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Mounting ARB awning on 2018 FWC Hawk (12 steps)


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#1 River_Rat

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Posted 27 December 2018 - 08:06 PM

When we ordered our second Hawk from FWC we knew what we wanted from our previous camper, and we decided to save a little money on the awning. Instead of paying over $1K from the company for the really nice Fiamma, we decided to go with the cheaper ARB 2500mm awning after our purchase.

We looked around the WTW forums and interwebs for quite some time looking for someone who mounted an ARB 2500 bag awning to the side of their FWC, and came up with only one option that I wasn't found of. There are several posts of folks who used brackets and such, but none from folks who bolted through their campers for a direct/flush mount. Here is one other option for mounting: https://performanceg...r-wheel-camper/

Since we spent the time to do our mounting we documented the progress and post here in case anybody is thinking about doing it this way on their own to save some money. I would call this a moderate skill-level project only because of a few specialty tools needed, and of course I needed help from our son, who happened to be home from college for Christmas break. Here are the steps:

Step1) It helps when you order to make sure to tell the dealer that you are requesting the camper to be "Awning ready". This assures that they move the front latch forward so you can mount an 8' (2500mm) awning without having to relocate it yourself (leaving holes to fill)

Step2) Purchase the awning of your choice. There are several brands out there with equal quality, and many reviews are out on the internet. We chose the ARB brand because of the price and quality from multiple positive reviews. We purchased ours in September of 2018 from 4 Wheel Parts here in Sparks, NV. Total cost=$280 on a open house sale they were having. They have many stores nationwide to choose from, or you can get a similar deal on the internet (I found them to be very close and chose brick-n-mortar to support this business here locally)

Step3) Ditch the supplied bolts... Head down to Fastenall and pick up 6-ea M6 x 50mm stainless bolts (p/n 11545604), matching nylock nuts, and matching fender washers. Total cost=$18.95 retail. Although not square heads like the provided bolts, they will fit just fine inside the aluminum extrusion channel that comes on the ARB awning. The heads are similar dimensions.

Step4) Measure twice, cut once... As you can see from the pictures I drilled my holes so that the bolts fit up inside the metal extrusion about 6 to 8 inches to allow some adjustments prior to final fitting of the awning. For the center 2 holes I just measured one half way between the front and back holes. I started one inch down from the top trim of the FWC, and the holes are 1 7/8" apart. I recommend using a small center punch to dimple the metal skin of your camper so the drill bit won't walk on you. The area I chose was hollow at the top hole, and there was some insulation or other material on the bottom hole that I had to drill through. Luckily I found no wires with my drill bit in the areas the bolts would go through.

Rear, top hole marked by small yellow dot, lower hole exactly 1 7/8 below that one:

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Measurements from top trim. Notice 1" down from top trim, and 1 7/8" between holes:

gallery_7168_1290_1654200.jpg

Final rear holes drilled:

gallery_7168_1290_967419.jpg

View of rear holes from the inside:
gallery_7168_1290_2137738.jpg

Front, top hole marked with small yellow dot:


gallery_7168_1290_1249916.jpg


View of front holes from the inside:


gallery_7168_1290_1644220.jpg



Step5) Dry fit the awning to the side of the camper with care given to the sharp edges so as to not scratch the siding paint on your nice FWC. Once the awning is dry fitted you will notice the factory trim piece that needs dealt with (pic below).


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We chose to use a pneumatic die grinder tool to cut away the aluminum material from the extrusion piece of the awning. Mark it with a paint pen during the dry fit, and begin to cut the material away with the die grinder:

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After cutting the material away:


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Another side view of the material we removed to clear the factory trim:


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Step6) Dry fit the awning again to assure the trim will fit in the channel you created. Use care to not scratch the camper paint as there are some sharp edges on the extrusion piece of the awning.

Step7) Caulk inside of the hole you just cut, also run a couple of rows of caulking on the back face of the awning extrusion piece so it will seal and adhere to the side of your camper better.

Step8) Carefully fit the awning to the side of the camper by sliding the 6 bolts through the holes and assure the trim fits in the area you cut out. If things need adjusting, this is the step where you will move the awning fore or aft to assure it's in the exact place you want it to be. (warning: This step can get messy if you're not careful!)

Step9) Have your helper hold the awning while you attach the fender washers and nuts to the inside of the camper.

Step10) Use a hack-saw or die grinder to trim off any excess bolt after snugging down the awning. Don't forget to use a small file to catch any sharp edges from the cut you just made. You don't want your bed cushion, sleeping bag, bedding, etc to snag on any sharp edges.

Step11) Clean up any excess caulking that may have squished out when torquing down the bolts (don't over-tighten them, make them only snug so that there is no gap between the awning and camper. Some caulking should squish out). Vacuum up the millings from your drill bit.

Step12) I recommend running a bead of clear silicone on the top of your newly mounted awning to seal the gap. Also, I used some 303 on the awning bag at this point - "it's like SPF30 for your stuff."

Here are a few pictures of the final product:


gallery_7168_1290_1100158.jpg


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Overall, I'm very happy with the install. The only negative is that you have some bolt heads (much like the rear wall steps) showing on the inside of your camper. I know the awning isn't going anywhere while driving down the road, or when the wind blows. You will still have to use care when camping NOT to leave the awning deployed if you go on a walk-a-bout. I've seen folks leave them deployed on their RV's only to return from a walk and have the awning gone like a kite (torn off the side of their RV)

I hope this helps someone who is considering doing the same thing. Please let me know if I forgot something or if you need any more pictures of the install or camper.

Peace...

Edited by River_Rat, 29 December 2018 - 04:32 PM.

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#2 smlobx

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Posted 27 December 2018 - 08:36 PM

Very nice write up!

Did you use any oversized washers or backing plates on the inside?
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#3 River_Rat

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Posted 27 December 2018 - 08:46 PM

Yes, we used some heavy-duty SS fender washers for backing, sorry I missed uploading a few pictures of that.

 

Here is the rear set of bolts.  We left them long because we hang keys, shirts, etc. off of the bolt ends:

 

 

 

gallery_7168_1290_4632960.jpg

 

Here are 2 pictures of the center bolts, which are located just aft of the bed platform, and behind our paper-towel holder.  This set of bolts, and the front set were sawed flush to the nut, and filed smooth to avoid cuts and snags:

 

 

 

 

gallery_7168_1290_806588.jpg

 

gallery_7168_1290_2417363.jpg

 

 

I hope this helps.  Sorry I didn't snap any photo's of the front set.  I was too lazy to pop the top, but you get the idea. 


Edited by River_Rat, 27 December 2018 - 08:59 PM.

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#4 jlhois

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Posted 15 May 2020 - 03:09 PM

Excellent post!  Just installed my awning using exact same process.  Thanks for laying the groundwork and saving my time figuring it out on my own.  


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#5 River_Rat

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Posted 16 May 2020 - 05:22 AM

I'm glad it helped. I posted the process so as to return the favor for all the good help I've received on this forum over the years. Lots of good info on here.
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#6 Sloth?

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Posted 17 May 2020 - 05:46 AM

I have the same awning and have been scheming on how to mount it on my hawk. Thanks for the ideas. Any issue with having the clamps so far apart on that side? My clamps will both have to be moved so I have been cautious about jumping into it.
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#7 River_Rat

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Posted 17 May 2020 - 06:00 AM

No issues here. The factory does it on all campers with awnings, and those planning on adding one later if you ask. I've not heard or seen one issue or complaint anywhere I've navigated so far.
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#8 River_Rat

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Posted 19 April 2021 - 12:21 AM

In case anybody is curious, you'll have to be careful not to drill too close to the clearance light or risk cutting through the in-wall wires and creating an electrical short. Also if you're ordering a camper and plan to install an awning, be sure to tell the factory when you order it. They will make the camper "awning ready" by moving the passenger latch a little farther forward for you. Otherwise you'll have to move it yourself and plug some holes.

Glad this has been helpful to a few of you. We just used our awning all weekend and loved having it for shade.
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#9 zirkel

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Posted 03 May 2021 - 09:06 PM

I feel like I'm the odd guy out wanting to flush mount an awning by drilling holes through my camper.  Your finished product looks so clean and, hopefully, bombproof.  The Mule jack bracket extensions are so quick and easy to install, but also have their quirks.  And there's that $250 price tag!

 

I'll be mounting a 6' awning centered along the 6' portion of the camper, drilling TWO sets of holes.  That vertical trim piece shouldn't be an issue with my install to the rear of the camper.  And there's no outside lighting to contend with on my Fleet shell.

 

Thanks for posting this.


Edited by zirkel, 03 May 2021 - 09:08 PM.

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#10 Platano

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Posted 03 May 2021 - 11:17 PM

I followed RiverRat's "12 step" program for mounting my ARB 8' Awning and it has worked very well.  I did have to move the roof latch as my rig was not "awning ready."  


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2006 Tundra 4x4 Dbl Cab, 2012 FWC Hawk.





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