Date:         Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:44:47 -0500
Reply-To:     Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Anyone ever use standard awning rails on a vanagon?

Jim,
Jim
Here is my experience with both types of awnings  In addition to my Vanagon
for use in North America, I keep a similar campervan in Australia, where I
travel for several months at a time.

The previous owner had installed a fully-self-contained, roll-out awning
that mounted to the rain gutter, with stabilizing supports that extended
downwards on the pillars of the van.  The advantage of this type of awning
is ease of use; it's always at the ready, and can be quickly rolled out for
even just a roadside stop in the hot sun.  However, after driving many,
many miles of corrugated gravel roads, the vibrations acting on the awning,
which in turn acted upon the mounting points, caused major damage to the
pillars and unwanted wear on the gutters.  I removed the roll-out awning
and sold it, and had the bodywork on the van repaired and repainted.  I
then looked at the Fiamma awning, but determined that the mounting system
was not much different than the one removed, and thus inadequate for
extended rough-road travel (if anyone with a Fiamma cares to disabuse me of
this notion, I'd appreciate hearing from you).

I then installed just what you described, an extruded aluminum track with
a "C" section to receive a canvas awning, which has a small rope sewn in
the hem.  In Australia, this extrusion is available at any tent and awning
fabricator, since many, if not most of the awnings are fitted to the
vehicles and caravans (camp trailers)in this manner.  There, this extrusion
is also called a sail track, either because it is similar to the groove or
metal fitting on the trailing edge of the mast and the top of the boom that
receives the lugs of the sail on a sail boat, or it may actually be a sail
track on some type of boat (I have no experience with sail boats).
Incidentally, this extrusion had the mounting flange only on one side, and
the width was no more than 1".

The advantages of this awning are (some of which you mentioned): it's less
expensive than a roll-out awning; it's not on the van when not in use, so
is not subject to being knocked around on rough roads and is not there to
catch brush and branches when the road is flanked by such; there is a
positive seal between the awning and the van, so no water gets in above the
sliding door, which due to the curvature of the van will be inside the van
if the door is open; and properly guyed and staked, it will withstand all
but the strongest wind.

The disadvantages are it takes longer to set up, and two or three poles are
required along the outer edge, together with guy lines staked to the ground
(which can be a tripping hazard); the canvas, the poles, the guy lines, and
the stakes must be stored in the van when not in use, though this would be
a good item for the luggage carrier up top; if it's put away wet, it's more
involved to open it up to the sun to dry when the opportunity presents
itself, to avoid mildew.  I find I rarely use it unless I'm camped in the
same spot for more than one day and need the shade, or it's really raining
hard. It's not worth the bother for short term use.

One also sees a hybrid of the two: an awning which mounts into the sail
track, but which also has a larger dowel or aluminum tube inserted into a
hem along the outer edge of the awning as an aid to rolling it up against
the van, where it is secured with straps (which are captured between the
sail track and the van body).

I also installed a ten-foot long sail track on the off-side, and I have a
mini awning made of light-weight rip-stop nylon, about eight feet wide and
four feet deep which I angle down and away from the van with guy ropes and
stakes to shade the off-side when it's really hot; in such conditions this
bit of extra shade has a positive affect on the operation of the
refrigerator.

As much as I would like the ease of use associated with a Fiamma awning on
my Vanagon here, I frequently use the full capabilities of the syncro on
rough and narrow roads to reach camping spots inaccessable to larger rigs,
so I will probably duplicate the awning configuration of my other
campervan.  I don't see any problem fitting the sail track to the Vanagon
if I find the same narrow, single-sided flange type of extrusion.  This is
not a priority for me right now, but one bit of advice if you do this.  At
the cut ends of the extrusion, file a taper on both sides of the entrance
to the "C" section, and sand it smooth.  This will aid in threading the
awning into the sail track.

Bill