Thread: Gutter Mounted Awnings

I would be careful of a gutter mount without a roof bar at minimum.
If one of these awnings gets some wind under it the leverage on the mount is quite high.
I was on Stockton one day when a fellow club member erected the awning on his 38A on roof bars and promptly broke off the mounting brackets from a wind lifting the awning.
If I were fitting one I would have at least roof bars and brace the mounts so that any stress was over a larger area than the supplied brackets.

Regards Philip A.

I've got the Eezi-Awn 1000 gutter mounted to my 110 using the Eezi-Awn kit. Got it all from Mulgo.

I opted for the 1000 model over the 2000 due to the weight savings, and it works well (it would want to for the cost). If you were often setting up camp on your own I'd consider the 2000, as it would make life easier.

As for gutter mounting, I put mine on in a rush pre-trip a few months ago. Daniel warned me the gutter mounts may not fit (no uniformity on the amount of sealant in the gutter) and I may have to grind down the gutter brackets to get a good fit. Instead I put a 6mm aluminium spacer in as a quick fix and set off.

I've now been back a few months and haven't bothered to find a permanent fix, the quick one's going fine. I've done 10,000kms, a decent bit of which was off road and it hasn't been an issue. I'd rather mount it to a rack, but I can't fit in the garage with one, so if you have no use for a rack, I wouldn't hesitate in going the gutter option - it seems perfectly secure.

Can post some shots if necessary.

Originally Posted by PhilipA

I would be careful of a gutter mount without a roof bar at minimum.
If one of these awnings gets some wind under it the leverage on the mount is quite high.

Thanks for this warning.

I do have a good roof rack, and a set of roof bars, but on most trips I can manage my gear without using them. So I have 3 options:

• forget about the awning,
• take the rack just for the awning,
• take the risk of a gutter mount.

If I took the risky 3rd option, I would try to be very aware of wind, and use guy ropes if I felt doubtful.

Originally Posted by knodes85

I've got the Eezi-Awn 1000 gutter mounted to my 110 using the Eezi-Awn kit. Got it all from Mulgo.

Thanks for this information. It is very helpful to know that this has worked well for you.

Have you every felt worried about the wind, and the forces generated? Do you sometimes add guy ropes?

I generally try to use the car as a wind break, so the awning is rarely disturbed. It comes with ground pegs so I've never used guy ropes. The design is different to ARB type awnings, the frame is more rigid, it would be more difficult for it to catch a big gust of wind and rip at the mounts than the cheaper alternatives (assuming it is properly fixed to the ground by the pegs).

I was caught in a blizzard in Kosciusko National Park whilst camping when the wind came from seemingly everywhere. I didn't have any problems with the setup (other than unfreezing the awning in the morning).

The gutter mounts are solid. I think you'd be more likely to rip your gutter off than break the mountings. Having said that, if I had the option of a roof rack, I'd put it on that. Aside from the added strength, the gutter mounts are a waste of money if you've already got the rack.

I'd rule out option 1 - awnings are pretty handy - I'm a convert.

I used a caravan awning slide track, and made the awning.It folds up small in the car ,less weight up top obviously, and cost effective. therefore when you are not using the awning all you have is a small track which is either bolted or rivetted to your racks, or i suppose you could make small gutter mount brackets.Either way it worked well on all our travels outback, plus we made sides that attach to the awning if we needed more shelter.

Hi GT4 - is it possible for some photos of the mounting set up. I had a similar thought of mounting a C channel mount similarly used for caravan awnings to the roof somehow. I like the idea of not having to worry about 15kg of awning hanging off the side of the truck or the more probable catching it on a branch in a moment of absent concentration.

The issue i'm yet to resolve is how to mount it. Options are a roof rack or to the gutter or to the roof directly. The last is not preferred for obvious reasons.

the canvas also doubles as a ground sheet for trackside repairs.

thanks in advance, MLD

Originally Posted by gt4

I used a caravan awning slide track, and made the awning.It folds up small in the car ,less weight up top obviously, and cost effective. therefore when you are not using the awning all you have is a small track which is either bolted or rivetted to your racks, or i suppose you could make small gutter mount brackets.Either way it worked well on all our travels outback, plus we made sides that attach to the awning if we needed more shelter.

but think of the time you could save by having a complicated expensive one that just begs to be ripped off by passing trees ;-)

100% with you mate, KISS never hurt anyone... I've got sail track with sliding eye hooks mounted to both sides of my roof and it takes a minute or two to tie a tarp at each end and stick a couple of telescopic poles into the opposite side of the tarp for some quick shelter. Total cost of about $30-50 for the basic roof and some time on the old singer if you want to add some extra side walls...