$45 Awning

After reading this thread:

http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7339

I tackled the project. I used 3" sewer pipe, not PVC. It's much lighter. I found I had to cut it with a jig saw as a circular saw chipped it badly. Also, the opening must stop short of the ends, or the pipe will want to roll up on itself, and the caps will not fit

I used 1/2" EMT conduit to roll the tarp onto, and 5/8 threaded rod with a couple nuts to secure it to the end caps. On one end it rolls freely on the rod, on the other I beat it with a hammer and punch so it will wind up when turned from this end. I drilled and tapped a nut for a set screw and tacked it to a washer with a hole drilled in it. I used a sliding glass door lock pin to act as a stop. It can be set for any amount of tarp.

I bought a 6 x 8 heavy duty tarp, and it seems like it's much better quality. I found the adjustable tent poles at Bass Pro Shops.
I painted it with the Rustoleum Plastic paint. It seems to adhere well after a little scuffing.

Hopefully the pictures tell the story better than I do. Overall I'm very pleased with the results. The price is hard to beat:

PVC and end caps $8
Conduit and 12" threaded rod 8$
Adjustable tent poles $16
Tarp and misc $8
Paint $5

Construction pics:

Looks Great, Good Job!!! And I dig the orange Disco too!!! Is it a G4 or did you paint it orange?

Is it a G4 or did you paint it orange?

No, I just had it repainted, Nissan Atomic Orange.

Looks nice!

I saw that original thread too. Nice job. looks like a great idea without a major investment. Very cool.

Yeah, nice job! Looks great...a couple questions if you don't mind:

1. Attaching the tarp to the conduit...glue, screws, both? Rivets? Staples?
2. 1/2" conduit and 5/8" threaded rod...the conduit is attached to the threaded rod which comes out the end caps, right? Is the conduit just pushed onto the larger threaded rod?
3. You said heavy duty tarp...is it still the poly stuff or some other material?
4. How did you attach the entire assembly to your rack?

Thanks

Yeah, nice job! Looks great...a couple questions if you don't mind:

1. Attaching the tarp to the conduit...glue, screws, both? Rivets? Staples?

I used zip ties to secure the grommets and duct tape to keep it from moving. I plan on always keeping a few wraps on the rod.

2. 1/2" conduit and 5/8" threaded rod...the conduit is attached to the threaded rod which comes out the end caps, right? Is the conduit just pushed onto the larger threaded rod?

The conduit slides over the threaded rod (I don't know how they measure these, but 5/8 threaded rod does fit inside 1/2 EMT conduit). On one end it spins freely on the rod, on the other end it's punched so it won't spin. I use this end to wind it up.

3. You said heavy duty tarp...is it still the poly stuff or some other material?

It's the same poly stuff, but it seems to have a coating that makes it slightly thicker. It also had much better grommets.

4. How did you attach the entire assembly to your rack?

I used a couple conduit hangers. They are basically a U shaped bracket with a hole on either side. I ran 2 smooth carriage screws out through the PVC, and put the conduit hangers around my rack tubing, securing it with a few nuts. If you would like, I'll take some pics tomorrow.

bfoxg8r...thanks for the added info! (no need for extra pics)
Your rig looks great...I dig the color coordinated awning and Disco!!