Lots of opinions on Canopies

Just had a PM conversation where this came up….my go into y shopping cart soon .

how do you attach yours?

edit: pictures loaded, see you had fabricated brackets. Did you document how you built yours?

 

Before I added the 7” extension the awning height was barely adequate for me at 5’9”. I expect my 6’2” brother-in-law will have no clearance issues at the new height. The room’s ceiling hangs just a little lower than the awning. I’d be real interested to find out if the ideal pitch height for an ARB 2000 is the same as for a 2500. This issue was unexpected when we ordered, but I’m (so far) happy with the awning at the new height. I just found my notes on ARB’s recommended pitch height for the 2500 awning room:
the (2500) awning room design can accommodate awning heights between 1.9m / 6.2ft (6’2.4”) to a maximum of 2.1m /6.8ft (6’10”) from ground level. Many installers mention 6.5’.

I’m on Yakima round bars, using these, and these, and these. I also fabricated some steel extenders to increase pitch height for the awning room, about 1/8”x3”x9.5”, that seem to be holding up. A drill press was needed for the way I did this. If I recall the ARB brackets needed to be drilled slightly larger than stock for the bolts that go into the shear blocks, then the extenders were a bit of cutting, drilling & finished with rattle-can semi-gloss black. If you zoom in on my second photo above you can see how it goes together.

I already had a fair amount of round-bar accessories, so that determined my rack system. If I were starting fresh I’d probably use the Yakima Aero bars that CI is currently (?) supplying. There’s a square nut that slides into the aero slot that you can bolt into through the awning bracket easy-peasy.

Again, we only have one night on this, it’s a work in progress. If we really like it I think we’ll have a canvas shop cut a panel the size of the trailer door, add zippers, velcro the panel to the trailer door... because unzipping the vehicle-side panel in the room leaves a fair gap for mosquitos when you want to get in/out of the trailer.

PS. I may sound a little unsure on the room, but the awning is a total win from the first time we used it. Highly recommended! Everybody should have one! Maybe that’s a northwest thing... Not totally clear on if/how the 6’ awning may or may not work better.

 

That's kind of funny, the Gazelle people did essentially what I did with our Clam Pavilion about three years ago. They made one of the screen panels into a zippered door, so you could slip the large main opening over the galley of the TD, and still get in and out through the secondary door. Works great!
I sent pictures of my modification to Clam, but got no reply, so now Gazelle introduces it as a new 2021 model. I'm glad someone decided to produce it...but too bad Clam let someone else eat their lunch.LOL

 

Sadly "out of stock" -- I hope this is just that, and not a soft end of product. This is what Pahaque did with Cottonwood.

I can't get a feel for how many of the panels open -- hopefully all of the sides. The one big flaw of all of the screened canopies...on hot summer days, they just get too hot...even though they are screened. North of 40 degrees latittude this might not be as much of a problem --- but get down to southern Indiana, Kentucky --- kind of along that line --- and summers are not hot...they are oppressive. June thorough September, going outside is almost intollerable with the head and humidity..

 

Like most things, including canopies, there are rarely any perfect products that provide the solution to all of your concerns. There is no doubt that the screens that are fine enough to keep out the smallest no-see-um flies, will also cut down the airflow through them, and open sided canopies will provide good shade and airflow, but not much in the way of bug protection.
It looks like all of the panels on the Gazelle open, just like the the Clam Pavilion, and both are quick to set up, and take down (once you know how). They both have their screens and wind flaps already permanently installed making the change from one to the other relatively quick and easy, but they weigh about the same as a Northern Breeze, and are pretty long but will fit inside a 550 at an angle. The Gazelle already has the secondary screen panel door, where the Clam doesn't and would need it added like we did to make it work on the TD, but like you noted they (the Gazelle) are "sold out", so aren't available. Hopefully that is a temporary situation. If you camp where there is electric hookups, maybe a reasonably sized fan may be an option to make up for the loss of airflow from the screens.

 

I did contact the company. They are stating they expect them back in stock in August. Which makes this a pretty viable candidate for me personally

Looking at the ARB awning/room from earlier in this chat and it looks like the killer-combination might be those to, at least for me personally. I don't care for lenghty set-ups...if it takes more than 10-15 minutes to do, it usually isn't worth the effort, unless you're expecting climate conditions which warrant it.

The Gazelle looks fantastic for the galley - some one on youtube (not campinn person) published about an amish community which fabricated something very similar....I was expecting to go that route....I'm kind of happy this thread became active again

 

If that was Cosmo, I believe his was a Clam that was customized by an Amish company.

 

It's nice to know that there is an Amish option for modifying the Clam. If someone has the info on how to get that done, it would be nice if they could post it. I had a friend do mine, but others may not have a readily available source of that service.
I was just watching Cosmo using his Clam during a winter camping trip where he ran into a snow storm where there was about 18 inches of snowfall . Not surprisingly, the Clam collapsed.
So if you are into winter camping, you might want to consider not putting up your Clam (or Gazelle), or any other pop up style canopy during the storm.

 

I believe Cosmo has a video showing and explaining the details of his mod. It wasn’t cheap (he wouldn’t say how much it cost) and there were some challenges accommodating the Amish ways. Don’t remember the details but I believe living close was a big positive for him. Didn’t really sound like something everybody would be anxious to try.

 

Yah, this is the video I was referring too. While it sounded like a decent idea, the money factor would creep in quickly. Clam style shelters are already expensive --- and if you are talking a couple hundred more thats starting to get excessive...even for some one with the stupid spending habits I have .

Looking at this thread, I think the ARB room and a Gazelle is still the best option other than what is no longer avaialble. I tell ya, that cottonwood shelter was the bees knees. It stood up to rain very well, and even high winds weren't a problem. I do not know why pahaque discontinued it....their retail price was in line with what they sell now, and I would think that the overall cost to manufacture would be even less.

Clam in the snow -- I was wondering how that worked...my estimation was not well I am curious how stiffened their ice-fishing shelters are. I supose stressed about the same....more about cold protection that elements...But my goal is to be far away from solid precipitation

 

Love Cosmo!

 

LOL! Another discontinued product!!! I give up...

 

It looks to me as if both sizes of awning room are currently in stock via Amazon. There was an earlier model a few years back, no longer available... but the current model 2500 is what we have.

https://www.amazon.com/ARB-813108A-Awning-Deluxe-ARB4401A/dp/B071NP2QNC/

OTOH, like a lot camping gear, the awnings are in short supply. Not discontinued, but backordered at most (not all) retailers. Made in Australia, COVID, shipped by boat; it was like this last year too with ARB going in and out of stock. Lots of people working on their rigs!

 

the room is….the awning isn’t. I though I saw in my travels that the arb 2500 was discontinued….


I’ll try again from a PC. iPad sucks for anything other than mindless surfing….

 

Also look at CVT, Cascade Vehicle Tents, they have three different awning sizes and all have rooms that can be attached. The have main centers in Oregon, Tennessee and Las Vegas. And yesterday they had the size I wanted with the attaching room

 

wish I were close to Chattanooga! I was looking for something to do this weekend!

 

There are youtubes showing the awning/room setup. Also, youtube Primal Outdoors uses the awning and has on his van and his small square drop.

 

Yah, did some searching. These look good…just waiting on Cary to tell me when I’ll need it