TJM 4x4 Awning Review
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.
TJM’s standard awning is 2 metres wide and extends 2.1 metres out from the vehicle. It’s made from PVC-coated polyester fabric, which is pretty sturdy and completely waterproof. It also gives near total protection from UV light. The support structure is conventional. You get two aluminium extrusions for the base and end bar, and side struts and legs made from telescoping aluminium tubes. There aren’t any surprises here but everything seems well enough made and reasonably sturdy. The edges are reinforced and all the stitching looks fine. Fitting it is straightforward too; the base mounts to your roof cage or bars using the supplied bolts and mounting brackets.
If you’ve set up awnings before you won’t have any trouble with this one. It all zips away for stowage in a tough nylon reinforced PVC bag. Just unzip the bag, unfold the side struts and stretch the awning out. The struts lock into the end bar, the legs fold down and that’s pretty much it. There are also Velcro straps along the sides to you can secure the awning to the struts and keep it nice and tight. If there’s a bit of wind the supplied guy lines and pegs will hold things in place for you.
TJM sell a range of tents and that’s their main solution for sleeping in, so the awning is a no frills affair. There aren’t tent walls or mosquito nets available for it right now, so if you like a bit of extra comfort when you’re sleeping this is more suitable for just sitting in the shade and relaxing. Of course if you don’t mind roughing it a bit you certainly can sleep under it; there’s room, and with it on the downwind side of your vehicle you’d be fine. As a basic shelter it does its job pretty well.
This is a classic simple awning without any special features or expansion options, and that may not be what you’re looking for. If it is, though, we don’t think you’d go far wrong with the TJM. It’s solid and well made, and it’s definitely capable of keeping you sheltered from the sun or wet weather. If you want a basic awning it’s worth considering.
