Thread: Maybe impossible awning mount

You can get additional rails to go on the back that match the front ones. They were a factory option.

Weeell, I have just done something that may help as I did not want the drag of roof bars.

I have a Rhino rack gutter bracket on the front, with a connection to the standard roof rail to brace it, made out of a bit of steel strap with another bit bent into a shallow U with bolts either side that go around the OEM rail.
At the back I have another Rhino bracket with a flat steel brace.

Here is the different part.

I have stuck a 100MM square bit of nylon breadboard ( prepped and painted) to the roof behind the skylight with Sikaflex 226. I have countersunk 2 stainless bolts into the bottom of the nylon and glued them in with epoxy. This is about where the rear rail mount goes so is quite rigid.

The shear strength of Sikaflex 226 is 1.7Newtons per square MM. 100x100x1.7 newtons is a barrow load of shear strength.
I have made a bracket from approx 20MMx2? steel strap which bolts to the gutter mount wher ethe roof bar usually bolts and to the mounting block via the two bolts sticking up.
There will not be much sideways thrust on the brackets anyway.

I then drilled through the Rhino mounts near the top and fixed the alloy rail to it with stainless bolts and big washers to spread the load on the rear plastic honeycomb of the mount.
Regards Philip A

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Sounds great, any pictures?

OK I will take some tomorrow of the brackets but I will not actually fit the awning as it is a PITA.
My brackets are pretty high as they came with a second hand set of Rhino roof bars but you can get shorter ones as in this case they don't have to clear the rear roof.
Regards Philip A

Ok I have some pictures below.
I used nylon breadboard as there are no corrosion problems although you could use stainless steel, although you would need thick stuff to countersink screws into.
My roof bars mounts are high because they are what I have , but you could use shorter ones no problem. as short as you like really, although the high ones put the awning quite high which is good.
You can see the stainless bolts I use to mount the awning and I have rivetted a hold down loop to keep the awning from swinging around as you go along.
Attachment 69530

Attachment 69531

Attachment 69532

awning mount 005.jpg
Regards Philip A

Thanks for that Phillip.

I will have to start scheming...

After checking my options I went for the factory extended roof bars. They will fit under my roller door.

It was a hard job to start... I read about it, looked where they removed the ones I bought, looked at it, read about it again, downloaded the factory instructions, stood back and thought should I do this?????

After taking a deep breath I pulled off the trim panels. That was easy.

After finding a small socket to use as my hole guide, i paused and thought about making holes in my roof???? Then I did it... Surprisingly easy really..

Waiting for the primer to dry..

Hi DiscoKym
Where did you source the factory rails from, and what price, if you don't mind my asking?
Something I've been thinking about for a while now....

Cheers,