Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

I'm looking at doing a diy awning, preferably one which does not require supporting poles from the ground (although this is not my main criterion)

Ideally I would like one that swings out, similar to the foxwings, rather than one which rolls up. What I really need are ideas around the hinge mechanism I could potentially use, and ideas around how the awning material could be stowed away

This would be for an African Outback roofrack.

Henk I have seen yours but it doesn't quite fit my requirements..

The ones without poles should last until the first Western Cape wind storm!

I have 'designed' one in my head, but never got around to it.
My design was something like this:

• mini-gutter (as per caravans) fixed to side of roof rack
• ripstop canopy with 'rope' to thread through this mini gutter.
• 3m long (or as long as your rack is) x 2.5m wide canopy
• centre ridge pole (from rack to centre down pole). This ensures that canopy drains and does not sag.
• 3 (adjustable length) poles at centre and corners
• zips at both side and front, should I want to add sides or front to the canopy.
• NB A 'flap' / wind breaker which runs from the mini-gutter to the roof gutter (with means of fastening it in place) to prevent wind & rain from entering between mini gutter and Pajero's roof.
• a wind breaker to seal off the wind blowing underneath the vehicle
• canvas bag with longitudinal zip into which all will pack, to be strapped to roof rack

I have not had a 'real' awning, but have made my own Heath Robinson ones with canvas.

My experience tells me that the following issues need to be addressed:

• sagging due to the canopy not draining properly. That's why I suggest the adjustable poles and centre 'ridge' poles.
• wind / rain between canopy and Pajero's roof. That's what the two wind breakers are for.
• Wind underneath the vehicle. The draught through this opening can make it extremely uncomfortable under the canopy. You can even consider to extend thy ground one to seal off both wheel arches.
• Plan to add at least one side panel (if not now, but in future.

See my sketches:

Gerhard

How would you affix the "windbreaker" to the car to prevent the rain coming in?

I'm not really after a storm proof awning, but I guess that would be quite a good thing. My main consideration is to have it up as quick as possible if we have to stop for a quick bit of padkos, or feed the little one and there's no shade.

I was thinking that another option like the foxwing is to have one arm that covers the back of the vehicle as well.

Simon,

I thought of just having a rope stitched into the bottom seam of the wind breaker, with long pieces of rope on both ends. These ends can then be tied to eg the bumpers / bull bar, to keep the bottom in the gutter. It need not be 100% water / wind tight.

I agree that 99% of the time one only needs a quick shade / umbrella, but if you make it 'flexible, you can extend the usefulness. I found that it is a boon to control wind / rain moving through the awning. It becomes something between a tent and a awning, especially if you add the rear wing to cover the back door.
Just make sure that you can open/close the rear door when it is pitched.
I would have made this awning (for the rear door) separately, but in such a way that it can be attached to the main awning when needed. I'd use two (adjustable) poles for it as well, so that it can be used independently.
Make sure about drainage (no sags / buckets).

In extreme heat, you can even pitch the 2-man tent under the (main) awning.

I am nit sure you will get away without a pole or two. That Foxwing (I am assuming is the one from Megaworld?) that folds out from the sides and around the back... Not sure if thats the answer.

What about that Easyawn system (now seen more on Taxis) though that also needs a pole... but I'm refering to the one that one can get from Makro that one could bolt onto the roof rack and physicaly wind out? Just a thought....

I am busy on the diy gen 2 awning but instead of trying to reinvent the wheel I am just going to copy the aus foxwing and for simplicity sake I am sticking to poles to help support the contraption. I think the engineering involved in the pole less version is a bit beyond home handy man capabilities and in view of the fact that I love going to the cape I prefer to have some storm ropes to tie everything down.

Instead of using round poles I will be using 12 X 20 rectangular alu and have a hinge point just behind the rear corner of the rr, this should give me adequate cover over the back door area.

The photo below is of the ostrich wing unit and as you can see the support gear is a bit complicated

With all due respect, I'd love to see their calcs for wind forces on that Ostrich Wing hang-glider.
Without poles to ties the edge down, that wing will not withstand any proper gust of wind.

There is possibly a warning in the "How-to" manual, warning you against use in windy conditions.

The one thing I DONT like about the foxwing and Ostritch designs is their clumsy shape. They dont adequately cover the forward area of the vehicle.

My thoughts would be to have two hinged poles. One that swings forward at the front of the RR, and the other at the rear, which swings backwards (and around the back, if I go that route).

Hmm just thinking about it that opens up a second possibility... and awning on the side, and one on the back, which can be opened separately but joined when necessary.

I like Henk's idea of using rectangular tubing - much easier to fabricate bits for it, like hinges. I also agree that poles are going to be necessary for stability, but for a quick lunch in wind free conditions then you can still get away without them.

SimonB wrote:Hmm just thinking about it that opens up a second possibility... and awning on the side, and one on the back, which can be opened separately but joined when necessary.

Hmm ... have I not seen that idea somewhere else?
.
.
.
.
Oh yes, here it is:

4ePajero wrote:I would have made this awning (for the rear door) separately, but in such a way that it can be attached to the main awning when needed. ...