Looking for suggestions for 270 awning. Bunduawn?

[shade]

When it gets dusty/dirty/wet etc., hook & loop isn't as effective. And its considerably slower to attach walls, etc., than a good zipper especially in the wind. I use hook & loop aka Velcro for many applications, I just wouldn't want it for this application. And, generally, bulkier.

I'll know when mine arrives in a few weeks. I'm not interested in attaching full-on walls, so it wasn't a feature that interested me much. Otoh, I am interested in adding a simple bug net to the awning, without a lot of structure; probably not even a door.

Kinsmen hasn't announced their plans, but if they use a double flap of Velcro to create a three layer sandwich, included a few snaps to make it easier to get the walls into place, or incorporated a way to use the ends of the awning struts to engage the walls, it should work ok. A big, chunky zipper might be preferable, though.

 

[80t0ylc]

Why is that determined to be a Bad Thing?

The wall kit on my Alu Cab awning employs both velcro and zippers in setting up. I tried a google search "opinion velcro vs zipper on tents" and got no debates, but I got a lot of hits on fixing zippers. No hits on fixing velcro. The velcro on my Alu Cab is used to attach the walls to the awning. The zippers are used to connect the walls together at the poles. I must admit, zippers are easier and definetly more of a secure attachment, as long as the strength limit of the zipper is not exceeded. I don't think you can "break" velcro unless you destroy it. Yes, dirt/debris will diminish it's strength, until its cleaned. But, zippers also need to be cleaned & lubed or they will wear out or break. And when they break, they need to be replaced or repaired. IMHO, it comes down to what's available. If there's a choice, whatever you prefer. But, whatever you choose, must be maintained/cleaned for longevity. Which is better? Time will tell.

 

[spressomon]

All good points. I've found, over the years, YKK zippers are most reliable. I've already worn out the zipper on my Autohome Columbus main entry/exit door panel and it wasn't fun to repair. I've never had a YKK zipper failure; however Autohome doesn't utilize YKK brand zippers AFAIK. But the hook and loop bug screens on the Columbus are a PITA.

 

[ttengineer]

Velcro or hook and loop is terrible in below freezing wet weather.


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[shade]

Velcro or hook and loop is terrible in below freezing wet weather.

My concern would be having it ice up, but I'm unlikely to add cold weather walls to mine. I have a 10'x10' ground tent if I want a winter base camp, and my truck would still be mobile, with a sleeping space in the camper, too.

 

[Shellshock]

All good points. I've found, over the years, YKK zippers are most reliable. I've already worn out the zipper on my Autohome Columbus main entry/exit door panel and it wasn't fun to repair. I've never had a YKK zipper failure; however Autohome doesn't utilize YKK brand zippers AFAIK. But the hook and loop bug screens on the Columbus are a PITA.

These days if something doesn't have a YKK zipper, I won't buy it. Too many issues with generic ones.

 

[Photobug]

A #10 YKK zipper is going to last nearly forever, except in the case of a marine environment. The material it is attached to will likely wear out long before the zipper is trashed. The problem with the zipper is likely the place it is sewn into the fabric. The same problem with velcro is likely where the attaching and tearing apart of the velcro will tax the sewing attachment. I find heavy-duty velcro to be fussy. As you try attaching it, it will grab at the wrong place and need to be readjusted. A zipper is quicker and 100% aligned when zipped together.

 

[carbon60]

You guys don’t find zippers to be a problem in sand?

 

[shade]

A #10 YKK zipper is going to last nearly forever, except in the case of a marine environment. The material it is attached to will likely wear out long before the zipper is trashed. The problem with the zipper is likely the place it is sewn into the fabric. The same problem with velcro is likely where the attaching and tearing apart of the velcro will tax the sewing attachment. I find heavy-duty velcro to be fussy. As you try attaching it, it will grab at the wrong place and need to be readjusted. A zipper is quicker and 100% aligned when zipped together.

I agree.

If Velcro is used, I try to make intermittent connections to get the pieces aligned, then go back and finish attaching the parts. That's why I like to see snaps every so often in an application like this, so general fussiness can be avoided.

You guys don’t find zippers to be a problem in sand?

In my experience, a big, chunky, molded zipper doesn't suffer the effects nearly as much as a wimpy coil zipper.

 

[spressomon]

I had a #10 toothed zipper (don't know the brand...) on my then MSA spare tire mounted trash bag, which gets plenty of dust & grit from trail time, and it never failed; but the fabric eventually succumbed to UV degradation. The #10 coil zipper on the current Howling Moon spare tire mounted trash bag works even better. About 1x per month I hit the zipper with silicone spray lube, during the months of hard use, and it keeps it working very smoothly...

I'd like to hear Kinsmen's rationale for using velcro for the supposed purpose of attaching future wall panels. But either way, its a deal breaker for me.

 

[80t0ylc]

Here's an EP review of the 270* Kinsmen Awning. Here's a quote from the reviewer, who didn't seem concerned about velcro vs zippers.

"A nice touch is that the awning fabric is made with a velcro lining, hook and loop, and snaps for future accessories such as walls, room enclosures, and more. I briefly saw a prototype wall attachment while at Overland Expo West and cannot wait to get my hands on it."

 

[shade]

I'll post some photos of the edge when mine arrives. I was happy to see snaps mentioned in the review.

 

[80t0ylc]

I'll post some photos of the edge when mine arrives. I was happy to see snaps mentioned in the review.

I sent a email to Matthew at Kinsmen asking about their choice of velcro over zippers and he mentioned something to me that I was unaware of. The Velcro used on the Kinsmen awnings is mil spec Velcro. As opposed to the cheaper "hook and loop" seen on most products today. And yes, in the development phase Kinsmen chose the mil spec Velcro with the mil spec brass snaps as a backup OVER zippers because at the time, they didn't want to risk zippers alone that could break. He said they were open to possibly trying zippers in future versions, so those "died in the wool" zipper fans, stay tuned.

 

[Photobug]

He said they were open to possibly trying zippers in future versions, so those "died in the wool" zipper fans, stay tuned.

There in lies my concerns for buying the 1.0 version of anything. I have done so in the past and found out the first version was not fully baked. I have ended up having to alter this version to fit future or found out it was not compatible with future accessories.

I just spent another 3 days at a camping concert. I really need a quick deploy awning. It took about an hour and a half to set up camp and 50 minutes to pack up.

 

[Catastrofe]

I have reached out to the Hannibal distributor.

The Baroud looks nice and I am considering all. Once again disappointed at the coverage, information, and support for all these products. It is like pulling teeth to get good pictures, details and pricing on each of them. Not so much interested in the social media aspect but a company should have a video of their product being set up, and maybe give one away for an independent review. My last post is an example of just how bad the companies marketing are. I was looking at the James Baroud awning it looks nice but they show 33ft squared of coverage. I determined the Buntu has 185 sq ft. The Buntu is huge but not that much bigger. I went back and double checked the math, I was right on my calculations. Can you see where the error is? Hint, "Why don't they have a quarter pounder with cheese in Paris?"

Did you ever receive a response? The 270 awnings aren't shown on the Hannibal distributor's website. I sent an email directly to Clevershade in Australia but haven't heard back from them.