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New batwing awning

anyone have

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#11 NWCamper

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Posted 10 March 2017 - 05:53 AM

Alu-cab makes a sweet wrap around awning called the shadow. Similar to the one fwc is installing. Haven't seen one on a fwc yet but worth checking out
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#12 Aussiedor

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Posted 10 March 2017 - 07:02 AM

I called FWC.  The person I spoke with told me to get a Fiamma awning.  This person seemed to think Fiamma awnings would hold up better in rainy and snowy conditions.  


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#13 cvant

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 05:54 PM

Hi All,

I've built a pair of brackets to mount the Rhino-rack Foxwing awning to my new Fleet. After 20 inches of rain I am a little leery to start drilling holes in my new camper ( I have enough leaks to fix in the house already). This setup requires no modification to the camper.

I used two pieces of 36" long, 1" square 6061 aluminum bar as stands. The plates are bolted to the existing jack mounts, and are used as a standoff to hold these bars away from the camper a bit so that the roof can open without hitting the awning. The plates are 3/8" thick aluminum that I had around the shop. (I had already built and installed the front plates so that the jacks would clear the truck fenders anyways). I think that the photos pretty much show what's going on, but if you're interested I can give more details. I'll use it this way for a while and see how it goes. I can always make a set of brackets and bolt to the side of the camper if this doesn't work out, but it seems pretty solid. I will have to move the front roof clamp, but I have an idea for that so that I may not have to. If it works I'll let you know.

Attached Thumbnails

  • Mounted View.JPG
  • Inside Rear Bracket.JPG
  • Inner View.JPG
  • Front Bracket.JPG
  • Top Rear.JPG
  • Rear Bracket.JPG

Edited by cvant, 17 March 2017 - 10:26 PM.

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#14 Aussiedor

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Posted 18 March 2017 - 12:01 AM

@cvant Nice Job!!  


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#15 DavidGraves

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Posted 18 March 2017 - 03:30 AM

Howdy

 

Having just spent a month in our Hawk in south central Arizona and the Socall deserts, I gave lots of thought to awnings.

 

We often head to the southwest or Baja in the winter months when the sun is so low in the sky that, even at noon , an awning provides very little shade.......

 

It is far simpler to just move to the shady side of the camper !

 

I can only see really needing an awning for sun if one were camping in the desert in the summer...unlikely for me.

 

As for wind or rain protection, any awning we could attach to an FWC is not  gonna protect from getting wet.

 

My two cents,

 

David Graves

 

North Oregon Coast


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#16 slimboy51

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Posted 19 March 2017 - 05:18 PM

Great pictures ,thanks for posting them. We almost never travel with our camper legs on . Would your system work bolting the square tubing directly on to the brackets?


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#17 BrianG

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Posted 19 March 2017 - 06:15 PM

We spent a month in British Columbia last summer and it rained quite a bit, our Fiamma awning did a pretty good job keeping us and our stuff dry. We were very happy we had it, the rear awning allowed us a dry area to remove our shoes and coats. Nothings perfect, not going to work in a blowing rain storm. Rear awning only goes on trips when rain is something to be concerned with.
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2018 Ram 3500 Mega Cab 4x4 Diesel, 2015 Hawk Silver Spur Exterior, Front Dinette


#18 cvant

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Posted 20 March 2017 - 12:40 AM

Hi,

You can't bolt directly to the brackets as you need to have the posts stand off from the camper about 1", otherwise the stands or the locknuts on the back of the awning will hit the roof when it is raised and lowered. I made plates that would let me also use my jacks on the same plate as the stands as you can see. So I remove the jacks, but leave the plates. I think that you will need to do it this way too.

I also never travel with my jacks. Sometimes I don't even want the awning, and with this system you can remove it easily. I do wildlife photography at night in the desert (I live in San Diego), and the best time to do this is at watering holes in the heat of the summer. I set everything up in the afternoon. So I definitely need an awning in the summer, but not always in the winter. The shade of the camper just doesn't cut it for me when it's 110 degrees outside. (here's a photo just for the fun of it).

I've been thinking of an improvement where the two poles are each made with two pieces. One would be a sleeve that would slide over the top of the 1" pole. Then a single bolt / lock nut could be used on each stand to remove the awning.

After putting this all together, I did set up the awning. I was impressed with how big it is. It works as it should, and is solid as a rock.

Oh, and the stands are solid 1" aluminum, not tubing. You can find two 36" lengths on ebay for around $40.

Attached Thumbnails

  • Bat01.JPG

Edited by cvant, 20 March 2017 - 05:27 AM.

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#19 Wandering Sagebrush

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Posted 20 March 2017 - 01:00 AM

That is a wonderful (WONDERFUL!!!) photo! Wow!!!
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I am haunted by waters


#20 cvant

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Posted 20 March 2017 - 01:18 AM

Thanks! This was taken at the little pupfish pond near the campgrounds at Anza Borrego State Park. It's a Leaf-nosed Bat.
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