Awning height? 270 awning on mid height bed rack

[AzDrew]

I’m starting to second guess my decision to go with a Alu-Cab Shadow awning. I’m 6’4” and it’s looking like the awning is going to have to sit around 5’ off the ground, maybe slightly higher. I wasn’t planning on being able to walk under it, mostly shade for sitting under or protection from rain. I’m not worried about blocking the rear passenger door either but I won’t want it to look really off sitting low on that door and hanging way off the truck. I ordered the awning a few weeks ago but it hasn’t shipped yet. Should I abandon the idea and go with a traditional awning off a roof rack?

 

[AzDrew]

 

[ttengineer]

Your truck your decision.

That would be a deal breaker for me though.


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[Scoutman]

Ditto. I can't see a good way to mount one with your current setup. The drivers side is your entrance and the pass side would have to be so far out and up to clear that tent lid. If I were you I'd do a traditional bag awning that you can vary the pitch on.

I can't imagine the bumps on the head for an AluCab at 5'.

 

[AzDrew]

If I’m willing to go below the tent I don’t think it would look horrible. The lower the awning the better the coverage. Assuming you’re sitting down. I don’t care about the passenger door being blocked


It’s just a pretty expensive experiment.

 

[AzDrew]

At that bed-rack height, no awning is going to be of much use.

Pick up a stand-alone gazebo/shelter such as a Clam, Gazelle, or a "regular" Eazy-Up.

I’ve set up tarps at that height and they were of plenty use. I wanted the alucab because of how easy it sets up and being mounted takes up no room in the bed

 

[AzDrew]

I hate when people ask advice and then argue with everyone so I’m not trying to be that guy. I just really want this awning to work and it’s not going to be for cooking or standing under. Just want enough room to sit comfortably while a storm passes through.

 

[AzDrew]

I was originally thinking to have it come off the rack at a slightly upward angle and hug that tent as close as possible.

 

[towee]

.

Here’s mine on 3rd gen short bed it would cover almost the entire rear door. FWIW at roof height I don’t have much room underneath at 5’9”. I wouldn’t do it. Awning solutions are one of the true bummers of running mid height racks.

 

[AzDrew]

View attachment 602933.

Here’s mine on 3rd gen short bed it would cover almost the entire rear door. FWIW at roof height I don’t have much room underneath at 5’9”. I wouldn’t do it. Awning solutions are one of the true bummers of running mid height racks.

thanks for the pic. I don’t care about the door being covered but mine would be quite a bit lower so I’m thinking under 5’ of usable space.

 

[towee]

I ditched my mid height rack specifically because I wanted an awning. Honestly your best solution is to go roof height. If I was in your situation and ditching the mid height rack wasn’t an option I’d do one of three things; a slumbejack roadhouse tarp, a darche 180 rear mounted on fabbed brackets or a stand alone like eat sleep wolf mentioned. Or just get the ikamper awning.

 

[roving1]

I have mine mounted with knobs with L brackets because I used to raise and lower my rack for maximum fuel econ for 2000 mile highway slogs and then raise it up while traveling around at the destination. I also needed it to be higher than the RTT so I could walk under it properly even when raised. I would slide it back and forth to clear the door based on position. You could make the upper part or both parts of the l bracket slotted or both T track and loosen the knobs to move the awning away from the vehicle and up to use or to unblock doors as needed.

In my case I moved it forward and in while it was in the high position and rearward and out while in the low position to clear the cab and the door.

270 awnings are so much nicer to hide under than a regular awning. As was mentioned midheight racks make awnings harder.

 

[Yarjammer]

I'd ditch the idea of a permanently mounted awning and go the DIY route. Put two eye bolts on the rack at the highest point, grab two or more extendable poles and guy lines for each pole. Pick whatever awning fabric suits you, be it regular tarp or have something sewn up (still infinitely cheaper than the alu-cab).

Its not an exposexually cool solution, but in this case I think its the most functional solution given your setup. You may not need that rear passenger door today, but the second you do this you'll find you need it... at least that seems to be how it has turned out with mods I've done in the past.

 

[quickfarms]

I would fabricate a mount with pivots near the top of the bed rail. When driving the awning would rest against, or close to, the RTT. When you reach the camp site you can pull the upper pins and the awning would tilt away from the RTT to allow it to open. With this design you could mount the awning high enough to clear the rear door. Actually you could make the brackets telescope so you could stand under it. Additionally you could make the pivot pins removable so you could take the awning off when you are not camping.

This can give you an idea of what I am suggesting but it would only move about 10 degrees or less

 

[Ducstrom]

I have mine mounted with knobs with L brackets because I used to raise and lower my rack for maximum fuel econ for 2000 mile highway slogs and then raise it up while traveling around at the destination. I also needed it to be higher than the RTT so I could walk under it properly even when raised. I would slide it back and forth to clear the door based on position. You could make the upper part or both parts of the l bracket slotted or both T track and loosen the knobs to move the awning away from the vehicle and up to use or to unblock doors as needed.

In my case I moved it forward and in while it was in the high position and rearward and out while in the low position to clear the cab and the door.

270 awnings are so much nicer to hide under than a regular awning. As was mentioned midheight racks make awnings harder.

View attachment 602936View attachment 602937View attachment 602938
View attachment 602939

Nice solution!
I wonder if the OP could use a couple of drawer slides to accomplish something similar. A lever pull and he'd be able to slide the awning back out of the way of the door.