Anyone have a walk around video of the Alu-Cab Shadow Awning Wall Kit? Also how is the awning in the rain? Is there anyway to prevent rain from coming in through the hole or on the sides near the vehicle?
I can't speak to the wall kit, but I just used the awning in a torrential downpour. I had just pulled into camp, and if it weren't for how fast the Exp III and Shadow go up, I would have been totally soaked. The awning held up surprising well. There wasn't really any wind, so the rain just came straight down. The awning support pole wasn't needed, but I put it up anyway because the rain was pooling up between the awning arms and I wanted to be safe. I would occasionally go between the awning arms and push the water out, but the arms themselves handled the added weight of the pooled water like champs. There are gaps between the vehicle and awning, where water can come in, but I was surprised how little came through, even in very heavy rainfall. I think the bigger problem would be wind, which would bring the rain under the awning from the sides (but that's not unique to the Shadow).
All that said, a ground tent and awning would have fared far worse. Firstly, I never would have been able to set up that fast (even my OzTent), which would have meant that me, the tent, and the stuff going into the tent would have all been soaked. Second, the Shadow awning handled the rain far better than a tent awning (again, comparing to the pretty stout OzTent awning). So all things considered, even though the Shadow wasn't "perfect" it was the best setup I've ever used in a situation like that.
Side note, I wish the Exp III had a side annex attachment like the rear does. Getting in and out of the tent in a rainstorm is a PITA, especially when you're trying to take your muddy shoes off at the top of the ladder. An umbrella worked, but I was a bit nervous/annoyed, standing at the top of a wet ladder, in heavy rain, with a 45lb. dog and umbrella in one arm, and unzipping the tent with the other.