Thoughts on an awning

[MacGyver]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

ohhhhhh yea...an upgraded version of the Hickman with more power! Photos of it in action when completed please.

Looks like the project is a bust. It was based on a bilge blower fan. When I put the 4 to 2 inch adapter on it, it restricted the airflow too much. The original Hickman still remains the King! Then again, the open airflow of the bilge blower worked great on my last trip, just without the "cool factor".

[Happy Joe]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

For headers (and other high flow applications) I use exhaust pipe reducers, they have a small gradual diameter reduction.. 4" to 3.5 or 3" (although they still reduce flow)... think Venturi not pipe reducers.
(edit); the problem might be a propeller style fan in the blower, I found that squirrel cage fans develop more pressure to deal with bends and restrictions... back in the computer over clocking days.

For fire starting I just use gelled alcohol (since trioxane tabs became hard to find); not really any cool factor, but after everyone else has given up (usually after fireballs, often with singed eyebrows) a table spoon or so of the "Magic Juice", on a well built kindling base, works.

Enjoy!

[markkee]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

If you're looking to minimize the poles, believe me, you don't need anything beyond the uprights. I set up with a tarp over a ridge line strung between two trees (or posts when I'm in an open site), but the concept is the same as what you're looking to do. High to lower to keep rain from pooling. Maybe a picture would help make it clearer what I'm trying to describe. And, yes, bungees on all the lines has kept me from damaging tarps that, in bad weather, would have otherwise collapsed. Setting up this way has gotten me through every kind of weather except heavy snow.

Great photo and amazing set up! What is the shape of your tarp as it does not appear to be a square or rectangle? My wife wants a tarp for sun shade and protection from rain. I like the ARB awning. However, where one parks and where one wants to set up camp and relax don't always agree.

[markkee]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

You guys really have me thinking about building an inexpensive ARB style van awning. Here is an idea. I can either use suction cups or magnets on my van to hold the tarp. I search online for boat tarps and there are a lot of options. However, in the side bar advertisements I found automotive magnets for tail gates. I can get a tarp for under $10 at Harbor Freight.





Can someone post some ideas how to make the awning poles? PVC? Seems inexpensive. If it gets too windy, I cut bait and pack up. We are not Overlanders on the Expedition Portal. My wife is a princess and needs the comforts to keep her camping. This awning project is something that will make her enjoy camping even more.

[Happy Joe]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

I have made poles out of 3/4" EMT (conduit) but they were quite heavy & bulky. Conduit connectors work to join sections (necessary if packing 40 feet into a 6 foot wide Jeep).

After much time and research I found that making high quality telescoping poles to not work particularly well. Metal tubing often has internal welds and PVC, besides being very flexible, has relatively large gaps between sizes that will slide inside one another.
https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/5-...escoping-tube/
http://www.rondexter.com/professiona...e_and_tube.htm

I did find that painter's extension poles are available in many lengths and prices;
http://www.lowes.com/pl/Extension-po...nt/4294729359I

Amazon has a few replacement telescoping tent poles available;
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ping+tent+pole

My supporting poles are some antique, spring pin, telescoping, Stansport poles that I modified by cutting off the tapered end and pressing in some turned, bored and threaded aluminum stock.


Before pop up/e-z /Fast-up canopies became relatively cheap I made some canopies using the above poles and flattening then drilling one end of each piece of conduit (for a top frame. The result as not taught enough to get water to roll off so it became a lake. To eliminate this I got some fiberglass dome tent replacement poles (which are among the missing) and used them to make a dome top. By using tight guy lines the result was quite functional though I jumped on an inexpensive canopy from wallymart when the price became semi reasonable (less than $100 on sale).

IMO buying one is a better option if you have the room for the additional load.

Hope it helps...
Enjoy!

[MacGyver]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

I found that squirrel cage fans develop more pressure to deal with bends and restrictions

Funny - I was looking at McMasterCarr's site last night, looking for squirrel cage blowers.

...since trioxane tabs became hard to find...

Damn shame you don't live near me. I took a real beating on the shipping when I bought a case of Trioxane years ago, but I've been selling them on Craigslist ever since and will still probably die before I use 'em all up. If you ever plan to come to Maryland, let me know(?)

[MacGyver]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

Great photo and amazing set up! What is the shape of your tarp as it does not appear to be a square or rectangle? My wife wants a tarp for sun shade and protection from rain. I like the ARB awning. However, where one parks and where one wants to set up camp and relax don't always agree.

Thank you. That is a plain old rectangle tarp. The dip in front might be what makes it appear to be a catenary cut. I guess it's because I found a way to hang straight cut tarps that I never understood the need for a cat cut. They're insanely priced for one thing and, at least to me, don't offer quite as much protection.

[MacGyver]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

Can someone post some ideas how to make the awning poles? PVC? Seems inexpensive.

Cheap, sure - but the durability, stability and bulk factors don't make it worth using. By the time you get poles sturdy enough to hold up, you're wasting a of of space in your vehicle. Go to smaller diameters and you get wobbly structures that can get damaged in wind and rain. If you do any Winter camping, PVC is definitely out because it doesn't deal with cold well at all. UV light is also an issue over the long haul...

[Happy Joe]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

You guys really have me thinking about building an inexpensive ARB style van awning. Here is an idea. I can either use suction cups or magnets on my van to hold the tarp. I search online for boat tarps and there are a lot of options. However, in the side bar advertisements I found automotive magnets for tail gates. I can get a tarp for under $10 at Harbor Freight.



[ATTACH=CONFIG]5803[/ATTACH]

Can someone post some ideas how to make the awning poles? PVC? Seems inexpensive. If it gets too windy, I cut bait and pack up. We are not Overlanders on the Expedition Portal. My wife is a princess and needs the comforts to keep her camping. This awning project is something that will make her enjoy camping even more.

Here is one of the better (IMO , simple = good) vehicle attached, side tarp awning designs from over at Expedition Portal (yes, I frequent that site too).
http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...03#post2131103

Edit; here is the semi famous less than $100 awning thread; from expedition portal...
http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...ght=diy+awning

Not really useable for me but still good ideas.

Enjoy!

[MacGyver]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

I gotta ask - Why would you want to attach anything like an awning to your vehicle? I mean beer runs, ice runs and, of course, emergencies - all delayed to disassemble it. Not as big an issue as the rooftop tents that I quickly dismissed, but still...

[James.]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

You guys really have me thinking about building an inexpensive ARB style van awning. Here is an idea. I can either use suction cups or magnets on my van to hold the tarp. I search online for boat tarps and there are a lot of options. However, in the side bar advertisements I found automotive magnets for tail gates. I can get a tarp for under $10 at Harbor Freight.



[ATTACH=CONFIG]5803[/ATTACH]

Can someone post some ideas how to make the awning poles? PVC? Seems inexpensive. If it gets too windy, I cut bait and pack up. We are not Overlanders on the Expedition Portal. My wife is a princess and needs the comforts to keep her camping. This awning project is something that will make her enjoy camping even more.

I have been mentally working on an idea to use electrical conduit as poles. I need to check my supply house to see if they have the fitting I need for the top. If not there is a plumbing fitting that should work. I figure that the poles on the sides only have to be 6'6" with the center pole(s) being around 8'. Since the emt comes in 10' sticks and I have an 8' bed it won't be a problem for me. If I do need to make the poles shorter or adjustable then 3/4" emt for the base with 1/2" on the top. Holes drilled into the sections of pipes with cotter pins to hold them in place should do the trick.

I just need to find a little time to actually DO it and work out the finer details.

[Happy Joe]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

I gotta ask - Why would you want to attach anything like an awning to your vehicle? I mean beer runs, ice runs and, of course, emergencies - all delayed to disassemble it. Not as big an issue as the rooftop tents that I quickly dismissed, but still...

This is one of the things where I personally wouldn't.. although a lot of "overlanders", especially those with roof top tents seen to want to...

Edit; I can see something like this for those that tailgate cook, or camp out of their vehicle... In every way as valid a form or recreation as what I do, IMO.

I enjoy making a base camp and actually exploring the surrounding country on foot or wheeling; usually get more than enough "road time" on the highway getting there, myself.

Enjoy!

[markkee]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

This is one of the things where I personally wouldn't.. although a lot of "overlanders", especially those with roof top tents seen to want to...

Edit; I can see something like this for those that tailgate cook, or camp out of their vehicle... In every way as valid a form or recreation as what I do, IMO.

I enjoy making a base camp and actually exploring the surrounding country on foot or wheeling; usually get more than enough "road time" on the highway getting there, myself.

Enjoy!

I don't want the permanent ARB style awning. Sometimes we dig in for a few days and want to relax in the national forest or BLM. My Ford E350 Extended Van is HUGE. The magnets can stay on the vehicle 24/7. When we want to base camp, I whip out the poles and the el 'cheapo blue tarp to have some shade.

I have a solar panel on the roof, run a 62 quart ARB fridge/freezer. No need to make beer or food runs as we can go more than a week without resupplying.

[markkee]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

I gotta ask - Why would you want to attach anything like an awning to your vehicle? I mean beer runs, ice runs and, of course, emergencies - all delayed to disassemble it. Not as big an issue as the rooftop tents that I quickly dismissed, but still...

In the event of an emergency, keep the magnets and leave the tarp and poles. It's not going to be a $300 ARB awning. I have a 62 quart ARB fridge/freezer that holds enough beer and beef for a week. We like to stealth camp in luxury.

I don't camp in any place more than a few days. We sleep in the van on platform beds. I can set up camp in minutes. I sometimes break camp while my kids and wife are sleeping. The awning will barely slow us down.

[Happy Joe]

Re: Thoughts on an awning

I don't want the permanent ARB style awning. Sometimes we dig in for a few days and want to relax in the national forest or BLM. My Ford E350 Extended Van is HUGE. The magnets can stay on the vehicle 24/7. When we want to base camp, I whip out the poles and the el 'cheapo blue tarp to have some shade.

I have a solar panel on the roof, run a 62 quart ARB fridge/freezer. No need to make beer or food runs as we can go more than a week without resupplying.

Go for it!
You will probably need a tarp and at least 2 poles and some cord or ratchet straps for tie down... the more tension you can put on the tie downs the less belly the tarp will have; a ridgeline stretched below the tarp is about the only way to minimize the belly (unless the poles are on diagonal corners).
Consider putting the poles on diagonal corners to get a ridgeline that allows any rain to roll off (rectangular thinking often results in the tarp filling with water, even a heavy dew can be significant... responsible for more than one tarp collapse and/or unexpected cold shower).

Haven't done it but I did see a pic somewhere of some (1/2", I think) setscrew conduit connectors that were modified by grinding/filing to fit inside 3/4" EMT (conduit) to make a pole using 1/2" and 3/4" EMT.

Magnets might work on the vehicle side but I would expect scratched paint and I would also expect them to slide as the tarp is tensioned... try it and see.... conduit is cheap as are ratchet straps at Harbor Freight (especially on sale).

As I said I pretty much gave up on tarps for shade/ rain shelter when I got a 4 legged 10 x10 (really 9 ft 9 inches square) canopy...although it may not work for you.
Packs in a rectangular bundle 4 feet long by 8x9.6 inches square(without pegs); guessing at 40 - 50 pounds weight. Be wary of slant leg canopies as the sixe seems to be measured at the base of the splayed legs.
The web shows an $89 price right now for the straight legged canopy from wallymart Setup with 2 people is easy (kind of a pain with one).


Enjoy!