One of the more vital pieces of equipment for California camping is shade. Whether that be a pop-up that needs 4 people and an engineering degree to assemble or a more simple pole and blanket. Admittedly, pop-ups have come a long way in design and usability, but for a true RV experience you need an awning…need might be a bit strong but let’s just say that I really wanted one and settle on that. Remembering that I wanted my camper to be mostly inclusive, not just a van for carrying stuff that had to be attached later on.
A true RV awning has various connection points to the body and wind-down adjustability. While I wanted something that closely resembled a true awning, I wasn’t going to get that. What I ended up settling for is this. It’s a Pull-out shade from Danchel (link at the end of this post).
The reason I went for this model was its ability to stand alone without guy ropes (although they are recommended if the wind gets up and are included in the package).
It’s designed to attach to roof bars but by cutting the supplied “L” brackets into “I” brackets I was able to attach it directly to the fiberglass roof through holes that I drilled and secured on the inside with the additional “I” brackets. The awning back piece then slides onto these brackets which allows you to adjust the awning backward or forward until you get the perfect position, and then you tighten it all up. I put some sealant on the brackets for waterproofing and gave it a good test with the hose. Once the ceiling is in place, it will be too late to make any adjustments or fixes.
I then tried it out. I unzipped the cover and started to unroll the awning. Two extendable poles unfold and fasten along the edges using Velcro straps placed at specific intervals. Two additional extendable poles fold out and reach down to the ground. All pivot from points within the awning package so no ‘extra’ bits you need to carry and bolt on afterward.
My first, possibly only, mistake was not paying attention to the fact that it had been sitting in the sun for most of the day, in a black zipped covering. It was …um…what’s the word….hot!!
Water Freezes at 0ºC/32ºF
Tungsten Melts at 3,342ºC/6,192ºF
The almunium poles were nearer the higher end of that scale. I’m pretty sure even now there are pieces of my roasted skin welded to the frame, and I am currently unidentifiable because where fingerprints should be, there is just melted flesh. After folding it back up, I stashed some woolen gloves inside for next time…just in case.
Here’s the unit on Amazon (sponsored link)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GYG28Y7
