TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed May 15, 2013 8:49 pm

Has anyone purchased the ARB awning..Are you happy with it and how did you mount it to your van. Looks like a nice awning for the price

Cheers
Al

Wed May 15, 2013 9:22 pm

I'm actually standing under my arb awning right now! It's great, cheap and very sturdy. I used the mounts Kirk designed at northwesty here in seattle to mount the awning.

Thu May 16, 2013 6:10 am

I love my ARB awning, bought it at a local shop had it for me next day. I paid 280.00 for it plus the GW gutter mounts. I bought the big one just over 8' wide.

Its built very well, super easy to put up and take down, poles are attached to the awning so only loose parts are the 4 stakes and 2 guide lines. Only needs staked down if theres wind. Theres are tracks on the aluminum mount that bolt heads slide into and can then be pretty much mounted to anything you can put four holes in.

A little hard to see in the pic but the color is Tan, just a tad darker than stinks tent. Its made of heavy canvas coated material. The bag is also heavy duty, protecting it from tree branches I drag down it lol

Thu May 16, 2013 3:22 pm

Have to agree. Got the ARB for under $200 and got the brackets from Northwesty.

Thu May 16, 2013 3:33 pm

Galavanter or BMXAnddie,
Could you please post a pic of the northwesty brackets? This awning seems to be the best option for me but I am curious about the gutter mounts and how they install.

Thanks!

Thu May 16, 2013 3:56 pm

I'll have to take one this weekend, but they're a simple rain gutter mount. There's 2 brackets holding up the awning. Each bracket is made up of 2 pieces that clamp to the rain gutter using one bolt. There's pads to protect the areas of the brackets that touch your paint. Quality brackets + no drilling.

Thu May 16, 2013 5:14 pm

Galavanter wrote: Have to agree. Got the ARB for under $200 and got the brackets from Northwesty.

Where did you buy the awning?
How much were the brackets?

Looks like a good option to the fiamma - what's the down side?

Cheers.

Thu May 16, 2013 5:14 pm

thanks guys. Just to confirm you have the 2500 or the 8ft one?

Just ordered my ARB..Now to Northwesty for the mounts..happy camping

Al

Thu May 16, 2013 5:18 pm

I got the ARB from

http://autoplicity.com/search.aspx?searchterms=arb+awning\

looks like it went up in price to $205

brackets I got here:

http://kirkmeeks.com/arb__old_man_emu/touring

2nd item down.

Thu May 16, 2013 5:34 pm

Galavanter wrote: I'll have to take one this weekend, but they're a simple rain gutter mount. There's 2 brackets holding up the awning. Each bracket is made up of 2 pieces that clamp to the rain gutter using one bolt. There's pads to protect the areas of the brackets that touch your paint. Quality brackets + no drilling.

Thanks for the reply and description. Perfect. No need for a pic now. I don't know what I was thinking it was....

Thu May 16, 2013 6:11 pm

Have one and love it.

Thu May 16, 2013 7:08 pm

We have one as well and it works great. I picked up some sandbags to keep it on the ground when we are places that staking guy lines do not work.

Water jugs are great too if you have a stream or water source near by.

Thu May 16, 2013 7:31 pm

Do you guys keep them on your van all the time? Are they easy to put on and off of the vehicle. I hope to check one out in person at the Overland Expo.
Thanks

Fri May 17, 2013 1:41 pm

Top bud I leave mine on the stink all the time, it even fits under the cover with it on. Wouldnt be too hard to take off but after a few times you'll just leave it on :D

And the down side is.... you have to roll it with your hands...

Fri Jun 07, 2013 7:08 pm

pigryder wrote: I love my ARB awning, bought it at a local shop had it for me next day. I paid 280.00 for it plus the GW gutter mounts. I bought the big one just over 8' wide.

Its built very well, super easy to put up and take down, poles are attached to the awning so only loose parts are the 4 stakes and 2 guide lines. Only needs staked down if theres wind. Theres are tracks on the aluminum mount that bolt heads slide into and can then be pretty much mounted to anything you can put four holes in.

A little hard to see in the pic but the color is Tan, just a tad darker than stinks tent. Its made of heavy canvas coated material. The bag is also heavy duty, protecting it from tree branches I drag down it lol

Hey there! Nice setup! I'm just wondering about the GW brackets with the ARB awning. Was it necessary to drill any holes or do they simply mount to the gutter? Do you have any pics of the brackets prior to the awning mounted? Just wondering if it's an easy installation? I have looked at the northwesty brackets, but they are out of stock, with no known availability.

Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:21 pm

The ARB awnings are terrific. I just had one installed a few days ago by Tony (Samba handle Motorsports) here in Portland.

He used the GoWesty mounts, which require two small holes drilled in them to match the bolts on the awning.

That is the only alteration that's needed. Installing the awning was very straightforward, but having a friend to hold up one end of that will help.

Prior to this I had the awning from Bus Depot. I really like this awning once it was set up, as it was both robust and had a nice dome shape to repel the rain. However, getting set up was about a 15 min. process, which is often more time than I want to take.

My two bits: If you're going to set up a base camp for two or more days to hang out, go with the bus depot. If you think you will often find yourself setting up the awning for anywhere from an hour up to two days, and if you might need to set it up fast ( i.e., in the rain), then I suggest the ARB.

ARB awnings come in several sizes. Most all vanagon owners will want to buy the largest, 8 feet.
I will post a YouTube video soon about how to deploy this awning.

-CJ

Sat Jun 08, 2013 8:49 am

climberjohn wrote: The ARB awnings are terrific. I just had one installed a few days ago by Tony (Samba handle Motorsports) here in Portland.

He used the GoWesty mounts, which require two small holes drilled in them to match the bolts on the awning.

That is the only alteration that's needed. Installing the awning was very straightforward, but having a friend to hold up one end of that will help.

Prior to this I had the awning from Bus Depot. I really like this awning once it was set up, as it was both robust and had a nice dome shape to repel the rain. However, getting set up was about a 15 min. process, which is often more time than I want to take.

My two bits: If you're going to set up a base camp for two or more days to hang out, go with the bus depot. If you think you will often find yourself setting up the awning for anywhere from an hour up to two days, and if you might need to set it up fast ( i.e., in the rain), then I suggest the ARB.

ARB awnings come in several sizes. Most all vanagon owners will want to buy the largest, 8 feet.
I will post a YouTube video soon about how to deploy this awning.

-CJ

Thanks CJ! I am seriously leaning towards the ARB and I'm glad I do not have to drill into my van!! I look forward to your video!

Sat Jun 08, 2013 12:12 pm

The ARB is pretty darn good for the money. So good that I bought two!

I've had the Fiamma in the past, and it is a better quality product from an ease-of-use and durability standpoint. Although, it is rather heavy and quite expensive.

The ARB is pretty easy to set up and you don't feel the weight of it on the vehicle. It feels more like setting up a tent than rolling out an awning. That being said, I've bent some of the lightweight aluminum fittings while setting up the ARB solo in slightly windy conditions. The Fiamma feels more like you're using patio furniture...rock solid, but at a steep price.

Sat Jun 08, 2013 2:34 pm

Well just got my ARV installed and very impressed with the product. Haven't had a chance to put it up but will as soon as the rain stops.

Used Gowesty, fiamma brackets and they worked well with the awning

For the price I'm very impressed..

Got mine in Montreal and shipped to Calgary was around $280 for the 8ft unit..Was here within a week and no border problems

Cheers
Al

Sat Jun 08, 2013 5:09 pm

What the difference between the ARB awning and the Ironman VC sells, http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_1790_125/ironman_instant_awning.html ?