diy rain gutter clamps for awning, anyone?

[iloozyun]

i didn't know where to post this question, but it is actually heat/cool related...   i have a mid-high top van, you know the kind i mean, right?  no roof racks on it (took off the cheesy little ones that came on it), and i don't want any.  what i would like to do is basically use the van's rain gutter to clamp light-weight shade fabric on.  i want to run a maybe 9 foot flex shock cord pole (from an old tent) through a pocket sewn into shade cloth on one side, and then, bending the shock cord pole into a mild arch, stub each end of the shock pole into the gutter on the barn door side of the van.  doing this gives me clearance over the barn doors.  i would put a grommet at the top/center of the fabric where it goes through the shock pole, and run a strap through it and over the van, attach that to the opposite rain gutter to give the arch a sort of vertical stability, and then set the shade fabric up on poles at the corners as per usual.  

my problem is finding/making a simple, effective clamp/stop to stub each end of the shock pole into the rain gutter.  i have used small c-clamps, which are going toward the right idea because they grip the rain gutter well, but because the c-clamps are open in the center, the shock pole tends to slip through.  i put a small piece of wood to block the center open space of the c-clamp, and the whole design actually works, but this is not an elegant, easy-to-do, final solution.  i've searched high and low for ideas, but am only finding very pricey roof racks and risers and such.  i just need a small secure rain gutter clamp idea that i can fabricate if need be (without welding, cuz i can't weld).


if none of this makes sense, don't worry- i can't understand me either most of the time. 

 

[dr_nelson]

I think I know what you mean...  

I would take these rain gutter mounts for roof racks and then customize them to hold the awning, by cutting them and adding holes and bolts (I don't have a welder and I don't know how to weld).
[img=476x476]https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91UySrKjn5L._SL1500_.jpg[/img]
Found them on amazon. There might be less expensive gutter mounts available... or even better diy solutions.
I have not tried them and I don't know how well they would hold without a crossbar.
Just throwing an idea out there.

 

[bullfrog]

Take a look at old air cooled VW roof racks. You could probably make something out of hard wood with eye screws and a small bolt with a wing nut to clamp them to the rain gutter when in use. I just drill a hole in the rain gutter and install a small eye bolt, after painting the hole and embedding the bolt in sealant or JB Weld epoxy

 

[highdesertranger]

as I see it, the problem with mounting to the rain gutter is any movement in the mount is going to destroy the gutter. with a rack all the gutter mounts are tied together allowing for very little movement. highdesertranger

 

[MrNoodly]

I've been using these for four years with several types of tarps and shade materials. They work great. Get 'em at hardware stores.

 

[MrNoodly]

as I see it,  the problem with mounting to the rain gutter is any movement in the mount is going to destroy the gutter.

That hasn't been my experience at all. The spring clamps I use are strong enough to hold a tarp in big winds but the jaws give with movement while still holding the tarp in place.

 

[TMG51]

These are available in plumbing sections of hardware stores. It's a clamp hanger (bolt and nut to lock) with a separate threaded hole. Usually this would be used with threaded rod to hang pipes in industrial settings, but, it's an option for a gutter clamp with minimal modification if you're looking to fabricate something without access to a welder etc.

You'd probably have to grind down the face of it to get it to sit into the gutter.

 

[bonvanroulez]

Take a look at this awning from busdepot.com. The awning is designed to clamp into the gutter of a VW bus.
http://www.busdepot.com/details/awning/
The awning is held in the gutter with these simple clamps:
https://www.busdepot.com/j12003

 

[Florida boondocker]

i just used a window lock from a big box store and replaced the turn screw with a eyehook

 

[SternWake]

The roof gutters are so prone to rusting, I would recommend people use sme plastidip or otherwise protect the paint, somehow. Also try not to affect the flow of water too much around whatever clamping method is used

I used to use the Small C clamp in the gutters before i installed awning track above the gutter on my fiberglass roof.

https://www.google.com/search?q=sma...i1QKHcc8A1sQsAQInAE&biw=1138&bih=581&dpr=1.13


The spring clamps would never have held the tarp in the rather extreme winds I would get camping over ocean in Baja. These also quickly eat through their rubber footing and will chew up the paint. I use them elsewhere though in mass quantity.

 

[iloozyun]

These are available in plumbing sections of hardware stores. It's a clamp hanger (bolt and nut to lock) with a separate threaded hole. Usually this would be used with threaded rod to hang pipes in industrial settings, but, it's an option for a gutter clamp with minimal modification

hey, thanks, that is something i never heard of or saw before, and it looks promising...  thinking outside the box, gotta love it!

 

[abnorm]

Iloozyun asks about mounting a specific POLE to the rain gutter to gain height above the doors.......most of these responses address a flat sheet awning attachment

I think what you're looking for is a "socket".........a hole to insert the spring pole into that supports the attached awning

Would you consider blocks attached to the exterior of the van or topper with a drilled hole(s) to accept the spring pole ?

I'm thinking Two blocks of cellular PVC (like AZEK trim board) about 1" thick approximately 2" x 3".............glued and screwed to the surface of the van with a 1/2" hole about 2" deep...... drilled nearly vertical to accept the pole..........(maybe add a smaller thru-hole to drain any potentially trapped rainwater) 

I'm using AZEK on my roof as "feet" to support mounting rails for solar panels..........it's a white durable exterior trim product that can remain unpainted.......it's easily shaped with standard woodworking tools.....in my case I need to bevel the support feet about 5 degrees to account for the curvature of the roof so the rails sit level across the van's roof.......the AZEK is an easy bevel-cut on the tablesaw

If you're (or anyone) is interested.......... I have a large stash of scrap 1" thick AZEK available.................PM me 

doug

Other durable materials with potential might include TREX decking...........IPE wood decking...........or even a block of Aluminum

 

[iloozyun]

Take a look at this awning from busdepot.com.

hey, that's pretty close to the design i came up with, after a lot of head-banging...   after lookiing at some pricy pre-made ones, i thought i could diy as good and cheaper.  but that awning you linked to is really pretty inexpensive, so i emailed the company to see if it would work on my chevy van.  thankya!

 

[iloozyun]

i just used a window lock from a big box store and replaced the turn screw with a eyehook

hmmm, a window lock?  looks like it has potential- another good idea to get me thinking outside the box.  all you guys are awesome, thanks!

 

[iloozyun]

Iloozyun asks about mounting a specific POLE to the rain gutter to gain height above the doors.......most of these responses address a flat sheet awning attachment

I think what you're looking for is a "socket".........a hole to insert the spring pole into that supports the attached awning

Would you consider blocks attached to the exterior of the van or topper with a drilled hole(s) to accept the spring pole ?

abnorm, true, ideally i would be able to mount something with the strength of the metal c-clamps i've been using onto the raingutter, 2 stops of some sort, that will then somehow accept a thin, flexible tent pole to be wedged/arched between them.  so a socket would be ideal, but i'm thinking the pressure from the arched tent pole in between the 2 stops means it does not really have to be an actual socket.  

i've withstood 60+ mile an hour winds with 4 c-clamps holding a fabric tarp to the rain gutters...  well, actually, after a couple hours of that, i went out and unhooked my awning, cuz the tarp setup was so strong it had the van rocking and making me sea-sick.  in that set-up, the one i've been using so far, i had a large cloth painter canvas hooked to the _back_  gutters with the clamps, up and over the van, and extended out to poles that were guy-wired to the ground.  works great, and kept the van cool, but now that i've painted the roof with elastomeric paint, i started thinking maybe a simpler awning setup, and so that's how i ended up posting this thread...

what i don't want to do though, is poke any holes into the carcass of this old van!   once i finally stopped the two waterfalls flowing inside (came with the van when i bought it at no extra charge), my philosophy has been to leave well enough alone  .

 

[VJG1977]

I had saved these pictures but do not remember from where.  Looked like a easy on, easy off diy clamp.  Pickup several cheap vise-grips and find a friendly welder. 

 

[highdesertranger]

I am with Stern on this. anything that you use that is not 100% solid is going to tear your gutters up. what seems solid will not be if the wind kicks up it will stress your mounts and gutters. highdesertranger

 

[dextours]

My 1994 ram Van awning has gutter clamps for VW vans. Can't say how long they been installed,but they work. I googled VW van awning bracket and found many ideas. Here is an image of what I have

https://www.google.com/search?q=vol...XF3SYKHW9BBgwQ_AUIxAEoAg#imgrc=iF87bbZELqAq1M:

 

[MrNoodly]

The roof gutters are so prone to rusting, I would recommend people use sme plastidip or otherwise protect the paint, somehow.  Also try not to affect the flow of water too much around whatever clamping method is used

I used to use the Small C clamp in the gutters before i installed awning track  above the gutter on my fiberglass roof.

...The spring clamps would never have held the tarp in the rather extreme winds I would get camping over ocean in Baja.  These also quickly eat through their rubber footing and will chew up the paint.  I use them elsewhere though in mass quantity.

About once a year I check for chips and scratches and respray the gutters with a can of spray paint. But the tarp is between the clamp and the gutter.

Since spring clamps are quick and easy to remove, I can take the tarp/sun shade down when the wind gets to violent, like it does in does in the Sonora and Mojave deserts where I am now. Because of the sand and grit, I go inside anyway when it blows like that, so I don't need the tarps up then.

 

[SternWake]

Sounds like a good system for you. I was not in any position to take down my shelter, so I had to make it windproof to 45mph. A tarp flapping loudly also can drive me nuts, so I would wind up pulling it so tight only the biggest gusts could allow it to annoy me. I would even hammer 2x4's of appropriate length between the frame rails and the ground so that gusts, blowing the van sideways, would not cause slack in the shelter.

Also good for bouncy bouncy bed activities, so My KYB gas a just shocks would not work against, well, whomever was on top.

I would like to get some real marine canvass and make a real shelter for my awning track.

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

My roof gutters are too hammered to attach anything to amymore. Lots of fiberglass and aluminum C channel making up what rusted away. NO doubt my camping over the ocean for weeks on end with C clamps holding a tarp shelter to the van had a Say in the Rust which took out so many portions of it.
Roof gutter rust will be the demise of My van.

A couple photos above reminded me of some welding clamps. Vice grips with big flanges. Keep em oiled and the tarp and no chance of pulling out from a strong gutter. Quick on and off too

https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-VISE-GRIP-Original-Locking-23/dp/B0000TFGFU