# 1
Rhino-Rack Batwing Awning - Roof Rack Mount - Bolt On - Passenger's Side - 118 Sq Ft
The awning is as described. It very useful. Love having it and love using it.
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.
# 2
Rhino-Rack Sunseeker Awning - Roof Rack Mount - Bolt On - 8' 1" Long x 6' 10" Wide
I'm very happy with my awning. I have the Rhino Rack Pioneer roof rack so it was very simple to install with the included hardware. I wan't sure by the description if it came with the zipper for the optional extension, so I purchased that as well. Turns out it came with the zipper so I have an extra one if needed in the future. It's not as simple to deploy as some of the new ones hitting the market with automatic scissoring extensions that can hold themselves up without poles or guy lines, but it's also not as expensive or bulky as those models. Everyone has to choose what works best for them. I like this awning and it holds up well. The added effort in setting it up and taking it down does not bother me. If I were to see any design flaw it would be the use of plastic for the hinges that let the poles fold out from the housing. Nothing broke yet, but those make me a bit nervous when I'm setting everything up.
We bought this awning because we did a trip across America in our 1999 Chevy Diesel Suburban last year and used a 10x10 awning off the side at night, while it worked and stayed together the whole trip- it was still a 1/2 hour set up time, and there was a gap between truck and tent at all times. (Not great for rain). We plan on going back to the areas we want to spend more time, and this will allow us to have our shade/rain protection and a 5 minute set up time! The following pictures are of what we used (old system) to the new Rhino Rack Sunseeker 55sq ft awning from etrailer.com set up in the driveway- new adventures are in the beautiful future!!! Thank you to the awesome staff at etrailer.com for the great price, ease of ordering and fast shipping!
# 3
Rhino-Rack Batwing Awning - Roof Rack Mount - Bolt On - Driver's Side - 118 Sq Ft
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.
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.
# 4
Rhino-Rack Dome Awning - Roof Rack Mount - Bolt On - 8' 2" Long x 8' 4" Wide
I mounted this awning to the back of my pick up cap. I chose this one for the dome shape so the rear door of the cap could be opened under the awning with little interference. Feels well made. And the awning easily mounted to a Rhino Rack roof track to make it look stealthy and snug to the roof. Only negative, is the dome tent poles are difficult to install in the pockets, but I assume this will get easier with use and as the temperature outside increases. I should have bought some sand screws for the beach.
The Rhino-Rack Dome 1300 is a great addition to my Toyota Tacoma. I use my Tacoma for transporting SCUBA gear and the Awning is great for having shade at a dive site. Easy to setup and take down.
What our customers are saying:
"Very helpful/friendly Customer Service. Competitive Pricing. Shipping was Fast."