Show me your awning on your taco

Dave Bennett

Adventurist
Tacodoc,
Can you move your awning easily from one side of the truck to the other? It looks like it slides into an attachment point.

No, it attaches with 2 bolts and slides into an aluminum extrusion that is attached via 5 ss rivets. Switching sides would be a PITA even with 2 extrusions.
 

austintaco

Explorer
Not true with the Eclipse II, buy the professional grade and there is no problem in the wind, if it guyed down properly.

We have it in monsoon storms in the Colorado high country...no problem at all.

That's good to know. I didn't know they made higher quality types. I have been to a few events when the wind picked up and watched several of the tents go down, but the events were for dog rescue groups, so most of the tents were the cheap kind like I had.
In that case, an EZ up style can make good sense for the right application.
 

Clutch

<---Pass
That's good to know. I didn't know they made higher quality types. I have been to a few events when the wind picked up and watched several of the tents go down, but the events were for dog rescue groups, so most of the tents were the cheap kind like I had.
In that case, an EZ up style can make good sense for the right application.

Yeah, the cheap ones will buckle for sure. The frames and fabric are much higher quality with the professional model. Like anything else, gotta spend money to get the good stuff, but you can find "wholesale" prices out there.

Paid around $450 for ours. IIRC...

http://www.ezup4u.com/

isn't there a truck awning that is around $500 anyway. :ylsmoke: http://www.adventuretrailers.com/awningfiamma.html Get so much more versatility with an EZ-UP for about the same price.

We use it at outside art shows as well, it has been through a couple storms without any harm, all the while protecting everything inside.
 

cam-shaft

Bluebird days
No offense guys but those little truck awnings are cute but you might as well go with a patio umbrella or large beach umbrella for less money. I would have to agree ezup is great they cost a little more then some other pop up shades but they last. You can get sides for them and if you have experience with any awning system you know to tie it down, tie it to your truck. This is the only pick I could find of my ez-up awning on the right. Just park your taco right next to it and you have an awning on your taco. Elk hunting in nov with temps about 4 degrees f in the morning, gotta love it.

elkhunting2011051.jpg
 
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GR8ADV

Explorer
http://www.adventuretrailers.com/awningfiamma.html Get so much more versatility with an EZ-UP for about the same price.

We use it at outside art shows as well, it has been through a couple storms without any harm, all the while protecting everything inside.

The fiamma looks interesting as I try to find something to mount off the back of my taco to cover the cooking area. The RTT provides a bit of a problem. I do like those mounting brackets in the video. Do these come with the product or??
 

Clutch

<---Pass
No offense guys but those little truck awnings are cute but you might as well go with a patio umbrella or large beach umbrella for less money. I would have to agree ezup is great they cost a little more then some other pop up shades but they last. You can get sides for them and if you have experience with any awning system you know to tie it down, tie it to your truck. This is the only pick I could find of my ez-up awning on the right. Just park your taco right next to it and you have an awning on your taco. Elk hunting in nov with temps about 4 degrees f in the morning, gotta love it.

The nice thing about an EZ-UP is that you can move it about, (unlike a permanently attached awning) as it gets blazing hot here in the desert....so if I have to do some mechanical work on the vehicle...I can move it to that area, without sweating my brains out too much.

We have walls for ours as well, I back the truck up to it, because we sleep in the bed under the topper...and use the EZ-UP as a changing room/kitchen...toss down some indoor-outdoor carpet for the flooring and all is well...
 
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Clutch

<---Pass
The fiamma looks interesting as I try to find something to mount off the back of my taco to cover the cooking area. The RTT provides a bit of a problem. I do like those mounting brackets in the video. Do these come with the product or??

I do believe it comes with the brackets, double check with AT first though.

Can't you get an awning attachment/room for your RTT? You would have to raise your rack though from the looks of your avatar.

F3700268.jpg
 

GR8ADV

Explorer
I have a room similar to what you have with about 5'9" height with the AL channels. I am looking for something off the back where the stove, fridge and cooking surfaces are. Likely a simple tarp with tent poles will be my answer as a fixed unit will need to be under 50"; and that's pretty narrow. Just need to find mounts for/on the truck that extend vertically for more height (easy), and horizontally(less easy) to wider than the truck for decent coverage. hmmm
 

robert

Expedition Leader
I've got one of those Kelty's and don't like it for multiple reasons including the window cover being on the inside.

The tarp attachments on the Yakima track are brilliant! Simple and effective and low enough to keep rain from blowing under it pretty well I bet. I may give that a try; for the few times I bother with a tarp it should work well.
 

Clutch

<---Pass
I've got one of those Kelty's and don't like it for multiple reasons including the window cover being on the inside.

The tarp attachments on the Yakima track are brilliant! Simple and effective and low enough to keep rain from blowing under it pretty well I bet. I may give that a try; for the few times I bother with a tarp it should work well.

Yeah the Kelty's look like a pain.

Could get some waxed/oiled canvas at the Army Surplus and make your own custom size, throwing in some grommets are easy...a saddle shop could stitch it up for you too,
that is if you don't own a heavy duty sewing machine to make the rolled (folded) seems.
 

loup407

Adventurer
You might look at Big Agnes' website. They have a roof-rack mounted awning (and available separate bug screen) that we use from time to time. It's easy to setup, and especially when the Mosquitos are plentiful, will arrange the Horizon and the truck so I can attach the Big Agnes awning between the awning on each vehicle. With the bug screen deployed it gives us a place to get away from mosquitos and that much more shade. It might only get used a few times a year, but when it does get used, we are pretty happy to have it.
 

loup407

Adventurer
I have a Fiamma F35 on both my A/T Horizon and on my FJ. I used a couple of Fourtreks mounts to attach the awning to the Gobi rack. I've been really happy with the awning, at least one gets used every trip. We used an EZ-Up for a couple of years, but for us, it took up a lot of space.
 

Dave Bennett

Adventurist
I am using the Kelty Car Tarp off the back of the shell over the tailgate area, it makes a really nice patio area :beer:

Here's the truck in full basecamp mode with the Fiamma w/shower enclosure and the Kelty Car Tarp deployed last summer at the 2011 Washington Overland Rally

IMG_0229.jpg


IMG_0203-1.jpg


IMG_0232.jpg
 
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