Which side to mount the awning?

[MojaveKJ]

Hey all, just got a new ARB awning to mount to my roof rack and I am trying to decide if I want it on the drivers side or the passengers side. Where is yours mounted and why?

Thanks for the input!

[Lesspavedrds]

My ARB awning is mounted off of the passenger side because my tent opened toward the driver side before I got my trailer. I was also thinking about our Baja trip and if something broke we could use the shade without being close to traffic. Not much else to it.

[Scoutn79]

If possible I would make it so you could easily move it from one side to the other, even use it off of the back if possible too.. You can't always use the awning on the same side since camp sites vary. Otherwise it's a shot in the dark.
Darrell

[MojaveKJ]

In looking at this thread:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/foru...r-Camp-Awnings

it seems evenly divided between those mounted on the driver's side and those mounted on the passenger's side. I do like the idea of being able to move it from side to side but I'm not too sure I can engineer a suitable mounting system that would be easy enough to use in the field and strong enough to withstand a beating on the trail.

I'm leaning toward the drivers side as this is the side I most often use for access to the Jeep.

[overlander]

I have mine on the drivers side. It is somewhat arbitrary unless you have specific non-moveable things that will go with it. I have a shelf I built that mounts on the side of my 110 under the awning, but I put that there after mounting the awning on the drivers side anyway, but now I'm committed to that side.

One thing I've learned to think from a sides standpoint with awnings is the following:

• Most people camp in good weather when it's warm
• In the morning, you want the sun under the awning for warmth during breakfast
• In the evening, you want the shade from the awning to escape the fleeting heat

With all those in mind, I make sure that when I am parking at a site to setup the awning for overnight, that I park facing South, so that the driver side awning is shaded at dusk, blocking the Western sunset with the vehicle and awning shade, and lit at dawn by the rising sun in the East with no obstructions.

If you mount on passenger side, that logic is opposite. In the fall and winter, you would only use an awning to shelter from precipitation, then it doesn't really matter.

[greggNJ]

In camp I'd be in and out of the cargo area a lot so if I were to mount one on my JK I'd put it on the left so I wouldn't have to walk around the gate to get to the back. On my Cherokee it wouldn't matter with the liftgate. Maybe on the right so as mentioned before, it's not on the road side if your pulled over (in the US anyway...)

[SWITAWI]

^^^x2. The best functional advice I can think of is to consider which way your vehicle's rear door opens so that if you're already set up for cooking, entertaining, or whatever under the awning while you're in camp you don't have to walk around the rear door every time you need to get into the back of the vehicle for something. My FJC's opens towards the driver's side, so I'd mount an awning to the passenger side in my case. Just a convenience issue, really.

[toymaster]

I have one that is not permanently attached. My suggestion would be to set-up camp in your yard(?) and see which way suits you best. The rear door swing mentioned above ^^^ is a good indicator.

[Carolyn]

Mine can actually be moved from one side to the other if needed, however, I have it on the drivers side. Reason being... I have a jeep, the rear door swings out from the drivers side (rear) and I'd have to walk around it to access the rear when left open if the awning were mounted on the passenger side. Whew. that's a mouthful...

[Utah KJ]

I integrated mine into the factory cross rail system; a couple of turnes of the thumb screws and it can be romoved completely or flipped around.