# 1
Rhino-Rack Batwing Awning - Roof Rack Mount - Bolt On - Driver's Side - 118 Sq Ft
I love the awning although was very upset when I found out that the manufacturer did not offer brackets that would mount it onto my van, a Chrysler Pacifica. Also I had an incident where a gust of wind caught the awning as I was taking it down. The hinges that were made of plastic snapped . So they needed to be replaced. That was easy enough to do but should be made of a better material.
Absolutely love this awning. Installation was an absolute riot doing it alone but I got it done. Deploying and closing the awning takes just a couple minutes alone too. A lot of folks complain about the plastic brackets -- but it's actually a genius design. If you get lazy and put the awning down without staking it -- a gust will blow it over and snap the brackets instead of bending the awning. They're super cheap and easy to replace; I just keep a spare set on me. 5/5 awning.
# 2
Rhino-Rack Batwing Awning - Roof Rack Mount - Bolt On - Passenger's Side - 118 Sq Ft
This thing is overall awesome. I had to get new crossbars for my Yakima with the T channel for it to more easily fit but once I did this thing screws on easily and stays put during driving 80+ MPH. Deploying is quick and fairly easy, but I have followed other's recommendations and secured the support arms to the ground as I go because the joints that connect the arms to the awning body are plastic and meant to break it seems. I haven't so far cracked one in windy places with this technique. Setting this thing up in parking lots, or rocky/hard ground places though is a bit more difficult. I've found that if I bring weights (kettlebells is what I have) and use the support ropes/cords to attach them to these, I can set the awning up fairly reliably and without too much risk of it blowing up and breaking. I wish there was some addon I could purchase, like weights that I could secure around the support arms so that they weighed down and I could use this in hard grounded areas more easily. One more thing is you can tell this is not fully resistant to UV and solar radiation. On high sun/UV index days you can still feel the sun while resting in the shade. So be aware and still use sunscreen or protective layers while using it in sunny locales.
This is the one piece of camping gear that once it's set up people just come by and say "whoah". First off, it's huge and the amount of coverage it gives is amazing and makes single panel awnings just look silly in comparison. I love how easy it is to set-up which makes it a no-brainer whether or not to deploy it, always yes. Here's a few tips after using it for a year... If it's windy at all stake it down and if you have a buddy to help with setup all the better. These things are like giant sails and I've snapped a few of the hinge pieces due to big gusts and not staking it down. The GOOD news is that the hinges are designed to snap under load (instead of the more expensive arms) and are easily replaceable and you can do it with basic hand tools by yourself so keep the spares they give you in the stake pouch. You can extend the coverage with the zip-on panels ...or just get some spring clamps and attach a sheet/tarp/towel/whatever for the extra shade. I had someone come up and chat me up about the awning and he asked this simple question, "if you had to do it over would you buy this one again?". 100% yes.
What our customers are saying:
"very easy to shop"