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We did not want to order the fixed awning with our van because of the problems that are associated with them. Also, we were worried we might catch it on a tree when driving off road and do serious damage to the awning or van. We had been trying to figure out how to make a compact portable awning that could be attached to the van when Dana came across this on the web:


We ordered it from www.busdepot.com for $133 including shipping. It is designed for a VW Westfailia but we figured we could easily fit it to our Sportsmobile. I think we did confuse the company a little bit because on our invoice under vehicle it has "Hmmmmm. 2008 Ford?"

The top is made from heavy tent material and has two fiberglass cross poles which Velcro to the top with a tie in the middle. This gives it a nice dome that should shed water well. It also allows plenty of room for both side doors to open.



There are two steel poles one on the van side and the other on the front of the awning. The awning is designed to attach to the rain gutter on a VW van but unfortunately the clamps don't work on the Ford. They do sell a suction cup kit, but were out of stock when we placed our order.

What I came up with after wandering around the hardware store is to use 3 S-hooks that are just large enough to slip over the poles and then clip these to the bungee that runs around the penthouse top. When installed most of the weight rests against the side of the penthouse and the bungee just holds it in place. At this point I have just set it up in my driveway, but if it seems like it is straining the bungee I may purchase the suction cup kit.



The legs are adjustable so it should be easy to set up on uneven ground. They include stakes and ropes on the outside corners, but if it gets really windy, I will probably have to take it down.

It was fairly easy to put up even though the instructions are quite poor. With a little practice I should be able to be set it up or take it down in under 10 minutes. The best part is it is very compact when stowed.


The overall construction is good the only complaint I have is the storage bags are very lightweight and will probably need to be replaced long before the awning.

I will let all of you know how it works in the real world after our next trip.

John

Cool looking awning John. Reminds me of the Kelty Carport, but half the price!

Interesting. Please do report back to us to let us know how it pans out. Especially curious to know if you feel the hooks on the bungee cord are working without risking damage to the PH top.

And how well the canvas top holds up to water pouring off of the top against the canvas. In theory, waterproof is waterproof, right?

Hmmm, Buji's comment got me thinking, is it going to stay dry with approximately 1/4 of the water draining against the canvas right over the side doors? I'd like to suggest turning a hose on it and seeing where the water goes before you're somewhere you can't turn it off!

The S hooks look fine to me- my first thought was damage too, but from the photo it would be impossible for the sharp bits to be in contact with the canvas without having the full frame through it. D-rings would be an alternative, but the S-hooks look pretty good.

Last trip I attached a tarp to the rings of the canvas, not the bungee. My only comment is remember your setup before closing the top. D'oh!

Nice find !

Looks like it might go well over the back doors too.

You read my mind Jage

Nice I may have to get one......


Do you think the cover is strong enough to attach a tarp to the sides to make a small room???

FB

Doing my best to keep the economy going.....

FishB I'm going to guess your issue would be the frame is only front and back crossed with an X. There isn't really a frame on either side. The more I look at this thread the more I want one...

Nice find John. It looks like a good solution for us as well.

Let us know how you like it after the first trip. If it works well, maybe we should try to arrange a group buy from our VW bus friends.

Buji and Jage, your thoughts on water runoff are worth considering. It would suck to go to sleep and wake up to a downpour inside the van, in the middle of the night.

From what I can tell it should work just fine over the rear doors as well.

Fish B, Greg is right there is no frame on the sides of the top which will makes it difficult to mount a side walls. You could probably attach them to the top with Velcro but you would still have to figure out a way to attach them to the sides of the van.

John

John, great find and thank you for posting.

Not sure if anyone's still checking this post, but i've got this same awning (for my '02 Eurovan- can't afford an SMB...yet!).

It works really well and it's very inexpensive, but remember... you get what you pay for. The first time i set it up in the drive way i noticed the velcro was already tugging on/pulling out some of the seam stitching. Also, the seams on the end cuffs in each corner that hold the tent poles in place were already starting to be strained by the second use.

I reinforced all the seams with my jr high sowing skills and since then (about 10 uses) all the seams are holding up fine. No other problems to report. The awning is much sturdier than I expected in wind and the support poles can be directed backwards and anchored under the cars tires (not sure if Fiamma does this or not).

Since Eurovans don't have rain gutters, the Bus Depot has a conversion attachment kit that allows you to attach the awning via 3 quick release buckles attached to short cordura straps. It took a little work to get them on- I had to loosen the metal anchor beam on the base of the pop-up's canvas tent, poke a hole in the rubberized seal, slide the cordura strap under and re-tighten the anchor beam. Not sure how SMB's PH tents are anchored, but this option may work for you.

it's here- http://www.busdepot.com/details/awning.jsp

If anyone's still interested i can post picks of how it's attached to my Eurovan.

JM

Thanks for posting JM. I'd like to see your pictures!!