Awning on the cheap

[winchman]

I am trying to make a basic awning just a sheet and two leg poles, I have all the bits (two legs and cross pole all in fiberglass from a caravan awning and a big sheet with eyelets around the edge) but I need some ideas of how best to fasten it to the van?
I have a full length galv roof rack so could possibly fit it to that?
Its a DIY job as its only for cooking outside if its raining, so the whole idea is on the cheap

[Diplomat]

I've achieved this occasionally using a polypropylene tarp going right over the roof and staked down on the far side.

Two porch poles borrowed from a tent and guyed with two guys each pulling outwards and away to ground pegs. No cross bar in my case.

Main problem is if it rains, a big pool collects. It really needs a roof like a gazebo, highest in the middle instead of lowest in the middle.

I've only got a tin top roof but normally have a couple of roof bars in situ. They don't really help with the awning.

My system wouldn't work with a raised AFT unless the tarp could be partly rolled around a length of tubing or a carpet pole and somehowheld to the van gutter.

Other times I pitch a conventional frame tent alongside but still have one of its porch flaps going over the roof.

Looking smart tends to give way to functionality when I'm camped.


Frank

[winchman]

Thanks Frank
I too have a tin top but I have this on the roof

[Diplomat]

In that case I'd suggest a length of tubing with the awning sheet rolled partly around it, slightly longer the sheet and attached with luggage elastics to thr front most and rearmost roof rack stanchions and not the middle one.

Another tube alongt the outermost side of the sheet with diametrically opposed holes near its ends to drop over the thin spigots normally found on the top of porch poles.

Voila!

You could either carry the whole caboodle rolled up on full length poles or, using sectional poles, assemble it on site in very short time.


Frank

[winchman]

Now that's a good idea, I have some spare fiberglass awning poles so I will give it a go

[helen&tony]

Hi
Strip of flat steel welded across the roofrack uprights near the gutter, and bolt some caravan awning rail to the strip. Sew the round section strip that feeds into the awning rail onto your awning, and put eyelets in the outer 2 corners for the poles. Peg out properly, and no need for a cross pole.
Alternately, fit some figure 8 strips between the rack uprights.
Awning poles break down for storage, and the awning folds up small
Cheers
Helen

[Jim the Box]

You can purchase ten snap eyelets from go outdoors, £2.49. Also you could use clothes line prop poles from Argos, B&Q etc, £6.49 each or canopy poles £17.49 per pair from world of camping. Some bungee cords to secure to the roof, guy ropes attached to the eyelets to fix to the ground. Bongo fury were also selling suction clamps £1 each at the bash which could also be used.

[bongo frenzee]

I made something similar from an old nylon windbreak. I cut a section of the fabric and sewed a channel along one edge, wide enough to slide a section of figure-of-8 through. This then clips to the gutter from inside the fabric and makes a nice tight seal. On the loose corners I attach two old tent porch poles, but I leave out one section of each pole so the front edge of the awning is lower than the edge attached to the van. This means the rain runs off and doesn't pool on the fabric - it helps that it's only a small one. I attach two guy lines to the top of each pole and peg them at 45 degrees to hold the fabric taut.

Here's a pic - hope it helps! https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 4233_n.jpg

[winchman]

That's the sort of thing I want.
I have some figure of 8 but cant see how it would fit on my gutter?

[bongobaz]

Here's my effort served well for ages before i got my fiamma

[winchman]

Here's my effort served well for ages before i got my fiamma

Hows it held on to the van?

[bongo frenzee]

That's the sort of thing I want.
I have some figure of 8 but cant see how it would fit on my gutter?

It just pushes on - angle it upwards first then start at one end and work along pushing it over the lip. It's tight but gets more flexible with use.

[MarcT77]

Here's my effort served well for ages before i got my fiamma

Hows it held on to the van?

With Wizardry....

[bongobaz]

Here's my effort served well for ages before i got my fiamma

Hows it held on to the van?

With Wizardry....

I used some bits of bungee elastic from on old rucksac onto the hoops, stayed tight and flap free if pulled tight on guys.

[cookan]

I'll be trialing a similar solution to above this summer...

I always carry a large, light weight ripstop basha (Khatmandu trekking make them but they're hard to come by) that I can pitch from trees etc but also had a set of aluminium poles that I would occasionally carry to free pitch the tarp...The tarp itself packs into a sleeve about the size of....say a half baguette and that includes the paracord I've attached at each corner and a few tent pegs.

The way I pitch it to the Bongo is using 3meters of figure of 8 clipped onto the gutter rail (the last meter or so isn't attached as the gutter rail isn't 3meters..just free, but I needed the length to fit the tarp and it stays put fine). I feed the tarp through the figure of 8 having folded a few inches at a time of it over a length of cord to act as a 'bead' ...as it travels through I just need to keep folding the cord into the tarp but it feeds itself on remarkably easily (I can actually throw one of the guy lines over the bullbar and back to the rear of the car to act as a pulley..I pull the end of the paracord to pull the tarp down the figure of 8, whilst folding the beading cord into the tarp as I go..so can do it single handed). Then I use poles or, or trees whichever one I have !

This way I have a quality basha that isn't specifically a campervan awning..so packs down very small without the bulky integral beading...the cord I have for the beading can also be used for something else if I need...

I noticed btw, that there's a product called the 'bus shelter' that is basically the same idea for VW's but can apparently be pitched with figure of 8 (so will work on the bongo).

Ant.