Whats your favorite awning?

[Sputnik]

Looks awesome.

I wondered how the room walls sealed where they intersect with the van body. I figured a strip magnet or some little neodiniums magnets sewn into the seam. Maybe you can retrofit?

Can you move the awning box back a little to allow for the passenger door to open? Not a lot of room between that door and the slider though.

 

[ccmickelson]

We also love our ARB 2500. It also has a cool LED multi-function LED light strip. The awning is very well designed and made and very easy to set up. It adds so much to the camping experience and living space of the Delica.

 

[detroadster]

Looks awesome.

I wondered how the room walls sealed where they intersect with the van body. I figured a strip magnet or some little neodiniums magnets sewn into the seam. Maybe you can retrofit?

Can you move the awning box back a little to allow for the passenger door to open? Not a lot of room between that door and the slider though.

I think it’s really a function of how I have the awning mounted to the Yakima round bars. It holds the awning out away from the side of the van a bit which in turn means the room is away from the van. I may mess around with the mounting a bit to try to tighten things up but right now I’ve got bigger fish to fry (busted AC).

 

[Echinoderm]

I have a rhino rack on my L400 but I have an ARB Awning. Love it. Easy to pull out and put away solo and never mildews or needs to be dried out.

Which Rhino Rack do you have mounted? (Also have an L400) I'm going to get an ARB as soon as pick a rack

 

[Jessey Dearing]

I have a Fiamma 45. It’s great and the hand crank makes it super easy to put out and put away if we are driving off from camp to day hike or if we are just stopped briefly for a meal.

Mine is mounted to the roof rack and also has a slight gap between the awning coverage and the van.

 

[L.G.]

I have a Fiamma 45. It’s great and the hand crank makes it super easy to put out and put away if we are driving off from camp to day hike or if we are just stopped briefly for a meal.

Mine is mounted to the roof rack and also has a slight gap between the awning coverage and the van.

What size Fiamma does everyone like for a good, full coverage fit from pass door to rear hatch w. minimum gap- 8 or 10 footer?
Forgive my ignorance on the size, our van doesn't arrive until next week. Going for something about like this:


We've had both a Smitty and an ARB on our current van and both are great. Pretty much same design, the ARB seems a touch nicer but both are an excellent value. I find that we'll use an awning that you have to roll out and is a little touch 'n go to setup solo less than one with a crank that's an easy solo deploy, but you def pay for the luxury and both styles seem equally effective to me.

 

[Kellyn]

What size Fiamma does everyone like for a good, full coverage fit from pass door to rear hatch w. minimum gap- 8 or 10 footer?
Forgive my ignorance on the size, our van doesn't arrive until next week. Going for something about like this:
View attachment 7914

We've had both a Smitty and an ARB on our current van and both are great. Pretty much same design, the ARB seems a touch nicer but both are an excellent value. I find that we'll use an awning that you have to roll out and is a little touch 'n go to setup solo less than one with a crank that's an easy solo deploy, but you def pay for the luxury and both styles seem equally effective to me.

Luke's awning pictured above is super cool. I love how easy it is to use but I really don't like how the legs attach to the van body. I was using my awning a few months ago (ARB 2000) when the wind picked up, lifted the awning, buckled the legs, and smashed it down onto my head. This all happened in under 2 seconds. I was stunned. I could only imagine what it would have done to the body mounts on the Fiamma.

 

[Jessey Dearing]

I have the 8 foot (photos here). The one in the photo above is a 10 foot according to his post here. The option to attach the legs to the body is optional, the awning comes with the body mounts or you can just use them as standard legs (the post has photos of both). I believe it makes it more stable in windy situations because the legs are locked in and so the awning can't flap, although if it's just mounted through the body, maybe a strong wind could pull them out. I didn't mount them because I wanted to be able to use my front door with the awning deployed. The awning also comes with stakes to go through the feet. I've never taken the time to use them, but Kellyn's experience makes me think I should!

Another perk I forgot about after a camping trip this week is the ability to use the awning supports on the Fiamma to dry clothes on.

 

[L.G.]

@Jessey Dearing Thx! Also thx to whomever's van that is we're all referencing.

Ours is also a pop top and had it's original awning removed but still has brackets installed thankfully.

10 footer with legs to ground it is. I've found that one should size the awning not for your family but for everyone you're camping with.

@Kellyn You do need to be careful in wind and have a buddy help. I stake and guy ours if to be left overnight or unattended for long. What I think will be better abt the Fiamma is we'll just put it in at night of if heading away from the van for too long since it's a one person thing and much faster.

 

[CodyHennigan]

Thule had a 25% off sale a few weeks ago and I pulled the trigger on a 10' Thule Hideaway similar to the Fiamma. I really like that you can put these awnings out partially as opposed to the rollouts where it's all or nothing. Should get it this week (shipping sucks right now) and will post pics asap.

 

[Turopix]

I bought this Overland Vehicle Systems awning. Absolutely love it! The downward polls fold up to the beams & velcro to put away.

19609907 OVS Nomadic Awning 180 - Dark Gray Cover With Black Cover​

Nomadic Awning 180 Degree - Dark Gray Cover With Black Cover

Shop the Nomadic Awning 180 Degree - Dark Gray Cover With Black Cover. Perfect for outdoor adventures. Stay shaded with this versatile 180 Awning.

overlandvehiclesystems.com

 

[Goodfish101]

I've got a good deal on a white Fiamma F45 from a obsessive friend who decided that a black one would suit his Delica much better. The only problem is I absolutely cannot exceed the current height of my van. My mechanic said he can fix it on the rain gutters, but he says it will shake. Anyone have a similar setup for theirs? Please share photos and experiences. Thanks!

 

[Sputnik]

These are for gutter mounting, but probably not ideal if that bolt into the body is required, and it looks like the awning body still sits higher than the gutter line.

Awning or shower mounting kit for rain gutter – GoWesty

Rain gutter mounting kit for arb and fiamma awnings or the roadshower

www.gowesty.com

Edit: Further up in the thread there are photos of these on a Delica, so you can see the roof line height.

 

[Goodfish101]

Thanks for the tips, Sputnik. This is the setup that the local Fiamma specialist has suggested. He's done it before to a few Delis, and he says it won't result in any shaking or leaking. What do you guys think? Should I go for it?

 

[Sputnik]

Seems strong, but piercing the roof with a bolt makes me worry about future leaks, rust and holes that need to be patched, should you ever remove the brackets. How do they seal the holes (is that's a grommet in first photo)? Also, do they have to remove the headliner to install it (nuts & washers for roof bolts)?

That said, a standalone gutter mounted bracket probably needs a secondary brace/bolt to keep it stable (the other ones I linked to have a bolt through the bottom of the bracket into the side of the van) so maybe there's no way around that (without installing a roof rack/crossbars.)

 

[Kellyn]

I am currently rocking the Ironman 4x4 2500 series which I believe is identical to the ARB one. It was cheaper than ARB and is exactly the same quality. It came with the LED strip and dimming rheostat which was a neat feature. I have slept in it a few times and always find it to be an absolutely fantastic alternative to rooftop camping, even though I'll likely get a hard-shell rooftop tent soon.

 

[Goodfish101]

Seems strong, but piercing the roof with a bolt makes me worry about future leaks, rust and holes that need to be patched, should you ever remove the brackets. How do they seal the holes (is that's a grommet in first photo)? Also, do they have to remove the headliner to install it (nuts & washers for roof bolts)?

That said, a standalone gutter mounted bracket probably needs a secondary brace/bolt to keep it stable (the other ones I linked to have a bolt through the bottom of the bracket into the side of the van) so maybe there's no way around that (without installing a roof rack/crossbars.)

Thanks again for your feedback. Yeah, I'm slightly concerned about the bolt, but the guy seems to know what he's doing and has a good reputation around town. I'm not sure about how the holes are sealed, but it does look like a grommet. Also, not sure if he removes the headliner. I doubt it as he said the whole thing should take about an hour. I don't have the option of a roof rack/crossbars, so it's either this or no awning, I guess. I suggested 3M tape, but he didn't recommend it.

Should I just go for it? Worst case scenario is I'll need a patch if I decided to get rid of it, right?

 

[Sputnik]

Thanks again for your feedback. Yeah, I'm slightly concerned about the bolt, but the guy seems to know what he's doing and has a good reputation around town. I'm not sure about how the holes are sealed, but it does look like a grommet. Also, not sure if he removes the headliner. I doubt it as he said the whole thing should take about an hour. I don't have the option of a roof rack/crossbars, so it's either this or no awning, I guess. I suggested 3M tape, but he didn't recommend it.

Should I just go for it? Worst case scenario is I'll need a patch if I decided to get rid of it, right?

No roof rack option because of a pop up top/tent?

Ask the installer about the holes being drilled. Can they assure no future sheet metal rust at those locations (at least two holes, right?). Ask them also if they have a plug or what is the method of covering/plugging/filling the holes should the brackets be removed. Also, carefully painting the raw edges of the drilled holes might help mitigate the start of rust.

Obviously rust sucks, and and here on the forum we've seen many skylight issues with leaks and rust, so just try to get the holes as protected as possible.

I'm a carpenter, and we tell new guys to 'be the rain drop' - try to imagine where the water will go and what it can do to a house or car over time if it's allowed to get into places it shouldn't be.

 

[Furi]

I purchased the Rhino-Rack Batwing Awning.

It's not cheap. I am fortunate enough to have Experticity (Expert Voice?) through my company, so I got one for $400.

View attachment 6468

I didn't stake it down one time and the wind blew it over the van and broke two plastic pieces. $14 for replacements and an easy fix. I would research repairability before procuring an awning.

View attachment 6469

Can you open the awning halfway only if you wanted to just to cover the cargo door side? Or does it need to be opened all the way?

 

[Furi]

I went cheap DIY.

A DIY awning for less than $50.

I decided to make my own awning a while ago and began collecting some parts. A 7'x9' waterproof ripstop nylon tarp bought at harbor freight for about $10. A handful of coated gutter hooks (~$8, $1.50ea). 60" of nylon webbing ($3). 2 8ft bungee poles (~$10) ebay/amazon. Stakes (~$5). And some...

delicaforum.com

I've only ever used it a handful of times; it works fine, I just don't have much use/need of an awning...

Did the same. Used it a whole bunch of times in sun/rain. Requires adjusting every so often but an economical option.