How-to: Awning with stock GX460 roof rails and crossbars (1 Viewer)

[Velvet Pants]

If you want to put an awning on your GX460 with stock roof rails & crossbars, you can get these items and call it "good enough":

1. Yescom Awning 8'2" x 7'7" - It goes on sale from time to time; I got one for 99 bucks. Probably same thing as the NAPA Maxi Trac awning.
2. SBE Precision OEM Crossbar Clamps - You'll need all four clamps to install an awning. I dunno if there's any alternative to these clamps for those with stock rails, but I can say these clamps are versatile, robust and very well made. He makes a GX460-specific clamp (shorter bottom piece); make sure to note on your order that you want the GX460 config. He's a great guy and is very accommodating.
3. 4x hex bolts 5/16"-18 x 3/4" long (to bolt the awning brackets to the SBE clamps). Remember these thread into aluminum, so don't go all Torquo the Clown on them.
4. 4x 5/16" washers (as above)

However, I wasn't stoked on the cheesy 2-bolt L-brackets or fasteners that came with the awning, so I upgraded them by buying these:

1. 2x ARB Universal Awning Bracket 813402 - These have a much broader footprint w/ 3 bolt faces and nice big gussets. They're quite nice brackets. Their holes are supposed to be for 8mm bolts, but they're sized a bit tight for an M8 (or 5/16") bolt to fit through, so you'll have to hit them briefly with a file to open them up a hair.
2. 6x Rockler 5/16"-18 T-Slot Bolts (1" long) - (they also sell them in a 5-pack) - Since the ARB brackets have 3 holes, you need more fasteners. It turns out the M8 stainless bolts that come with the awning have an odd 13.x mm head that's impossible to match. And yet they don't fit the awning extrusion well. They're also the cheapest SS bolts I've ever seen. These Rockler t-slot bolts have a MUCH larger mounting "face" to bear on the inner surface of the extrusion, fit the extrusion's grooves better and their extra 1/4" length plays nicer with the thicker ARB bracket + washer below. Yeah, the Rocklers are likely just Grade 2 zinc hardware, but I bet they're still better than the mystery-meat SS awning bolts. Plus, now you're distributing the same load over 50% more fasteners...
3. 6x 5/16" washers
4. 6x 5/16" nylock nuts

Notes:
Before installing the SBE clamps, tilt your sunroof glass up. Then slide the front crossbar back just far enough that the SBE clamps clear the glass.
Slide the rear crossbar rearward as far as it will go. It won't go all the way back because the roof rails are not parallel.
Before setting the fore-aft position of the awning, open the rear hatch glass to make sure the awning clears it.

 

[r2m]

Do you have any photos of your setup??

 

[xychromosome]

Nice write up. I am using those same SBE clamps and they have been holding up well. I've been using the brackets that came with my ironman4x4 awning to attach to the clamps and they are holding up just fine, however those ARB clamps do look a lot sturdier.

 

[John Guedry]

How is that napa awning I see it's 99 only, way cheaper than the ironman4x4.