Awning Width Normal to Exceed Rack Length?

SilicaRich

Wandering Inverted
I'm currently considering an ARB awning (2000 X 2500) for my 2005 Jeep Wrangler TJ. I would plan to mount it on my Gobi rack but I'm curious of whether or not this is an issue; the length of the rack is 64" and the width of the awning is nearly 79". Is it normal for the awnings to sometimes exceed rack length, have no issues, and not look goofy or should I be looking at ARB's smaller 1250 awning (49" width). The massive price difference is another discussion entirely.

Thanks, G
 

lugueto

Adventurer
I think its pretty common..

Not the same awning/rack/vehicle setup as yours, but my SUV has a 1.80m (~71") roof rack and a 2m (~79") awning.

Looks fine, the awning sticks out just enough to fill the space between the roof rack and the edge of the A pillar when looked at directly from the side.
 

Ducky's Dad

Explorer
My rack is 60" long and my awning is 98" long. I have three Yakima crossbars on the truck shell, with the front one there to support the nose of the awning on the driver's side and the water tank on the passenger side. A short awning gives very little usable shade at any time other than mid-day.
 

SilicaRich

Wandering Inverted
Alright that is good to know, I kind of figured it might be something normal but wasn't sure. That being said, would y'all recommend getting the ARB 2000 X 2500 (79"x98" for $280) or 2500 X 2500m (98"x98" for $305)? I figure spending the extra $20 is probably worth the extra ~13 square feet of shade
 

lugueto

Adventurer
I'd get the biggest awning you can fit to your vehicle, for the reasons Ducky's Dad explained earlier.
 

Crikeymike

Adventurer
Yeah, it's pretty normal. Just set the mounting points out as wide as possible. A 3rd mounting point is always a good option too.

On some vehicles, it might be better to have the awning hang over the rear further than hanging over the windshield. If the awning catches on a tree or branch on a trail, it could bend or break off the mounts. Just something to think about when installing it.
 

SilicaRich

Wandering Inverted
Yeah, it's pretty normal. Just set the mounting points out as wide as possible. A 3rd mounting point is always a good option too.

On some vehicles, it might be better to have the awning hang over the rear further than hanging over the windshield. If the awning catches on a tree or branch on a trail, it could bend or break off the mounts. Just something to think about when installing it.

I went ahead and narrowed down my choice to the ARB 2500, which is the big boy to my understanding. Really appreciate that input, I was deciding whether I wanted to hang the awning beyond the windshield or rear. Looks like I'll probably have to switch the awning to the passenger side rather than my original idea on the driver side, just depends on how much the awning hanging over the rear will interfere with the use of the ladder.

Thanks Mike!

-G
 

SilicaRich

Wandering Inverted
So just to get a final opinion, I went ahead and called ARB. They went ahead and told me that they recommend the 2000 over the 2500, mentioned that if I had an LJ or a JKU the 2500 would probably be a better choice. The 2000 is route I'm going

So final question: ARB recommended using Fourtreks mounts, which to my understanding have a very good reputation. However, Gobi makes awning mounts and they were what I was originally considering. ARB guy said he had never heard of them, but based on photos said they seemed very stout (steel versus the aluminum Fourtreks mounts). Besides the materials, the major difference in how the mounts work is the Fourtreks actually wraps around one bar while the Gobi utilizes a more open clamp system (only thing the ARB guy said he felt he didn't like based on what he saw) that fastens securely to two bars. Price wise, they are nearly identical. Would you go with Fourtreks or Gobi? I'm more leaning towards Gobi since they are built specifically for the rack but I'm still on the fence.
 

Sierra Delta

New member
For what it's worth as a comparison, I have a Gobi rack with their axe/shovel mount on one side and hi-lift mount on the other. Both mounts are super solid and have given me no problems at all. It's not the same, since I'm not running an awning, but I have yet to be let down by Gobi's products.

good luck with your decision.
 

matches130

Organizer
I have the 2500 and it's longer than my rack too. It hangs past the front and rear. I bought angle brackets from the hardware store and mounted it myself without any issues.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Crikeymike

Adventurer
I have the 2500 and it's longer than my rack too. It hangs past the front and rear. I bought angle brackets from the hardware store and mounted it myself without any issues.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I mounted my first awning with brackets from Home Depot too, just had to drill to match the size of the awning channel. Now our awnings come with those brackets, so no time lost there.
 

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