How to build a quality awning for less than $100

[evldave]

Actually no. I've done that in the past. I was thinking pretty much what you had done just using the cheaper materials. I already have some old extendable poles.

Ahhh, now I see what you meant Yeah, I've thought that would be a way to keep the costs down even more (a $7 tarp instead of $30).

In reality I prefer an easy up or my screen house most times. We usually set up a base camp and the vehicles are in and out wheeling. Makes a vehicle awning impractical a lot of times. In the heavy eastern forests we wheel in the chances of the awning (of any sort) getting caught on branches and brush while wheeling is high as is the damage factor. This is the main reason I hadn't pursured it yet. Might be nice for beach trips though. keep up the good work. Can't wait for your next project.

We have the same issue here in Washington, lots of overhanging branches, narrow trails, and potential for damage. It's one of the deciding factors of doing it 'cheap' if I cause any damage it's not like I broke anything uber-valuable, and replacement parts are easy to find. Here's a link to a video of part of the trip a few of us went on end of July, amazingly enough, after a lot of similar stuff, the cheapo awning survived with a couple scratches but no cuts (whew).



That said, I'm working on 'protection' to reduce the opportunity for damage. But yeah, it's an issue :smilies27

As for the screen room...bleh, I've toyed with this back and forth...pretty much everyone I know has one, and they are great, very quick setup, portable around camp, and you don't have to put away when you go exploring from base camp (which we like to do as well, hence me getting a trailer). I also do a lot of drive-camp-drive-camp-drive trips, and was worried about the setup/takedown time.

Here's where I ended up (at least for today, this will probably change next time I go camping):

Rooftop awnings v Portable canopies:

PRO Awning

• Always ready to go
• Low footprint in/on vehicle
• 'Expo' coolness factor

CON Awning

• Exposed to elements/damage
• Somewhat complicated setup
• More expensive

PRO Canopy

• Ease of setup
• Portability around camp
• Cost

CON Canopy

• Heavy
• Bulky

From a setup/takedown perspective, it's nearly a wash for time. Once I come up with my cheapo protection, the awning itself will be protected by the roof rack and other stuff. Building it myself made the costs pretty similar.

Ultimately (at least for now), I made my decision on one factor:

The pop-up canopies take up room that can be used to bring more beer :beer::beer::beer:

You're talking screen so I'll give you another cheapy idea. Flexible magnets from refridgerator door seals at the land fill. Easy to sew into the edge of many types of cloth construction. Nice way to seal to the body. I've used them on several projects.

AWESOME IDEA!! I've used velcro and snaps in the past and wanted something a little easier...magnets are the way to go!

 

[theindian]

My screenhouse is not real quick to set up. It dates back to the dinosaur days! But it's still hanging in there. I'll do something different when it dies. Which probably won't be long. Here is a pic of it in a campground.

I had thought about making my awning easy on and off. You could probably make it so that it would insert into a 4" or 6" PVC pipe with end caps on the rack like electricians use on the trucks to carry emt and such. That would add a lot of protection but add to set up time. Now if you caught that tube on a serious branch you might loose the whole roof rack. LOL

Another use for those magnets is to stick a couple on the outside of your oil filter just in case. Makes any metal in the oil stay in the filter. Not that there should be any there but it has happened.

I thought about the 4" pvc pipe but i was thinking of cutting it down the middle and using piano hinge and a latching system. Didnt get that far into the build. Not sure how one would make it water tight though and it would add alittle more weight. But you would still have to watch the trees, guess if it did get riped off you could use the extra magnets to reattach the rack.LOL

 

[theindian]

I'd looked at the Mr Longarm too...couldn't find any at the local HD/Lowes in 4-8', just 3-6' which wasn't long enough for what I was planning.

I LOVE your swingarm setup...I remember seeing that elsewhere on here (or maybe one of the Hummer forums?). Some serious ingenuity there!

Thanks evildave, I really liked the Mr. longarm it was pretty heavy duty construction its way more sturdy than the ones on the arb. If anything happens to the arb pole I will mod them into the arb. I also use popup canopy in open areas where there is little shade they work pretty good I think it was just under$100 at walmart. There great to sleep in when its nice out and it puts you closer to the cooler:beer:

 

[Token]

I heard quick fists were the bomb! Then I bought a couple and used them for a custom bike rack on my truck and after less than a year in the sun they had decayed so much one of the mounts broke, just randomly. YMMV but I'm not sold on quick fists anymore as anything other than a disposable item (re-usable zipties might be a better alternative if you want a temporary mount).

First time I heard of them was several years back.. A guy with an H2 I knew out in AZ had a highlift strapped to his Gobi rack... Had been up there for 3 years and had no problems with them under the AZ sun.. I've got two hagning off my rack right now I used to use to keep a shovel held on with.. Haven't had a shovel on 'em in over a year, but they seem to be holding up pretty well..

Wonder if maybe you got ahold of a batch from some rubber that wasn't UV stable or something..

 

[Xterabl]

So, I was *sourcing* parts at Lowe's today and found this all-aluminum 4' - 8' extension pole:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_121485-1633...br|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

For just $11.

Also, for $22, there is this fiberglass+aluminum 4' - 8' extension pole:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_40204-1199-3208_4294766281+5003697+5003696_4294937087_?productId=1085593&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_10%2B15_4294766281%2B5003697%2B5003696_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=$15%20-%20$25|$10%20-$15

These poles are MUCH stronger than the all-aluminum ones, but the drawbacks I'm aware of are:
(1) more expensive, and (2) the knurled knob for locking the extension in place is of a much larger diameter, which could cause problems when packing it away.

So, I thought to myself: perhaps, as a compromise, I can use two of the all aluminum poles and two of the fiberglass + aluminum poles.
So then the question is: what would benefit the overall strength of the awning more: having the beefier poles located horizontal along the sides of the awning, tying its base to the extended end; or, would the awning benefit more by having beefier vertical support poles at the end of the awning?

By the way, the handle-side of these extension poles are slotted, which might possibly work with the bimini thingies, with perhaps some minor grinding (no, not that kind of grinding), and the business-end is threaded for paint brush roller attachments which could be cut off, in a certain way, resulting in a sort of prong that could go into the EMT holes.

Any (err, most) thoughts are appreciated.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Could also just buy this for $90 http://www.kirkhams.com/nylon-tents-shades/kirkhams-auto-canopy/

 

[Xterabl]

Hmmm...tempting. But after looking at all the pics, it seems to me that for $10 more and some labor (which is actually fun for some), evldave's solution is stronger and higher quality. Right off the bat, one clear advantage is guy lines aren't requisite....

 

[theindian]

Hmmm...tempting. But after looking at all the pics, it seems to me that for $10 more and some labor (which is actually fun for some), evldave's solution is stronger and higher quality. Right off the bat, one clear advantage is guy lines aren't requisite....

I agree totally that home made is most often built better, and is more fun working out all the different details of a build. I would have finished my awning if not for lack of time. I was headed on vacation had three days to build the swingarm for the awning. I think dave has nailed it on his design and just has to workout all the little details to finish up. And most times expense has little to do when one starts a project. Many time a project can cost more than just going out and picking up a finished product. Speaking for myself i like seeing what I can come up with and become obsessed until the project is complete.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I was just making a suggestion, I build my own stuff most of the time.

 

[Xterabl]

Oh, it was a good find. Sorry for not stating so explicitly. I think noone was going for any kind of attack mode.
Thank you for posting it!

Anyways, I build my stuff too...I tell the wife how much money we'll save by going custom. Of course after versions 1, 2, 3, ...XYZ, the cost becomse...well, you get the picture (the wife does too, but thankfully she understands my inner workings!). The up-side is that inevitably, learning is achieved...which will *theoretically* help reduce the cost of the next custom build.

 

[LandyAndy]

I'm currently building a... erm... version of a Hannibal awning for my D2. Would have purchased the D90/110 rear one but when it's open it's not long enough to cover the rear door (D90's quite a bit shorter than a D2's). This is the frame work being fabricated to fit to my Voyager roof rack :

So, now I need a cover... ok.... time to buy a semi-industrial sewing machine (dear)

http://www.sailrite.com/Ultrafeed-LSZ-1-Walking-Foot-Sewing-Machine

All in all.... it'll cost a more than just getting the off the shelf one but I've already started on the side awning, then there are the custom covers for the patio chairs the wife wants.... the covers for the lounge sofa for winter.... the list goes on.... and making your own stuff is also very

 

[evldave]

Hey all, sorry I haven't responded much to this thread...was gone this last weekend and been busy around the house.

So, I was *sourcing* parts at Lowe's today and found this all-aluminum 4' - 8' extension pole:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_121485-16330...r|1&facetInfo=

For just $11.

This is a great deal! I was looking at using twist-lock style arms, but couldn't find any that would keep me under $100...I think even though these might have 'thick' knobs for tightening, the ones I looked at are pretty close to the cheapo wal-mart ones I have...and would be better for a solid extension - the tension ones from WW are a bit of a pain to use.

I honestly would go with all aluminum, it might be slightly heavier, but I would trust the aluminum from a strength perspective. I would suggest using them for the vertical support - that's the one place you don't want any 'collapse' of the awning, although since they are so cheap, you could use them for all 4 extension poles.

I'm currently building a... erm... version of a Hannibal awning for my D2. Would have purchased the D90/110 rear one but when it's open it's not long enough to cover the rear door (D90's quite a bit shorter than a D2's).

You are channeling my next version I can't wait to see yours! Do you have a build thread? Can you post more pictures? I've looked at making my own fabric awnings, and can't justify the cost of the machine, especially when my mom has one of those knitting thingy's you hook up to a computer and it can sew 6 layers of denim...should work great once I switch from 'cheap ghetto' to 'expensive ghetto' lol

Could also just buy this for $90 http://www.kirkhams.com/nylon-tents-...s-auto-canopy/

I looked at some similar to this, and chose not to go that route. The primary reason is the lack of rigid horizontal support of the awning - basically you are using tension on the guy wires to maintain a horizontal edge of the awning.

For sun protection, that would work great! However here in the PNW, I also have to account for rain, and my experience has been that relying on the guy wires to tension the edges of the awning doesn't work - the weight of the water will cause the edges to sag, either dumping water on you or allowing water to pool in the center of the awning. There's just not enough strength in the line+stakes to hold the weight of the water on the top without sag (even with the top angled, I've never been successful using guy wires).

So that is a legit solution for sun protection, but I chose to avoid it because of my local issues. If you are just looking for sun, I say go for it!


Now that I've got a little free time this week, I should have the rear awning off the back of the truck finished up. I couldn't make up my mind on the size I wanted (6x8 or 8x10), so I'm gonna go with cheapo blue tarp + my hardware to hold everything together. I should be able to get an 8' wide awning off the back of the truck, fully supported, but have it pack down to 4' wide and rolled up so it fits across the rear of my roof rack. As always, pictures (hand drawn and maybe even real pictures) will be forthcoming

As a note: The rear awning will likely come in slightly more than $100. This is because I need to buy 6 extension poles and 1 EMT conduit instead of 4 extension poles and 2 EMT conduits (conduii?). Plus the tarp will likely be more in the end too.

 

[Xterabl]

Thanks for the response, evldave, and your thoughts. I think I've settled on a design (2X 4-8' fiberglass / aluminum extensions for the header and footer, and 4x all-aluminum for the vertical and side supports). My goal is to make an 8' awning that packs down to 4' long when stowed, since it becomes much more difficult to mount >4' on my truck. So, maybe something similar to what you have in mind for your rear-facing awning...will be interesting to compare notes. I am not sure if I will need a 3rd support pole for the extended part of the pole mounted to my truck (which would be located up near the front wheel fender)...which will be secured for 4 of the 8 feet to the roof rack. But this is something I think I can wait to decide on.
Also, I'm very interested in any kind of waterproof bag you've been able to find for these things, which you alluded to earlier. I've searched a bit but haven't found anything that has the right geometry (long, slender).

But first, I need to build my custom roof rack so that I have something to mount it to. This has been set in motion with some parts currently on order, but my day job will be keeping me extremely busy these next 2 months, so who knows when what will be complete (and I'm still finishing up with onboard water at the moment...sheesh, where the heck has the summer gone???).

 

[LandyAndy]

You are channeling my next version I can't wait to see yours! Do you have a build thread? Can you post more pictures? I've looked at making my own fabric awnings, and can't justify the cost of the machine, especially when my mom has one of those knitting thingy's you hook up to a computer and it can sew 6 layers of denim...should work great once I switch from 'cheap ghetto' to 'expensive ghetto' lol

Here is the build thread on OLC.....

http://www.overlandcanada.com/forum/showthread.php?t=914

As you'll note in the thread the cost (labor) to have a canvas cover made was almost 50% the cost of the machine, then I have a side awning, mods to my RTT cover & storage bags to make. All in all, buying the machine will be a long term investment & as we live 3hrs from the nearest 'real' city I can see it'll be earning some beer tokens too

Sort of working on that & the new welding table & modifying an old (1950's) ski lift chair for the house, for the boss.... keep her happy & I get to play in the shop :wings:

 

[vikingsigns]

Here is my trailer awning. This is a 19 foot Winnebego awning that I bought for a $20.00 from a scrap yard (damaged), combined with some poles (picnic shelter) that I bought from a re-use center for a couple of bucks. I cut the awning down to 8 feet and have enough left to do it again. The connectors are schedule 80 PVC tubing. Some welded square tube for the trailer brackets and I'm in 8' x 12' shade for about $50.00. But I got pretty lucky on the Winnebego find.