TheSamba.com :: View topic - $99 NAPA Awning- Copy of ARB?

Wed Oct 27, 2021 4:48 am

Xevin wrote: Timwhy wrote: Xevin wrote: Thanks guys.

What I really want to know. How is the fit of Rocky Mountain, GW, or North Westy brackets (Non drilling style) with the Napa awning? Are they compatible? “Plug and play?” Some mods needed? If I’m going to throw down the $ for brackets. I want to know what I’m getting into. Thanks again for the feedback. Looking forward to mounting this up soon.

Both the GW and the RMW brackets will have to be drilled for the awning to bolt up.

Probably overthinking this. I picked up some #10-24 x 1/2 fasteners. Boy they seem small to support this awning. There’s seems to be a lot of float/play/slop in the predrilled hole on the RM bracket. Is this normal to help align the screw with the jam nut in the track? Should I use the larger top holes on top of the bracket with thicker bolts or the second set of holes with the fasteners I have. Before I start drilling. I want to get this right.

Thanks for any advice

I have extra bolts and jam nuts that I used but do not have the packaging they came in. Will take them to Lowes today and see what exactly they are. There was no slop in the brackets with what I used.

Wed Oct 27, 2021 7:54 am

Timwhy wrote: Xevin wrote: Timwhy wrote: Xevin wrote: Thanks guys.

What I really want to know. How is the fit of Rocky Mountain, GW, or North Westy brackets (Non drilling style) with the Napa awning? Are they compatible? “Plug and play?” Some mods needed? If I’m going to throw down the $ for brackets. I want to know what I’m getting into. Thanks again for the feedback. Looking forward to mounting this up soon.

Both the GW and the RMW brackets will have to be drilled for the awning to bolt up.

Probably overthinking this. I picked up some #10-24 x 1/2 fasteners. Boy they seem small to support this awning. There’s seems to be a lot of float/play/slop in the predrilled hole on the RM bracket. Is this normal to help align the screw with the jam nut in the track? Should I use the larger top holes on top of the bracket with thicker bolts or the second set of holes with the fasteners I have. Before I start drilling. I want to get this right.

Thanks for any advice

I have extra bolts and jam nuts that I used but do not have the packaging they came in. Will take them to Lowes today and see what exactly they are. There was no slop in the brackets with what I used.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-5-16-in-18-x-.../204825772

LOWES doesn't carry them anymore.

Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:40 am

Xevin wrote: Probably overthinking this. I picked up some #10-24 x 1/2 fasteners. Boy they seem small to support this awning.

Thanks for any advice
Dude. Talk to your local VW hardware store guys, either me or Sluggo. I need to come torture you with beer sometime soon anyway. :P :P :P

#10-24 ain't gonna cut it. 1/4"-20 or M6x1.0 is the absolute smallest I'd use for something like this, and even that would kinda sketch me out if I was only using two brackets, especially if the brackets are only clamped to the gutter. I used 5/16"-18 with my ARB-clone awning, but I made my own mounting brackets and was able to make the holes in the sizes and places that I needed. Brackets clamp the gutter and also bolt to the body with threaded nut-serts installed in drilled/primed/painted holes.

Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:54 am

tristessa wrote: Xevin wrote: Probably overthinking this. I picked up some #10-24 x 1/2 fasteners. Boy they seem small to support this awning.

Thanks for any advice
Dude. Talk to your local VW hardware store guys, either me or Sluggo. I need to come torture you with beer sometime soon anyway. :P :P :P

#10-24 ain't gonna cut it. 1/4"-20 or M6x1.0 is the absolute smallest I'd use for something like this, and even that would kinda sketch me out if I was only using two brackets, especially if the brackets are only clamped to the gutter. I used 5/16"-18 with my ARB-clone awning, but I made my own mounting brackets and was able to make the holes in the sizes and places that I needed. Brackets clamp the gutter and also bolt to the body with threaded nut-serts installed in drilled/primed/painted holes.

Buddy. I went to Winks hardware. I gave them the specs from a screen shot of these Lowe’s links. I then returned them for M8 x 16. To long. Back to Winks I go.

Timwhy wrote: Zeitgeist 13 wrote: For those of you who are using this awning with one of GW's mounts similar to this one, do you recall which size hardware you used?

I'm estimating an 8x15mm bolt, but I just wanted to piggyback onto someone else's experience here.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-10-24-x-1-2-in-Allen-Drive-Cap-Screws-4-Count/3024576

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hillman-8-32-x-1-2-in-All...lsrc=aw.ds

In the pic it was or the other but can not remember which. I used a correct SS Jam nut inside the channel, have worked great for years on all my mounted awnings.

Wed Oct 27, 2021 11:18 am

I also bought this 5/16. Down the street at A-Boy Fits perfectly. Stupid easy project being a time suck. Ugh!

Thu Oct 28, 2021 4:57 pm

It’s on! Thanks to all, for your advice =D> Tristessa had me over to modify some stuff. That guy is one of a kind 8)

Tritessa even brought me home a beer from the mother land. I’m a lucky dude.

And he suggested we should tidy up the bracket hardware with some acorns.

Thu Oct 28, 2021 6:51 pm

I used North Westy brackets, worked perfectly.

Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:00 pm

Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:10 pm

Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:21 pm

Good to know

Thu Oct 28, 2021 7:39 pm

Alex Vena wrote: I used North Westy brackets, worked perfectly.

Good brackets. Does the pop top clear the hardware facing the roof?

Fri Oct 29, 2021 12:39 am

Xevin wrote:

And he suggested we should tidy up the bracket hardware with some acorns.

or some Body color matching thread protectors lol

Fri Oct 29, 2021 6:44 am

Xevin wrote: Alex Vena wrote: I used North Westy brackets, worked perfectly.

Good brackets. Does the pop top clear the hardware facing the roof?

Looks like the van is a tin top, not a camper.

Mon Nov 01, 2021 6:04 pm

Yes it’s a tin top

Mon Nov 01, 2021 7:41 pm

I used the Northwesty brackets. They appear to be a little shorter than the Rocky Mountain Westy brackets, making the pop top clearance tighter. I bought some 1/4 20 3/4 long stainless carriage bolts so I wouldn't have to redrill the stainless Northwesty mounts, but I had to modify the head of the carriage bolts by grinding 2 flats opposite of each other to allow the head of the carriage bolts to slide into the awning channel. I may have shortened the carriage bolts a few mm to make sure that it would clear the poptop, I cant remember. But it works perfectly and clears the poptop.

Mon Nov 01, 2021 8:54 pm

Alex Vena wrote: Yes it’s a tin top

I know. Was curious how the back of the brackets would clear a pop top safely.
Thank you for the tip on the zipper pulls. Makes sense.

Fri Nov 12, 2021 2:13 pm

I needed a bit more height from my awning so I can use the ARB deluxe room without the ceiling hitting my head.
Took a measurement from the awning's C channel at the slider to the ground. 6'1", an inch shorter than me.
No wonder my head was hitting the ceiling but that sagging didn't help either.
Took the ceiling in two inches and that did help but it still was too low for me.
Today I completed a small project to make awning height extenders for my RMW brackets.
Just simple plate steel with some holes drilled it them to get and extra 1.75" more height.
I'll have to wait to see if we get a nice weather day to try out the fitment of the room.

Fri Nov 12, 2021 3:07 pm

Nice mod Timwhy. I used to be 6’2.” As I get older and my simple tasks take a long time, I keep shrinking. I should have plenty of head room during the next campout :wink:

Sun Nov 21, 2021 3:53 pm

here's my take on the NAPA awning mount using the supplied brackets. wanted to use them the tall way for head clearance so they had to be re-drilled. mounted into drip tray in thick part.

after mounting, it worked but was somewhat 'bendy' from the long, tall arms. added a bracket of aluminum just hooked into the luggage rack and the front is rock solid. back end wobbles a bit but is totally fine. very stable while driving and deploying now.

Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:57 am

Got around to cutting the ARB legs down to size so they would fit in the channel together.
The top section I took off 1.75", removed the joint and used the HF 1/8 - 1 1/8 tube cutter.
The bottom section I took off 5/8", removed the foot and used the tube cutter. They both fit nicely together in the channel.