4x4Awning.com.au - 4x4 Awning Reviews
When we review an awning we aim to tell you how well it’s made, how easy it is to use and how well it does its job. We know it can be difficult to choose between models with the range that’s available, though, so we think it’s nice to tell you a bit more than “Hey, this one’s really well made.” That means providing some technical data and some observations on our experience of it. Here’s the main information we try to give you in each category:
Build Quality
We’ll tell you what kind of fabric it’s made from, any proofing treatments it’s had and what the poles and fittings are made of. We’ll also look at how well everything is put together and highlight any weaknesses (or points that we think are really good.)
Ease of use
We like to set things up and take them down again, quite a few times. Then we tell you how easy it is to do it, things that might go wrong and any handy tips we come up with.
Function
Awnings and accessories aren’t there for decoration and we’ll let you know how well they work. If the awning is too small to give useful shelter or the holes in a mosquito net are an inch wide we’ll tell you.
Features
We all like well designed features, so when we find one we tell you about it. If an awning has lighting hooks we’ll let you know.
It can be hard to give a good impression of something in a short review, but we try to give you a good balance of product specifications and our actual experiences with it. Anyone can compare lists of numbers but we think hands-on experience is worth at least as much.
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Adventure Kings 4x4 Awning Review3 Jul '15 If you’re into off road touring one of the best accessories you can get is an awning. Mount it on your roof bars and instantly you’ve added a spacious shelter to your vehicle that unrolls and sets up in seconds. Awnings are ideal for cooking, eating, camping – especially if you add a tent kit – or just relaxing in the shade after a long day’s driving. They’re good value for money too, with some really good ones available for under $300. It’s possible to shave a few dollars off if you shop around though, and one product that’s been getting some attention recently is the Adventure Kings range. |
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Ridge Ryder 4x4 Awning Review30 Jun '15 It’s always nice to find a good bit of gear at a bargain price, and there’s been a lot of chat recently about the Ridge Ryder awning. This usually sells for about $300 but it’s easy to pick one up for $200 or even less. Most awnings start at around the $300 point, so with so many discounts available the Ridge Ryder looks like a pretty good deal and there are a lot of them sitting on roof bars. What’s it like to actually use one though? Here’s my experiences of their 2.5x2 metre model. |
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Eezy Awn 4x4 Awnings Review29 Aug '13 Eezi Awn have a range of awnings that’s a little bit different from the average one. Most models, no matter if they’re a conventional rectangular model or a more elaborate wing design, stow away in a heavy fabric bag attached to the awning base. These usually give pretty good protection, but they’re not perfect. It can be pretty unpleasant struggling with a wet, dirty zip that just doesn’t want to open (or close, which might even be worse.) If you’re really unlucky a stray branch can even rip the bag and damage the awning inside. |
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Tough Toys Tough LED Awning Review27 Aug '13 It’s always nice to find an awning that has an extra feature or does things a new way, so the Tough LED Awning from 4wd specialist Tough Toys caught our attention. Awnings obviously get used when you’re camping, and that tends to be at the end of the day. When, as we all know, it gets dark. If you spend a lot of time outdoors you’ve probably cursed yourself a few times for knocking the lantern off its hook, but with their new range of awnings Tough Toys are trying to make that a thing of the past. This one comes with built in lighting. |
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Tigerz11 Awning27 Aug '13 The range of available awnings is growing pretty fast, with some interesting new ideas appearing as well as the traditional styles that still dominate the market. It’s hard to say how well some of the newer designs will stand up in the long term of course, so going for a conventional pull-out awning still makes good sense. Even here there are a lot to choose from. We try to look at as many as we can so we can tell you what to go for and what to avoid, and we’ve just been trying out a conventional awning from Tigerz11. |
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Roo Systems Awning Review27 Aug '13 Roo Systems are well known for their range of 4wd and camping accessories, so we thought we’d have a look at their awnings. After all that’s what we do. Their range is made up of fairly conventional models and we’ve looked at quite a few of these, but it’s always good to check out a few more. We had a look at what was on offer, which is 1.4 x 2 metre size for the rear of your vehicle and 2 x 2, 2 x 2.5 and 2.5 x 2 versions for the side, and we decided to try the 2 x 2.5 one. All other details are the same for all models, though, so what we say applies to them too. |
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Powerful 4x4 Kalahari Awning Review27 Aug '13 We’re a big fan of awnings (obviously) and one of the things we like so much is their versatility. Add a mozzie net or tent and you can turn your sun shade into a comfortable place to spend the night. You can probably guess we were pretty interested when we found that Powerful 4x4 are selling their Kalahari awning complete with a tent kit, and we decided to try one out. |
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Howling Moon Alu Awn Awning Review27 Aug '13 We’ve looked at lots of awnings that stow away in a fabric bag, which is pretty much the standard way of doing things. Recently we looked at one that did it slightly differently, using a hard aluminium case to protect the awning when not in use, which really appealed because it was quite unusual. Well, now we’ve found another one. The Alu Awn from Howling Moon also comes in a hard case, so we thought we’d see what it was like. |
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Hannibal Safari Awnings Review27 Aug '13 We get to see a lot of awnings, so we’re pretty familiar with how most of them work. There’s a standard design for awnings and it’s effective, but it does get a bit samey sometimes and it’s always nice to see something different. The Hannibal Awning from Hannibal Safari Equipment made our day, because it seriously simplifies awning design. |
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SupaPeg RV & 4x4 Awnings Review26 Aug '13 Supa-RV handle a large range of 4wd accessories, including several ranges of awnings. One of the most popular selections are their Supa-Peg side awnings, available in a total of three styles and seven sizes. If you’re looking for a side awning you’ll almost certainly find one that matches what you’re after. We had a look at a couple to see how good a choice they’d be. |
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TJM 4x4 Awning Review26 Aug '13 At 4x4 Awnings we’ve looked at a few interesting products recently, with some innovative designs and features. There’s a lot to be said for a good basic side awning, however, and that’s what most of the market consists of. We’ve been looking at an awning from off road specialist TJM, which is aimed squarely at this segment. |
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Rhino Rack Foxwing Awning Made By Oztent Review26 Aug '13 Our mission at 4x4 Awnings is to tell you what you need to know when you want an awning, and we take it seriously. We do have to admit though, there are times when that long package turns up at the door and we think “Oh, another awning. How different.” It does make a nice change when something that’s really different arrives so the Rhino Rack Foxwing gave us a bit of excitement. |
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ARB 4x4 Awning Review26 Aug '13 Simplicity is everything with an awning, because what you’re looking for is a shelter that’s easy to set up and isn’t going to go wrong when you need it. ARB’s awning comes in three widths – 1.25, 2 and 2.5 metres. The ARB website doesn’t actually say how long the awning is, but we measured it for you because we’re helpful like that – it’s 2 metres. |
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Ironman 4x4 Instant Awning Review26 Aug '13 When you’re choosing an awning one factor that’s going to affect your decision is how easy it is to set up. The fun of camping is relaxing in the great Australian outdoors, not struggling with a mass of canvas and poles that seems to have a personal grudge against you. You want something that goes up quickly and without fuss, and “instant” sounds about as quick as you can get. So we tried out the Ironman 4x4 Instant Awning to see how it worked. |
