I'd like to see pics of your awnings. I picked up some Military Canvas and need to see ideas as to how i want to mount/support it. I kind of like the Hannibal freestanding system, but not sure how well that design holds up to heavy wind. Are there negatives with a solid freestanding design weightwise?

Also, would like details on non freestanding styles, such as how it's attached to vehicle and how your supporting the ends.

I google'd the Hannibal awning, it's pretty nice looking.
I could see in higher winds it acting like a lever on your vehicle though and it might make sleeping in a rooftop tent a bit interesting. :laughing:

Ok this was my first one:

ARB / Opensky awning (http://www.bushranger.com.au/rooftop_tents.php)

I sold it to a friend who has it on his Nissan GU Patrol now. It is pretty long mounted along the side of the a smaller vehicle like my Challenger or your Cherokee. More suited to a Landcruiser 100 series or a Nissan GU Patrol.

http://images.jonhammond.net/challenger/awning1.jpg

http://images.jonhammond.net/challenger/awning3.jpg

http://images.jonhammond.net/challenger/awning4.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2481911761_5934034951_o.jpg

This is the custom awning I got made up out of 14oz canvas.

I have zips on all three outer sides so I can zip on extra canvas sections to extend the awning or drop the down sections toward the ground as a weather shield.

On the side that attaches to the car it has cord sewn into the canvas and slides into an aluminium sail track mounted to the roof rack.

On either side of the awning it has extendable poles and across the front as well which keeps it all taught.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/2547793012_9c46f1f771_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2148/2546970173_1bde5c800c_o.jpg

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8395/customawning1ne9.jpg

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/3975/customawning2do2.jpg

Sorry about the pictures - I'll try to get some close ones of how it mounts and goes up etc.

I'd like to see pics of your awnings. I picked up some Military Canvas and need to see ideas as to how i want to mount/support it. I kind of like the Hannibal freestanding system, but not sure how well that design holds up to heavy wind. Are there negatives with a solid freestanding design weightwise?

Also, would like details on non freestanding styles, such as how it's attached to vehicle and how your supporting the ends.

Both the ARB/Opensky and my custom awning are free standing. When its windy you have the option of pegging down loops at the bottom of the uprights, and also running tent line from the top of the poles and pegging it down. When it's setup like this it's not going to budge. Though most of the time we just have them free standing without needing to peg them down.

My custom canvas awning seems to be a lot stronger than the ARB/Opensky I had.

To attach it to the car I have a length of aluminium sail track. Basically a strip of flat aluminium with a c shaped groove down the middle. The canvas is folded over and has a rope chord sewn into it. This then slides down the sail track and wont come out.

I'll get some better pictures for you of mine when I get a chance.

Where might someone find this 'sail track' ?

An RV shop or marine supply place should be able to get something like that. It's basically the same thing as the top retainer on the windshield of a Jeep CJ, only in aluminum.

I'm not really sure in the US but here its easily available from large hardware stores. I believe sign making companies also use it to hang big canvas banners etc.

Thanks for the pics, Mate!

I like the custom setup you had done, with the side walls you could be really isolated from weather if needed. Whats the dimensions? 8'x10' or 10'x10'?

So let me see if i have my mind wrapped around this right. Both of your awnings had 3 support rods/poles, one along each side. And then support poles to the ground on both far corners. Correct? It looks like thats how the fabric is kept taut so water accumulation doesnt become an issue.

You store all this rolled up in the white PVC tube?

Does anybody know where to get good mounting hardware for cheap to make a custom awning? I am going to go to home depot this weekend and try to rig something together with poles and painters tarp or regular plastic tarp. if all else fails I am going to end up with a bunch of conduit poles, some orange clamps, tent stakes rope and 3 plastic tarps (one for the ground, one for the awning, and one for shits and giggles) Im looking for something basic and cheap and it has to work with my junk factor rack. heres my rendering
Yellow is rope, red is tent pole blue is tarp green is clamps.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a11/deltaclothingco/awning-1.jpg

i would make it all roll up into a piece of abs that could be strapped down to the roof when not in use. I know it kinda seems ghetto but thats why i've renamed my truck to mcghetto w/ cheese

ARB 8 foot Awning
http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/43145/2236455220034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2236455220034696539LKQyaU)

Mombasa 6.5 foot awning
http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/43224/2654877880034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2654877880034696539FqKKsK)

Both are made in the same factory in China.

Fiamma F35 Pro awning
http://inlinethumb57.webshots.com/6904/2801848500034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2801848500034696539nuYvcN)

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/24664/2692145600034696539S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2692145600034696539ygSJKG)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2148/2546970173_1bde5c800c_o.jpg


I don't really know anything about Australia other than what I've seen on Discovery Channel, but doesn't that arrangement leave you a bit vulnerable to BIG predators? We do have bears and wolves in North America, but for the most part, tent intrusions are rare when humans are present. Is it the same there with your animals?

Here is what I was playing with. My wife gave birth to our daughter the weekend I started on this so it still needs some fine tuning to make it complete. I think the entire thing was less than $20.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Canopy/DSC06992.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Canopy/DSC06993.jpg

Door opens and it stays up by itself. As you can see after some rain it'll be a pain. I was thinking some shock cord going to the diagonals to keep the tarp from sagging. A larger tarp would be nice but I think it would be a lot more work. The sport shade one doesn't look to be any bigger.

I don't really know anything about Australia other than what I've seen on Discovery Channel, but doesn't that arrangement leave you a bit vulnerable to BIG predators? We do have bears and wolves in North America, but for the most part, tent intrusions are rare when humans are present. Is it the same there with your animals?

What big predators!

its the little poison ones you have to worry about!
with the exception of dingo's who leave you well alone there is nothing really that would take you, wild dogs and cats maybe otherwise

crocs up north, snakes, spiders ants ect are what you want to avoid:D

In keeping up with the OD theme i picked up some GI puptent halves from a fellow at EXPO. Used a few cheap poles i had lying around which will be replaced eventually.

I have some more work to do but this will work. I opted for a rear deploy until i get the trailer finished. I'll also extend my roofrack trying to copy a Hannibal setup with this material.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d24/ExpeditionXJ/Johnnyspics023.jpg

I don't really know anything about Australia other than what I've seen on Discovery Channel, but doesn't that arrangement leave you a bit vulnerable to BIG predators? We do have bears and wolves in North America, but for the most part, tent intrusions are rare when humans are present. Is it the same there with your animals?

Dude are you serious?:D

Crocs are the only real danger and sides on an awning wont stop them.
Dingos will come into a camp to steal food if they have been fed by tourists.

Im thinking about one of these Foxwing awnings by Oztent. Much better and only a 20 dollars more than the ARB

http://au.oztent.com/products/ViewProduct.asp?ProductID=166

I like that:smokin:


This is the custom awning I got made up out of 14oz canvas.

I have zips on all three outer sides so I can zip on extra canvas sections to extend the awning or drop the down sections toward the ground as a weather shield.

On the side that attaches to the car it has cord sewn into the canvas and slides into an aluminium sail track mounted to the roof rack.

On either side of the awning it has extendable poles and across the front as well which keeps it all taught.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/2547793012_9c46f1f771_o.jpg

[.

http://www.jeepolog.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5945&d=1189589451

Simple green-house shad mash 90% blocking , 2 used tent poles for the corners and 1 center.
Size is 5X6m.
conected to the front&rear bumper.

5 min asembly and total cost of 25$