, as well as provide side awnings. All with one tarp. Or two.  
Has anyone come up with any DIY riggings for such a thing? 
I'd like to 'tent' the entire van from partition on back to about 10 ft. past the rear bumper. I move around a lot,  so it would have to be something that collapses and comes apart for storage.
 
It would be neat to get one of those tarp rigs the dump trucks use and push a button and the whole arms come up and over your van. I saw something like that on line for some RVs in the UK some years ago


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this tarp is 23ft x 17ft it has heavy bungees and ratchet straps pulling it super taut but still has enough give so high winds don't tear it up.  the tarp is PVC coated canvas like what they make inflatable boats out of. the stuff is 100% waterproof and super tough.  plus I have military aluminum tent poles to mount the sides.  this pic was from Q last year took everything Mother Nature threw at it and kept me dry.

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I have used this system though out the west just as long as snow wasn't in the forecast.  highdesertranger
 

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highdesertranger said:
this tarp is 23ft x 17ft it has heavy bungees and ratchet straps pulling it super taut but still has enough give so high winds don't tear it up.  the tarp is PVC coated canvas like what they make inflatable boats out of.  the stuff is 100% waterproof and super tough.  plus I have military aluminum tent poles to mount the sides.  this pic was from Q last year took everything Mother Nature threw at it and kept me dry.



I have used this system though out the west just as long as snow wasn't in the forecast.  highdesertranger

What does it weigh and how big a bundle is it when it's packed??

Me, I'd be looking at silnylon and amsteel if I wanted a DIY awning. Oh, and extendible poles!!
 

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