How to Install an Awning - Van Conversion build for van life Promaster Sprinter Transit best awning
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- Опубликовано: 25 мар 2023
- Every Van Conversion starts with the dream of van life on the road. New adventures when the journey is as much of the fun as the destination. We close our eyes and see sunny days on the road, in mountains or in the desert maybe beside a lake. No matter if we see a Mercedes Sprinter Van, a Dodge Ram Promaster Van or a Transit van - we all dream. Being able to get out of the van and be out of the sun is important. So most van conversion designs include an awning. There are a number of ways to get an awning. You can bungee cord a tarp to the side of your van like this … or you can get a fancy remote control electric van awning like this www.campervan-hq.com/products... and everything in between. In every van conversion the DIY builder will bring some skills to the table. It would be wise to really focus on using those skills to save as much money as you can - because there will be parts of the build where quality will diminish with the amount you spend. Awnings are one of those places. Thule www.thule.com/en-ca/awnings Dometic www.dometic.com/en-us/outdoor... Coleman colemanpopupparts.com/collect... and Fiamma www.fiammausa.com/ all make awnings. Our research told us that the Fiamma product was considered the best. They are also the most expensive. But having built the Van Of Action roof clips and roof rack • How To Make D.I.Y. Pr... we have less than $ 300.00 invested in our rack system. And so we are comfortable spending a bit more to get a good quality awning. In this video we share the design and thought process to installing an awning on a high roof van.
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Great job Dave. Thanks for going through the details. Right off I thought using your existing brackets when possible was a good move. That thing isn't going anywhere. I'm looking to put an awning on this spring and this has giving me some good ideas as to adapting my roof rack to the brackets. Thanks.
Hey Chad - thanks for watching. I'm really pleased with the results. I'm sure you'll come up with a plan too. Let me know how you make out ..... Be well Dave
Thanks Dave!
Spot facing would have maintained most of bracket radii and gave ya clearance but the takes an appropriate end mill
Hey VanDaddy-O LOL you're talking about equipment I wouldn't know how to turn on. Your right - but I think it's important to show it can be done well with very basic tools. I'm really pleased with it !!! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment .... Dave
Been waiting for this one!
Nice work Dave,
Again, you are about a year ahead of me. We had selected exactly the same awning for exactly the same reasons. We will be installing ours on our Van of Action roof rack likely in 2024. Kindest regards.
Cheers
Dwayne
Hi Dwayne - thanks for the comment - I stopped at your channel to let you know about the awning but saw you were on an adventure and thought I'd wait. I hope you're trip was a good as you expected. The awning worked out really well. The crank is a bit "inside" the body line and I have to have my arms up to properly open and close it. I'm not sure what the balance is between keeping the rain out and making it easy to deploy. Be well .... Dave
Very creative fabrication.
Good to see you, Dave
DAVID !!!! So good to see you too my friend !!
Hi Dave. You are really a handy man! Puzzling and searching for solutions. I like your video’s. I was just curious how you manage to secure the awning to the bottom of the bracket with those little screws. As far as I know you have to secure it with at least one screw per bracket. I didn’t see that on the video. I was wondering if there is enough room underneath it to get it done. I myself want to do it more or less the same way you are showing.
Thanks
Dirk
Hi Dirk - thanks so much for watching and taking the time to ask. The installer I bought the awning from explained that the only purpose of those screws is to hold the bottom of the awning to the bracket. They don't support any weight at all. And that can be accomplished by driving screws through the bracket and into the roof rack. I addressed this starting at 10:45 of the video (the time stamp is a link to that place in the video). Let me know how you make out with your install ..... stop back and be well .... Dave
Hi Dave. Thanks for taking your time to answer my question. Well, at first glance I still didn't understand what you meant. In your video, I saw that there was a bolt in the middle of one of the brackets. So I thought for lifting the bottom that's meaningless. But almost at the end of the video, you were talking about anchoring the awning after opening it. So I assume that after opening there is enough space to reach the back of the awningplate for putting in some anchoring bolts. Is that correct? Thanks, Dirk
@@dirkbonthuis3820 Hey buddy - sorry for the obtuseness of my reply. I see now that I didn't show that part. You are correct - at the end 25:00 - the first time I opened the awning (with the ropes still holding it) I opened it just enough to get a screw gun in and sink in some screws. Remember, all these fasteners do is hold the awning to the brackets. And that the back of the awning is right up against the bracket They support no weight. So I used 2 - 1/2" #8 Self-tapping screws at each bracket. Then took the ropes off. Be well ...... Dave
Thanks a lot Dave. Now it's 100% clear to me. Have a nice weekend. Dirk
Where did you order the brackets from that hold the awning on your rack. I'm asking about the fiamma brackets.
Hi @ dim4587. I normally say thanks for watching. But I think you may not have - unless you’re referring to the flat Fiamma brackets that come with the awning. It’s gonna take some simple fabrication. Be well….. dave
Nice job Dave, what is the size( length) of the awning?
Hi Yves - thanks for coming back and watching. I am really pleased with the way it turned out. The awning is 10
feet long and comes out 8 feet. I have an exterior light near the back of the van and didn't want it under the awning. Be well ... talk soon ... Dave
🥰🫶🏾🥰
Jada - how do we arrange a chat to catch up ?????