At a recent 4Wheel Parts Jeep and Truck Fest here in Edmonton, I managed to score a great deal on the Smitybuilt Overlander Awning. This 6.5′ x 6.5′ awning will provide a bit of shelter from the rain and heat of the sun during my overland excursions.
Installation is quite simple, and the Smitybuilt Awning kit includes everything you need for most roof racks.
There are two of these tube clamps and L brackets that you attach to your roof rack.
Once those are installed, the closed up awning section bolts onto these L brackets. The process might take you 5-10 minutes at most and will look like this when on those brackets and closed up.
Opening the awning is pretty easy, but at the same time a bit cumbersome for one person.
It looks good, and includes tie downs and pegs for use in windy conditions. I opted for the 4Wheel Parts “Extreme Warranty” for a no questions asked warranty against rips and tears – for the $20 this warranty cost, I’d highly recommend it. If you’d rather just save some money, check out Amazon.com for the Smitybuilt Awning there. Great price and fast shipping!
Nice write-up but a couple of questions I cannot find anywhere else:
1) Do you happen to have the installation instructions? I cannot find them anywhere…
2) I am building my own rack for my trailer and I am going to build a mounting plate so I am trying to determine how far apart to place the mounting holes (top and bottom) but I cannot find any dimensions to make sure I have them far enough apart. The bracket with be a 2″ x 2″ square with four holes (one at each corner) and I need to make sure the spacing is correct.
Thanks in advance for your help!