An awning is an essential accessory for the outdoors, whether you are on the road full time or an occasional camper.
Well-mounted awnings offer fantastic cover and shade from the sun light and rain when needed while letting in lots of fresh air in a cost-friendly way. They can also prove to be a great place to attach a strip light too.
When exposed to wind, they can be unpredictable though as they can roll into your car or smack your van on its side with serious force if not secured properly to the rack or bars with bolts. If you don't have a roof rack attached onto your vehicle but no awning available yet, you should consider the following steps to avoid this from happening.In order to mount your awning without a roof rack, you will need to determine how far does the roof line and mounting points extend from the centre of the awning brackets as well as how much lift your vehicle's wind profile provides.
With this information, you are able to figure out the maximum length of strap that is required in order to minimise any excessive slack that could lead to damage and your vehicle can still fit inside your garage.
Many people that own vehicles without a roof rack choose to mount their awning bracket to the spare tire carrier. This may cause some trouble for those with pop-up or swing away carriers as these hang significantly lower than standard bolt-on units.
However, it may also be difficult to suit those who have mounted their spare tire up high on their tailgate door. A piece of plywood can solve this problem by providing a place for your straps to rest on as well as additional support and stabilisation by distributing the weight across its surface more evenly.
If you plan on strapping down both sides of your awning arms at the same time, you may find it to be more suitable to mount the plywood slightly above the tie-down points to account for any variance in your vehicle's profile.
Some may choose mounting their awning along the edge or side walls of their car or truck near the back doors instead of roof racks. While this provides an excellent location for those who need quick and easy access to their awning, those with swing-away carriers should not try this as it could potentially hit your carrier and bend/break its hinges.
Those with pop up carriers can use similar support braces as mentioned earlier, but they will need to be careful that straps do not interfere with any mechanisms on their arms that would cause them not to deploy properly. You also have to take into consideration that when you open your rear door, the strap is going to go right into it and can cause damage when closing.
As a final step, keep in mind that no matter what method you use to mount your awning, from roof racks and back doors, it must be strong enough to hold its weight - this means any mounting brackets or straps will require a vehicle-specific approach because all vehicles offer a different set of options in which to anchor yourself down.
It's important to note that when using ratchet straps for securing your awning, they should never be used alone. Larger models come with built-in hooks at their ends which enable them to connect together by simply slipping one inside the other. This gives you a secure connection with fewer bolts and less overall strap length required to hold your awning down, which would suit best if you are using straps that do not have hooks on them as they would slip right through your ratchet's hook.
Additionally, it is recommended to use a kayak stacker bar with a standard 2" strap around it for extra stability and holding power - this can be found at any camping store. Also, you can attach insulating foam or fibreglass to your awnings in order to increase the overall insulation.
Roof rails can prove to be a great awning alternative to roof racks as every standard set of roof bars will have metal clasps on them to which you can attach your awning poles.
When mounting the arms to the bars with bolts and washers, it's recommended to use two per side up top with at least one more on each side near the bottom so that you are able to drive away without feeling any discomfort in your awning shifting around due to wind.
This is likely required for larger-sized models as they can reach upwards of 9ft when completely extended and require three or more arms in order to maintain proper stability.
You also need to take into consideration where exactly you are planning on attaching these arms. They cannot obstruct your car's rear hatch door from opening/closing properly, otherwise, they might end up getting damaged when you close your door. In addition, they must not interfere with any brake lights that may be installed in the rear window of your van.
No matter what type of awning you purchase, most awnings come with instructional guidelines for proper installation, so make sure to read them carefully and keep them for future reference in case you ever need to move or remove your awning from its mounts in the future. Make sure you store your awning correctly, otherwise you might have to clean off mould.Additionally, investing in a good mounting kit with important accessories and tools can also make the overall job easier and more cost effective.
If your van doesn't have a roof rack, all awnings can also be attached to an existing canopy tent, but it will need to have compatible hardware in order for the mounting arms to connect properly. If you are installing your awning brackets on top of an already installed canopy instead of a roof rack, it will likely suit best to purchase an extra set of support poles that attach underneath the arms themselves - this may not always be necessary depending on how sturdy and well bolted your canopy is or how much weight your specific model's armature has been designed to handle. In some cases, it might be necessary to have your canopy's legs removed and replaced with a stronger design and position that can better support the weight of an awning. If you are planning on installing an awning bracket onto a stand-alone or new canopy tent, you will need to ensure that the canopy itself has compatible hardware. In most cases, many models already come standard with this type of hardware built in - you just need to make sure to check the dimensions before making your purchase. This is especially important if you plan on using a full-sized model as they can reach upwards of 9ft when fully extended and require three or more arms in order to maintain proper stability.
Many models come with an option to convert into a portable model that can easily attach via clamps onto the other side of your vehicle or even on top of trailers/campers if they happen to have compatible hooks underneath them. If you are planning on using your awning with the standard poles, it is recommended to purchase an extra set of taller support poles and tools that can connect underneath the arms themselves - this might not always be necessary depending on how sturdy your canopy is or how much weight your specific model's armature has been designed to handle. It is also possible to install some models onto existing trunks/hatches by drilling a hole through them and connecting screws inside. Moreover, It's important to also consider the length of these poles so that your trailer may still fit inside your garage.
In most cases that involve attaching something onto a motorhome or van, you will want to make sure that it is properly installed and supported by purchasing mounting bolts and brackets and taller support poles for underneath the arms themselves if necessary. Depending on their dimensions and weight capacity, these might not always be necessary - it all depends on what kind of awning you need and how heavy-duty it is.
If you are planning on using a full-sized model such as 9ft (or larger), then longer support poles should be purchased in order to connect them underneath the arms.
In most cases, you will need to drill a hole in either sides of the walls of your vehicle in order to install screws or mounting bolts and tighten the awning with a bracket and additional braces. This is especially important with a motorhome and van as their side panels aren't quite as sturdy as the roofs racks.
You can also purchase awning mounts that are designed to work specifically with your vehicle's existing hardware if you don't mind the extra cost for it.
No matter how you decide to mount your awning roof racks, in the end, it will all depend on what kind of awning you plan on using and how heavy-duty it is. If you plan on using a full-sized model such as 9ft (or larger), then longer support poles should be purchased in order to connect them underneath the arms for maximum stability. Make sure to install the awning onto your vehicle when it is facing downward before you drill holes into any surfaces. This will help ensure that everything lines up properly. The New South Wales Department of Fair Trading has a handy guide to accessory fitting, but make sure it applies to your area.