This the track I put on the upper half of the tent.
regular VS. car top tent
- Thread starter Otto Von Squiggy
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Awnings on temporary PVC poles. I will be making clip together poles out of aluminum for the tent. Guy lines will run to wheel wells.
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Jon:
Very nice. Thanks for posting.
Idea.... a fixture on the base of the tent could support the awning poles, and could be quick detachable. Maybe run bugee cords to the rack for tension?
The whole thing can be stowed in the tent while traveling.
M
Very nice. Thanks for posting.
Idea.... a fixture on the base of the tent could support the awning poles, and could be quick detachable. Maybe run bugee cords to the rack for tension?
The whole thing can be stowed in the tent while traveling.
M
I was going to put marine deck hinges (ala folding bimini tops) where the poles come back to the tent. I haven't decided yet. For now I am making pockets that velcro onto the rack. The poles will fit in the pockets like they do on tents. Simple and easy. The poles in the pic are bowed back to the opening of the tent. Sort of like a truncated tri-angle. This adds a lot of strength as compared to the poles being parallel to the sides of the awning.
I did try fiberglass tent poles sprung out to the awning cross pole. It looked like a "U" with the bottom running under the roof rack. That broke straight away in the wind. With guy lines to the truck, as it is now, I can pull the slack out of the awning and normal wind seems to have little affect. If done in a stiffer aluminum tubing I think it will be rock solid.
I do plan on stowing everything inside of the tent when I finish the design. It takes no time at all to pull the awning out of the track and roll it up too. No more getting out in the direct rain for me again. The only caveat to that would be to use the awning when the tent isn't open and even adding a way to join left and right awnings together to make a nice shaded area on one side.
We will be running around NE Alabama all next week with the make shift poles. I Hope to get a good feel for things then.
I did try fiberglass tent poles sprung out to the awning cross pole. It looked like a "U" with the bottom running under the roof rack. That broke straight away in the wind. With guy lines to the truck, as it is now, I can pull the slack out of the awning and normal wind seems to have little affect. If done in a stiffer aluminum tubing I think it will be rock solid.
I do plan on stowing everything inside of the tent when I finish the design. It takes no time at all to pull the awning out of the track and roll it up too. No more getting out in the direct rain for me again. The only caveat to that would be to use the awning when the tent isn't open and even adding a way to join left and right awnings together to make a nice shaded area on one side.
We will be running around NE Alabama all next week with the make shift poles. I Hope to get a good feel for things then.
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Latest addition. From the awning track I connect the Kelty Carport. There is a small part of the original awning (previous posts) to cover the gap between the carport and the tent. I'm gonna use the poles during nice weather and take them out in bad. I now have two carports (one for each side).
