Got Awning parts?... and other thoughts

[doug hodder]

I cooked up this idea a few years ago. I wanted an awning that was free standing (without guywires) and it would allow water to run off, see pic. I had Marti at Marti's awnings install a pocket in each corner of the awning. By using some leftover tent fiberglass poles, cut to the correct length, and a piece of velcro in the center of the awning, it gives me plenty of headroom and water runs off the awning when attached to the side of a tear. Here's a handy tip!

I camp in National Forest campgrounds regularly. I just asked the campground host to save me any of the glass poles if they find them next to the dumpster. Many of these guys will recycle the aluminum and parts. I asked earlier this summer, and this last weekend when camping, picked up 50 joints of shock corded fiber glass poles. While they can be picked up from a garage sale, or a thrift store...these were all free and all I had to do is ask. That is enough to do maybe 5 awnings on trailers.

As a side note. If you spend some time talking to those hosts, you'll find that they have all sorts of situations that they have to deal with, with little thanks. Invite them over for some eats, or a dessert, maybe take them some leftover dutch oven brownies. They typically will decline an invite, but at least you made the effort and they will remember that and usually your trailer. Down the road, in an area that has some non-reservation type sites, they may save you a site on a crowded weekend, it's happened to me. This last weekend I mentioned that I was having trouble reserving a group site for 2014. He told me that if I got the regular public camp sites, that he would let me double and triple up in them. That's stretching the rules. FWIW. Doug

[mary and bob]

Very clever idea Doug, but too late for us. We had bought a vintage style awning for our Uhaul camper, but when we put it on there appeared to be no good way to prevent water from puddling on it, so we sold it at considerable loss.

[S. Heisley]

You can make reservations for 2014 (next year) now and they are already sold out?!!!!

[doug hodder]

Group sites sell out 1 year in advance in Ca, that are National Forest grounds...regular camping 6 months. Doug

[deleted]

Thanks for the design tip! I'm about to make my own awning and this was something I hadn't thought of using the thin, flexible poles to prevent water pooling. I'll have to buy mine but that's ok, at least I know to design them into the awning.

[nevadatear]

I used doug's idea. Stellar! Love it.

[aggie79]

Doug,

Another great idea! Thank you for the tip.

Are the pockets the only change to the pattern for the awnings? Or do you need to allow more fabric for the bow?

Take care,
Tom

[doug hodder]

No extra fabric. It just converts the sag in an awning into a dome. Doug

[Captain Monkeyshines]

Looks like a pretty popular design!

Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:29 pm
The next weekend I started the awnings. There will be one for each side. We wanted awnings that would be large enough to shelter the doors so we can sit on the mattress to put our shoes on. It was important to have them attach to the trailer rather than be staked to the ground for ease of set-up.

I was proud of my design, having spent many hours figuring it out. I thought it was pretty original until a few weeks later that I discovered a similar design on a VW camper site. Oh Well!

Anyway, here it is.

Here are the ingredients:


3 yards of Sunbrella fabric.
4 yards of fiberglass sew-on welting
Sunbrella heavy duty thread
Bias tape to match
4 packs of replacement fiberglass tent poles
½ yard of 2 inch nylon webbing
4 5/8 inch rubber grommets
Heavy duty black thread
¼ inch seaming tape (double sided tape.)
4 six foot aluminum poles
4 90 degree bimini ball joints
4 bimini deck hinges and matching outside eye fittings

First I sewed a 3/8 inch hem around all 4 sides. I used the seaming tape to help keep everything neat.

Then I sewed then awning welt to one of the long sides.


Then I sewed pockets out of the webbing. Simple ones for the near side and longer ones with an extension for the far side. Theses were sewn into the corners.
[img]http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=215&image_id=88331
[/img]
Then the rubber grommets were placed into the far corners through the webbing and canvas , then they were embroidered into place with the black thread until it was entirely covered.

These grommets are where the tops of the poles that have a 90 degree ball and socket fitting will attach.


Then the fiberglass poles were cut to length and assembled and fitted into the pockets. Then the bias tape was used to make a tie to secure the poles in the middle.


The top fully assemble looks like this ( upside down)


The welt will pass it standard aluminum awning rail that will be attached to the trailer.


Here is a mock up of it on the trailer, the rail is just clamped to the side.


I have other Biminis fittings that attach the bottom of the pole to the trailer body, There will be a pin that can be slid out to easily remove the pole end.

[img]http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?album_id=215&image_id=88338
[/img]
I also will make the poles so they come apart into 2 pieces, so they fit into the storage areas.

I will take more pictures later in the build when I get to that point.

It’s getting late so I will have to post the other parts later this week.

ttfn. (Ta-Ta For Now)
Dr. C-dawg

[celticquetzel]

Hey, pretty clever!

[Sputterputz]

I like it. Could you/would you share your market place for these items?

Sal

[lrdudley]

I wont speak for Dr. C-Dawg, but take a look around this site for parts and fabrics.
http://www.sailrite.com/

Larry