24 replies to this topic

[A.Smith]

I have been reading everything I can find on Awnings. Seems a lot written years ago.

Any new comments ?

Brand ?  Fiamma ?  Where to purchase ?

Any and all help, pro and con wil help!

Thanks

 

Oh what I have learned.  There is so much information one this site !

I purchased the Fiamma 45s. Great.

I purchased a set of Das Mule brackets.  A, 9' 1/4"x4" plate of aluminum.

 

I did not want to drill into the camper, so like an article suggested I tried installing the awning to the aluminum plate.  Too much flex and twist.

 

I ended up bolting the awning to the camper with large sheet metal screws like the article by Stan from Four Wheel Campers.

 

Now I have a set of Das Mule brackets For Sale, going to be posted in Gear Exchange.

 

Thank You to all the posts and articles about awnings.

Edited by A.Smith, 26 February 2024 - 12:41 AM.

[goinoregon]

i put an alu cab 360 on my atc. it was great. bullet proof.  and covered door area.  not cheap.

[A.Smith]

Thanks, 

[Cpt Davenport]

We went with a product from KICKASS (silly name, great products). We needed to save on weight and this awning is only 24lbs and at a cost of only $199 (free delivery) we gave it a shot. Been using it now for over a year and it has kept us dry in the rain and shaded from the sun. It is easily deployed with one person, packing it back up is a snap and it has a dimmable led light in the track. We also have their shower enclosure mounted to the other side which has been working great as well. The foldable floor is also awesome so you are not standing in the mud when you shower. 

 

Price and weight comparison:

 

Faima awning: $1,575 @ 45lbs

 

Wraparound (bat wing) awning: $2,695 @ 58lbs

 

Lots of options out there, just need to pick one that fits your application and your budget. If I didn't mind the weight or the price, the wraparound sure is slick.

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Edited by Cpt Davenport, 21 December 2023 - 11:55 PM.

[A.Smith]

Fantastic, Thanks

[ExSwat]

I also have the 8' Ironman 4x4 awning...mounted on the Ironman 4x4 quick release brackets...stinking love it...

[fourwheeltristan]

https://www.alu-cab....-shadow-awning/

 

[Herbie]

Our previously-owned 2020 Hawk came with the Fiamma awning.  It's not necessarily what I would have picked for myself, but in retrospect, I'm really glad that's what's on there.

 

To explain - I had a hard-case awning on my GTRV camper van, and I found it exceedingly heavy and a little hard to use, so I switched out to the ARB bag-style awning.  I *really* liked the ARB - it was WAY lighter, was very easy to deploy, and had great accessories and parts support.  We ended up with the screen room, side-shades, etc., plus I was able to very easily replace a few parts after a surprise wind gust in the desert yanked out three guy lines and flipped it inside out, bending a couple of poles and breaking some of the pivot joints.  Cost me about $25 to replace all the broken stuff.  In short, ARB had earned my repeat business.

 

HOWEVER, when we got our Hawk Flatbed model, it immediately became apparent that the ARB style awning would never have worked for us - the rig is simply too tall!  I'd need to use the step-ladder just to reach the zipper, and I'm sure the poles would have come up short.  The accessories definitely would have come up short as we were near the edge of their "height range" when we had the awning on our lifted van. 

 

The Fiamma, in contrast, is VERY easy to deploy despite the height.  The included cranking-pole makes it a simple matter to deploy even when I'm solo (which is an important test), and the ease and security of the leg adjusters, etc. is all very solid. 

 

Stowing is ever slightly more complicated - there is one slightly tricky pivoting joint where the leg swivels into the case, and I can foresee that if that got jammed with grit and mungo the gorilla wasn't careful about applying force in the wrong direction with the long leg as a lever arm, I suppose one could damage that joint, but with a little mechanical empathy, it works well.

 

I still prefer the "straight out" style awnings since they seem to give "deeper" coverage.  The 270° awnings wrap around nicely, but they don't come out as far, so I find that often the only usable shade is right up against the wall of the truck.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Our previously-owned 2020 Hawk came with the Fiamma awning.  It's not necessarily what I would have picked for myself, but in retrospect, I'm really glad that's what's on there.

 

To explain - I had a hard-case awning on my GTRV camper van, and I found it exceedingly heavy and a little hard to use, so I switched out to the ARB bag-style awning.  I *really* liked the ARB - it was WAY lighter, was very easy to deploy, and had great accessories and parts support.  We ended up with the screen room, side-shades, etc., plus I was able to very easily replace a few parts after a surprise wind gust in the desert yanked out three guy lines and flipped it inside out, bending a couple of poles and breaking some of the pivot joints.  Cost me about $25 to replace all the broken stuff.  In short, ARB had earned my repeat business.

 

HOWEVER, when we got our Hawk Flatbed model, it immediately became apparent that the ARB style awning would never have worked for us - the rig is simply too tall!  I'd need to use the step-ladder just to reach the zipper, and I'm sure the poles would have come up short.  The accessories definitely would have come up short as we were near the edge of their "height range" when we had the awning on our lifted van. 

 

The Fiamma, in contrast, is VERY easy to deploy despite the height.  The included cranking-pole makes it a simple matter to deploy even when I'm solo (which is an important test), and the ease and security of the leg adjusters, etc. is all very solid. 

 

Stowing is ever slightly more complicated - there is one slightly tricky pivoting joint where the leg swivels into the case, and I can foresee that if that got jammed with grit and mungo the gorilla wasn't careful about applying force in the wrong direction with the long leg as a lever arm, I suppose one could damage that joint, but with a little mechanical empathy, it works well.

 

I still prefer the "straight out" style awnings since they seem to give "deeper" coverage.  The 270° awnings wrap around nicely, but they don't come out as far, so I find that often the only usable shade is right up against the wall of the truck.

Nice analysis, and I agree.  My only complaint about the Fiamma style awning is they rattle on rough roads, and it makes open window driving unpleasant.   Yes, you do need to be diligent when running the legs back in, and a stool makes life easier doing that on tall campers.

[Cpt Davenport]

I'm curious, do the Fiamma awnings have the ability to be lowered at the leading edge? We have found that by dropping ours ( Kickass) down and increasing the angle we can block out more sun. This has also come in handy when it is cold and snowing. It is easier to knock off the snow and with the front edge lower it creates a little pocket of warmth against the camper. We often huddle there in front of the LRC and the heat produced deflects back down on us.

Edited by Cpt Davenport, 19 January 2024 - 05:26 PM.