Should I replace my DIY awning? Looking for something better...

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10 years ago, I made this DYI awning


Overall, it worked pretty well but it had a couple drawbacks:
1: There was no housing so I didn't like to leave it on all the time.
2: Unless I was careful, any metal parts that rubbed on the tarp would cause holes. And it needed to be secured so it did not flap when driving.
3: It took only about 5 minutes to setup but it took at least twice as long to pack up again.

On the positive side:
1: Attaching directly to my truck made it super wind-resistant and simplified the setup.
2: The optional table was really handy for longer camping stays.
3: Replacing the tarp was easy and cheap

In the end, the drawbacks led me to use it less than I would have liked or benefited from. You can't use an awning that you didn't bring with you.

All of the awnings I've seen for sale have a protective cover and simplified roll out/roll up features that address the flaws of my DIY awning. And I can live without the optional table. But I really want to be able to secure the awning to my truck. Has anyone seen a truck awning that can be attached directly to the vehicle? This is the most common feature of RV awnings...

 

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Although it takes a few extra minutes to setup. It proved it's worth on a recent desert trip when it rained. The rain was coming in from the North West so we angled the awning down to create a rain shadow. I don't know if this is possible with traditional awnings that appear to be designed for shade rather than rain.

 

[plh]

looks good. I'd keep it

 

[alia176]

I'd toss it and spend some serious mooolah!!!! You figured out something quite crucial and that is the effort it takes for setup and teardown. The easier something is to deploy, the more it'll get used. If you can afford a true "pole free" awning, I'd go for that.

 

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I decided to give it one more season. I made a big improvement after my last camping trip. I upgraded the attachment points to the truck so I didn't need Bimini fittings with quick release pins. The new mounts snap onto the rock slider tube and tube on the rear bumper.



Old rock slider attachment

New rock slider attachment



Old bumper attachment

New bumper attachment


The result is the poles stay fixed in position before I have the tarp installed. With the old Bimini fittings the poles would flop to one side unless a 2nd person held them in place. Now it is free standing before the tarp is installed. Even without the cross member. And a one person setup instead of two. Which means my wife can help with the tarp instead of holding things up; basically cuttin the setup time in half.

That makes adding the cross member (and tarp) much much easier

 

[Hnoroian]

I thought I commented on your post when you first did it but I wouldn’t have changed it. I do like your modifications to it though. Coverage is nice and individual components I see as a plus. Take pride in what you have made.

 

[alia176]

very slick mods dude, good going!!!

 

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A few weeks ago my DIY awning came to the rescue again in mixed weather.



I'm still anxious on how this awning performs in strong winds. But when the gusts picked up, I discovered I could bring in the leading edge of the awning to reduce the surface area.



In sailing, I think this is called "Reefing".

I need to redesign the 3D printed clasps that grip the bumper and rock slider tubes so the C shape can only pull free from the tube by a force 90 degrees from the axis of the support poles.

Originally, I had envisioned two parts. With a part that held the C shape part in place.



But now I realize I just need a piece shaped like this, so that it cannot pull directly off of the rock slider or bumper tube.




I'm also going to replace the 1/2" tube on the far end of the awning with 3/4" to strengthen that part. You can see how it flexes in the photo above.