Awnings

[gjackson]

If you're talking about the Hannibal then: The canvas of the awning has a rod through the front and back (outside edge and carside edge). The outside edge rod has clips on it that connect to holes on the ends of the triangle support beams. The beams swing away from the truck and the canvas unrolls so the clips can be attached to the support beams. The whole thing is one unit except for the sides. I'll try to find pics of it rolled and unrolled to give you a better idea.

Hope that isn't too unclear. . .!

cheers

 

[BMAN]

I've actually been looking at some pics on other sites but am still unclear as to the "rolling" process. I get the clips deal at the front (canopy extended) but just cant figure out how it rolls up and stores. Are the 2 sides (folding A-frames) offset so that one sits inside the other?

 

[paulj]

A rather different style of awning is the Kelty Carport - it is, in effect, an arched leanto that attaches to your truck's roof rack.

http://www.kelty.com/Kelty/index.cfm?fuseaction=Tents.ShowProduct&type=shelters&ID=14

http://www.pbase.com/paulj3/ewithcarport

One qualification - depending on the height of the car, and slope of the ground, the portion of the tarp close to the car may be too close to horizontal to drain rain water effectively. This is solved by raising the backend of the ridgepole, so the water drains forward toward the windshield.

I have also used a tension tarp (MSR Vistawing). With this I address the drainage issue by rigging it with a peak in the middle.

Camping in the Pacific NW, I mostly use an awning for rain protection, rather than sun shade.

paulj

 

[gjackson]

I've actually been looking at some pics on other sites but am still unclear as to the "rolling" process. I get the clips deal at the front (canopy extended) but just cant figure out how it rolls up and stores. Are the 2 sides (folding A-frames) offset so that one sits inside the other?

From the extended position, you unclip the outside edge rod from the side supports. You then roll the canvas up, using the rod to roll it around. Once it is rolled up, the side supports swing in parallel with the car, one on top of the other. There are straps to secure the whole business in place. Attached are pics of the awning stowed. It looks really bulky because I have the sides rolled up and strapped behind the rest of the structure. Don't think I have a pic of it stowed without the sides. The roll you make out of the top sits above the sides when they fold in. Can be seen best in pic 3.

Hope that makes more sense.

 

[BMAN]

Graham,

Thanks for the pics and the input. Exactly what I was looking for! I couldn't quite figure out if the tarp actually retracted back onto another rod or if you had to manually roll it back. It all makes perfect sense now. Thanks again.

I really like the idea of not having any down poles and guy wires out at the edge to trip over or bump into in the dark.

 

[calamaridog]

I can see the benefit of the Hanabal awning which moves with the vehicle but the ones you have to stake down I'm not sure about.

Why not use one of those folding, free standing units. It seems more versitile. Or is it the weight/space issue?

 

[Desertdude]

on the 05 Baja trip our new friends from Vancouver with the aluminum Landcruiser had a very cool awning set-up - does anyone remember it?

 

[VikingVince]

Yo Pasquale....yeah that was an EXCELLENT awning...well designed with lot of shade cover. It's made by Technitop
www.technitop.co.za
Click on products, click on shade awniing, watch the slide show

I started looking for a dealer here in the USA...didn't find one immediately. Offroad Academy in Canada sells them...haven't inquired if they'll sell/ship to USA. Their website has a price of $180 Canadian on the awning!!!...good price!. www.offroadacademy.com/gear.php

For those of you not familiar: Think big triangle...one apex, instead of being a point, is cut-off at about 5' wide...this attaches to the vehicle and the rest of the triangle is the awning. It extends out 10' to 3 poles and is 12' wide. PLUS (and this is good design and appealing)...there's a permanently mounted 5' track on your vehicle...the carry bag holding the awning just slides onto this track and you open up the awning. You can also get optional attaching sides, making it more or a room or blocking wind. The design and function is very slick and goes up quite quickly.

AhHaa...I just found a USA distributor for Technitop ($135) www.safaritrailers.com

 

[Desertdude]

I new I could count on my Baja Bohemian friend to get me there :bowdown:

That's the one I am planning on this awning on the back of the 80 series Landcruiser - this way I can pull it out off the load bars and have protection while I am accessing the back of the vehicle-

they also have then here for 135.00 us - I emailed them to see about availability

 

[VikingVince]

Yo Dude with the magic guitar fingers:bowdown: ...I just found the safari trailer site and was editing my post when you posted yours. Yeah...that'll be a great way to use it...I think I wanna get one too. I just read on one of the site that the awning can either be attahed to the tent or your roof rack. The track mount is part of the tent...am hoping that the track mount can be purchased separately and attached to my flippac...

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

I enjoy doing "much with Very little".

Here is my simple design that I used for the first time camping at the In~Ko~Pah outing last weekend. It's a heavy duty 9' x 12' tarp, silver one side and brown on the other side. I picked up two adjustable tent poles (I may get more later).

I set it up this way because it's winter and cold at night and I face the "wall" side to the wind. I also have two more tarps like this, so I can even wall off the whole living area in case of real bad weather.

In summer, the tarp can just go straight off the back with no walls.

I was in a hurry to get it set up that night as the sun was setting.....and the Boston Mangler was eating all my chips and salsa!....hehe

I later went back and used more rope to tighten the sag along the top.

Affectionately known as ....."The SWR Easy~Shade".....!

 

[Desertdude]

I hear ya on the light and simple - this is a 4'X8' piece of wild nylon cloth and a few poles/rope Baja shade photo Thanks to Chris (baja taco) for the killer photo :sunny:

Vince - Lets tag team 'em and see what we can come up with

 

[Mike S]

Hey guys, what's with posting pictures of awnings that are giving no shade? Is this some photo joke? QUOTE]

There are no 'roll out awnings that I know of that are large enough and configurable enough to provide good shade and shelter as the sun moves across the sky, :sunny: or when it disappears behind rain clouds.

We like the MSR Para Wing $229 msr... http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/parawings.asp

It's simple, very well made, backs small, AND IT'S NOT ATTACHED THE YOUR TRUCK, SO IT CAN STAY SET UP WITH YOUR CAMP GEAR UNDER IT.

M

 

[paulj]

Hey guys, what's with posting pictures of awnings that are giving no shade? Is this some photo joke? QUOTE]

Enough shade here?

This is the Kelty Noah 12, rigged with 8' aluminum poles (that came with a Walrus Armadillo 150 tarp). At least in British Columbia and Washington I use it more for rain shelter than sun shade.

paulj

 

[paulj]

I just noticed that Kelty has come out with a Carport Deluxe. The side panels are larger, allowing closer fit to the car, and they've add poles to support the outter corners off the ground.

http://www.kelty.com/Kelty/index.cfm?fuseaction=Tents.ShowProduct&type=shelters&ID=16

other tarps ranging from ponchos to the large MSR Outfitter:
http://www.backcountrygear.com/tent/tarps_wings.cfm
these people also have a good selection of wing tarps, and lots of setup photos.
http://www.backcountry-equipment.com/tents/tarps.html