Car Awning Advantages: Enhance Your Camping Experience
Shelter and shade are two things that can be great to have on any camping trip. Whether in the desert or in the forest or at the beach, there is a way to bring your own shade to get out of the sun or rain, and that’s through awnings. If you’re looking for a car awning for camping, there are lots of options and opportunities.
Types of Awnings
Awnings generally mount to the side of a vehicle. There are a couple ways they can deploy. There are 90° awnings that pull straight out from the vehicle creating a simple place to get out of the elements. Then are 180° awnings that open much like a folding fan, which provide twice the coverage of the 90° awning. Finally, there are 270° awnings, which provide the most shade and shelter.
Regardless of awning type, Ironman 4x4 awnings will easily mount to the vehicle as long as it is equipped with an appropriate roof rack. It’s important to check with your installer to make sure the awning’s included mounting brackets are compatible with your rack.
Awning Features
Awnings, such as those sold from Ironman 4x4, feature weatherproof ripstop poly cotton fabric with seam-sealed stitching, great for when wet conditions arise. If the sun is your issue, the UV50+ sun protection rating will keep you, your pets, or children cool under the shade in various weather conditions. When stowed, the awning is wrapped in a sleek durable PVC cover. This will protect the awning when you’re driving. Ironman 4x4 awnings feature integrated LED lighting, available wall kits and rooms, storage pockets, heavy-duty aluminum frames, freestanding or supported designs, various sizes, and more.
Some awnings, such as all 90° DeltaWing awnings, have poles for support in the wind. Others, such as some as the 180° DeltaWing and 270° DeltaWing, are freestanding.
How To Choose The Right Awning
Before buying, decide which awning is right for your camping needs. The 90° awning is the simplest and most affordable. It, however, provides the least amount of coverage and has poles for support. A 180° awning is a freestanding design and provides more coverage. The 180° is great for liftgates and hatchbacks because it does not wrap around like the 270° which can potentially interfere with your hatch opening. It is more expensive than the 90°. Lastly, the 270° awning will provide the most coverage, butt is the most expensive. If you have a pickup truck, the nice thing about these awnings is that they’ll cover not only the vehicle’s side, but also the tailgate—something the 90° and 180° awnings won’t do. This makes them great if you’re cooking at the back of the vehicle.
Another thing to consider are other accessories you have. For example, if you have a rooftop tent, will the awning block access to your ladder or tent’s opening? Do you have lights on the side that might interfere with its mounting?
Lastly, remember to check on mounting compatibility. As we mentioned before, it’s a crucial thing as awnings must be mounted to a rack and not all racks are compatible.
Shade Anytime, Anywhere
A car-mounted awning is one of those products that you’ll wonder how you lived without. When camping or simply at the beach for the day, a car awning is a fantastic addition to your camping kit.