Rhino Rack FoxWing Awning Review

[JumpJ]

Here's the link to what it looks like as I can't seem to get the pics to post.

http://www.rhinorack.com/AccSubCategory_Foxwing-Awning_56.aspx

Having done Yakima, ARB, custom racks, and Land Rover OEM racks for years I decided with the new rig to try something new. Rhino Rack. With an Australian outback heritage I thought they would prove to be a viable product. NOT SO IN MY CASE. First fo all their directions are crap. There is nothing to tell you that certain peices that one would assume go on last, like Gerry Can holders, actually need to go on on first. Every bolt on this thing has a proprietary Allen wrench so if you lose it you are SOL and have to call Rhino Rack. That in its self would be so bad if they actually had customer support but you wither speak to a person who has no experince with the product or they refer you to a guy in the warehouse who just tells you how well his works nd offers little practical help.

I bought the large tray, light holders, heavy duty cross bars and Foxwing awning. I bought but returned Gerry can holders, highlift holder, spare tire holder - because none of them would fit because there is no room on the crossbarrs. This after the rep made sure we had the right size.

Now for the biggest disapointment and by far for those watching the funniest part of the install. The Foxwing concept is awrsome. An awning that opens to 270 degrees. It works beautifully and is awesome but my suggestion before you try and put it away for the trip home if down a bottle of anti anger pills with a good swig of something to take the edge off. After I tried twice to store it in it's own storage back that is built into it I called the compnay who put me on with someone in the warehouse. I followed his instructions to a T. The zipper broke. Then he invented this idea that I should fold is upside down and backwards. I tried this twice and looking like something out of a MOnty Python movie coupled with X rated language I tried again. The PROBLEM is there is too much bunching of the awning material and not enough storage material. Finally with all the strength it take to accomplish the Hillary Step on Everest myself and a friend got the material close enough to be able to zip it closed...........Ahh you thought we were done right! Not so fast. After a 400 mile test run to work out the bells on other parts of the trailer and rig we decided to see if the Foxwing had calmed down..........Zipper number two broken, it took two of us all we could to get the storage closed. Giving birth to a Blue Whale baby at 7,000 pounds is probably easier than closing the Foxwing!!
In addition the material used is black and will surprise me if it last six months in the desert let a lone the 2 years the warranty states. An easy fix would be a PVC bag, which I am having custom built and enough material that you don't have to hire BUDDA every time you want to use your Foxwing.
These are not the views of the manufacture obviously. My sincere hope is you have a better experince with yours as the concept it great. The opened Foxwing is Great! My advice is make the retailer open it and close it on your rig before you hand over your precious Mastercard. Because this is one of those where you the "for everything else" helpers around.
Sorry for no pics but I'll try and see how to load them.
Will

 

[mhiscox]

Hmmm . . .

I have a Foxwing installed on the driver's side of the EarthRoamer Jeep and have deployed it maybe a dozen times.

For reasons I couldn't begin to guess, I haven't had any of the reported troubles with storing the awning. There seems to be enough room under my cover for all the material and the zipper hasn't been any more of a struggle to close than the ones on the RTTs or the ARB and FIAMMA awnings I have used.

Mine was one of the earliest Foxwings in the country, and it's possible there's been some change in design, etc. that accounts for the differences. Or maybe my production tolerances went the good (big) way vs. the bad (tight).

Perhaps the odds are that I'm just one trip away from the zipper breaking, but in the admittedly limited use it's had to date, I haven't had any of the problems reported above and would have given the Foxwing a solidly favorable recommendation.

Thus leaving everyone confused. If there are more with the awning, please post up . . . inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Rexsname]

It would be interesting to read a comparison test of awnings...........If only there were a magazine that did tests of overlanding type equipment.........

REX

 

[bigwapitijohnny]

Bummer...

Sorry to hear about your misadventure with these products...Looking forward to see the pics.

Hang in there!

Regards,

BWJ

 

[JumpJ]

Mike, I love that yours works properly because this COULD be a truly great awning. Even looking at your pictures I can see that you do not have any bulging of the material. So far the retailer "Trucks Uniqie" have been first rate in their support which is a far cry from Rhino Rack at this time. I'm going to try and post some pictures.

 

[JumpJ]

Pictures of the FoxWing

I hope the pictures work.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Uhm, not sure what is going on with yours. We sell them and I have not had any issues with folding or closing it. We did however try to add the bag with poles inside the enclosure and then it got really tight.

If the material is folded like they show in the instructions, then everything is fine and there is plenty of space.

Are you talking to Rhino Rack in the US directly? They are a small operation currently and I can see that you might not get in contact with someone immediately but they will get back to you.

The allen bolts are a security measure and it is common to use those when you want to prevent theft. If you do not like those fasteners, it can be replaced with regular ones pretty easily.

As to the troubles with what fit on the rack and the order to install, not quite sure what that is about. Either it was a retailer that did not know how to spec it out, or you got incompatible products.

What order to install items would be really difficult to put in instructions due to the large array of items they sell. Maybe some more specifics could help here.

 

[motochain]

It would be interesting to read a comparison test of awnings...........If only there were a magazine that did tests of overlanding type equipment.........

REX

I know there is a thread name something like "lets see your awning" or something like that, but there are pages and pages of peoples' different awnings and their thoughts.

Took me awhile to read through it, but it was good stuff!

 

[nwoods]

I fondled the Foxwing at SEMA last year, and personally opened and stowed the one they had mounted on display there, several times. I didn't experience any of the difficulties you have. I can see how stowing in the wind would be a challenge, but deploying it would still be okay if done with both hands to prevent fluttering until it's was staked down.

 

[Scott Brady]

If the material is folded like they show in the instructions, then everything is fine and there is plenty of space.

Agreed. We found the folding sequence to be critical in the testing. A full awning test comes out with the spring issue of Overland Journal

 

[mhiscox]

Uhm, not sure what is going on with yours. We sell them and I have not had any issues with folding or closing it. We did however try to add the bag with poles inside the enclosure and then it got really tight.

Now there's a good point. FWIW, I've had no problem zipping up just the fabric, but there's no way one could easily also fit the support poles under the cover.

 

[JumpJ]

Josh at Rhino Rack called me today and went through it with me. We then had a lucky visitor coming though town who has a Foxwing and it does appear I have a defective bag. His folded away so nicely where as it took both of us to put mine away. To RR's credit they are taking care of getting me a new bag.