When I had the setup on my Frontier, it was perfect height to stand up underneath. With this setup, I actually extend the front of the awning up higher than the mounting point (inverted if you will). Sun protection has been it's purpose, and with chairs closest to the 'low point' you can sit comfortably. When it rained the few times, I lowered the front down and it still allowed me to cook/move underneath freely (I'm 6'2"), but not fully standing, mostly sitting. The ladder rack in the pictures is lowered all the way down, and does allow for another 12" or so of raise, but I lower it down when I travel for better aerodynamics with my Grand Cherokee.
Thanks for the compliment!