Date:         Mon, 25 Oct 2004 18:11:24 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Kitchen-side awning, cheap and easy.
In-Reply-To:  <417D8247.7040204@mchsi.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

I have come up with a cheap, easy kitchen side awning for vans (OK,
driver's side, then) and Westies. When camping, and you need that
window open to vent kitchen fumes, and/or to vent your heater, you can
get a lot of rain in through that opening. Plus, that rain goes to one
of the worst places to get wet.

I have come up with a solution that takes an 11 x 22 piece of sign
material (sintra or trovicel, it's available from sign shops), and a
cheap plastic drywall edging from Home Depot make up the awning. Glue
the edging to the board, and the edging hangs in the rain gutter.  The
single support is a dowel that fits between a magnet that sticks on the
side of the van under the window. The dowel is mounted to the magnet
via a door-bumper spring. It is the outward tension on the dowel by the
spring that keeps the awning from sliding past a small groove carved
just below its upper tip.

The size allows the awning to cover the fully opened side window. Since
there is only a small patch of screen exposed at the front of the car,
the size covers it adequately. There's no need to have a full 50 inch
awning for the whole window. The single support will make sense when
you see how the thing works in place.

It literally takes five seconds to set it up or take it down if you
have both pieces nearby. No tools. I've just hose-tested it for water
handling, but it seems secure enough to withstand some wind, maybe a
lot.

If you're interested, I have pictures and description available. Just
email me.

Jim