Thread: Mounting Awning on roof crossbars

Definitely mount your awning UNDER the roof rails if you can.

While I have a full length Frontrunner rack on the D4, the mounting principle is the same. The "L" brackets for the awning are bolted to tracks in the underside of the cross rails of the rack.

There are a number of "scrape" marks on the top of this rack where I have contacted low roofs etc in parking areas when I was working down in Perth, plus a couple of low hanging tree branches when I've been out bush - I'd hate to see how the awning would have ended up had I mounted it above the roof rack like some I have seen.

If you don't have tracks in the underside of your cross rails, mount the "L" brackets in the tracks on top of the rails, but with the brackets pointing down, not up.

On the D2, I had Rola aero style cross rails which mounted in the tracks on the raised section of the roof, and between the roof rail extensions on the lower front section of the roof. I added a couple of Rhino legs and made up steel brackets which bolted to the Rola tracks, then across the top of the Rhino legs and down the outside of them so that I could mount the awning on the side, rather than the top. Kept the height down on this vehicle too.

Pic below shows awnings on both vehicles.

Thanks (I think) BMKAL. This has now made me look at Front Runner options...

Originally Posted by winaje

Hi Pat, a couple of photos would be fantastic. I'm particularly interested in the overall total height with the bars and awning fitted, and the part numbers of the Rhino stuff you used?

Thanks

Will,

I will try to take a couple of photos to upload in the next day or so. I have the same brackets that David put in his post, but have mounted it under the bar and it seems pretty sturdy.

I reckon the overall height is similar to the OEM cross bars -the Rhino bars look slightly taller - maybe 15mm

Mine is a 2.5x2.5 awning mounted on 2 cross bars. I am sure they feel more strongly attached on a tray, frontrunner rack or with 3 cross bars. So far it seems ok - I figure I could add another bar if I was worried.

Pat

Originally Posted by winaje

Thanks (I think) BMKAL. This has now made me look at Front Runner options...

Dolium / Frontrunner have now changed the design of their rack for the D3/D4. As far as I know, you cannot buy the same one that I have any more (we recently tried to get one for my ex-bosses new D4 and couldn't).

The new version mounts lower than mine. Instead of having 4 legs under each side of the rack (3 x short ones and 1 x long one at the front end), the new version of the rack has a mounting rail running along the length of the rack that bolts directly to the tracks on the high section of the Disco roof, and I think still has a single longer leg on each side at the front.

You should check this out if you are intending to buy one, as you may not be able to install the awning mounting brackets under the Frontrunner roofrack as I have done.

The claimed advantage of the new version of the rack is reduced overall height - which would definitely be an advantage to some. However, if you want to mount the Frontrunner supplied slides and aluminium / stainless steel camping table under the rack, you cannot with the new version of the rack. There is only just enough under my rack for my table to slide in without being in contact with the roof of the car - if the rack was any lower, I wouldn't be able to have this table (which is a very handy bit of gear ).

Love the Frontrunner racks though. Very solid bit of gear, and you can bolt anything you like to them, either above or beneath, using standard M8 bolts from the hardware store in the tracks - unlike some other brands of rack I've seen where you have to buy their "special" bolts to fit in the tracks.

ImageUploadedByAULRO1434055978.004825.jpgImageUploadedByAULRO1434055995.694788.jpgImageUploadedByAULRO1434056008.079680.jpg

Here are some photos of how mine is set up. Hopefully it works. I haven't attached images straight from my phone before.

Pat

I had no choice as to the hieght of our awning, as ours is a batwing awning, and it needed to be high enough so it would clear the back door, to make things worse our back door has a ladder also, so that meant the awning had to be mounted on the drivers side, or the spreader bar would touch the rear ladder and angle it up to far.





You can see how it mounts and the hieght, the other has a flat mount and is level with the platform, the other awning has angle iron with a sail track, which allows a flat mount.



Baz.

Hi Ean
Be very weary of using T bolts in the groove of lighter style aluminium racks, If you plan to do any distance on heavy corrugated dirt roads. I had a situation where we did a 9000km trip though the outback and the aluminium grooves fatigued and broke allowing the rear L bracket to come away from the rack.

We happened to be driving the Oodnadatta at the time. after hearing a knocking sound, I looked in my side mirror to see my awning floating in the breeze and scratching gouging the *^%#^% out of my paint work. I now drill and allow my bolts through the rack and securing with thick a washer and lock nut.

G'day,
I have two Rhino sportz bars fitted to the raised section of the roof.
The awning is a ARB 2m long with 2.5m shade.
Have had no issues. But am looking to find a way to fit a different bracket to reduce the height of the overall setup...
Cheers,