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IdahoDoug
Samba Member
Joined: June 12, 2010
Posts: 10248
Location: N. Idaho
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 Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2017 10:01 pm Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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I would too, if I could find short enough U bolts (squared off version). I'll probably find them at the Fastener store.
Doug
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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61Scout
Samba Member
Joined: November 06, 2011
Posts: 1297
Location: Shoreline/Yakima WA
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| Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:15 am Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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Hi Doug,
Here are some mounts I welded up the other day for Thule bars. These are specifically for a canoe, but the idea for the clamp might help. Basically three small pieces of angle iron, one flat piece at the bottom for the clamp. The flat piece has some studs welded on the bottom. Don't necessarily need a welder to make this clamp, it just keeps the assembly organized, but some bolts would hold it all together. Incidentally the loop on top is from a 90s 4runner as cargo tie downs in the rear. I simply cannibalized that and welded it to the top piece of angle iron as an additional tie down point.
Since you use the racks on other vehicles, here's another idea that might be useful. I added these to my Toyota pickup and they work well.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Adding-a-Mounting-Point-to-a-Vehicle-That-Has-Nowh/
*Duplicate post from another thread to cover all the bases.
-Kevin
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1986 Westfalia Weekender Wolfsburg, RJE 2.3
1985 Tin Top, Subie 2.2 + 5MT
Floppy Mirrors no more: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=653018&highlight=
Remove the front spindle nut with ease: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679567&highlight=
Remove the rear wheel bearing housing without messing with the big 46mm nut: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=679507&highlight=
-Nec Spe, Nec Metu
Last edited by 61Scout on Sun Jun 11, 2017 12:56 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32563
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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dougass
Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2016
Posts: 300
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 5:55 am Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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I just mounted up my ARB to Yakima round bars with the ARB brackets and 1-1/8" SS pipe hangers. I had to drill 4 holes in each bracket for the u-bolts, quick work with a drill press.
Location - using 1A towers with no risers, I found that putting the bracket on the inside of the tower should prevent rain from coming in between the van and the awning.
Testing this weekend with chance of rain.
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'91 GL - 2.1 automatic named Klaus for weekend adventures.
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wallanoise
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Joined: October 01, 2008
Posts: 96
Location: Crumsville
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| Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 1:31 pm Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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| Looks clean and having it mounted higher will be beneficial for added headroom below. I wonder how much more wind drag you'll get? |
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IdahoDoug
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Joined: June 12, 2010
Posts: 10248
Location: N. Idaho
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| Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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Looks great! Believe it or not, I am STILL looking for square clamps to fit my Thule rack. I have been to every chain store in town and the fastener store. I will end up using round pipe clamps and figuring out something to prevent the round part from digging in to my cross bar's square corner. They have a stout thick plastic on them that the round clamp will cut into in short order...
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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dougass
Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2016
Posts: 300
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 5:47 pm Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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| IdahoDoug wrote: |
| Looks great! Believe it or not, I am STILL looking for square clamps to fit my Thule rack. I have been to every chain store in town and the fastener store. I will end up using round pipe clamps and figuring out something to prevent the round part from digging in to my cross bar's square corner. They have a stout thick plastic on them that the round clamp will cut into in short order... |
Doug, would 2inch width work??
https://www.mcmaster.com/#u-bolts/=1834155
Apparently square pipe hangers exist...but not so many sizes
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IdahoDoug
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Joined: June 12, 2010
Posts: 10248
Location: N. Idaho
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| Posted: Thu Jun 15, 2017 11:24 pm Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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Incredibly kind of you to look for me. But maddeningly no - the threads are not long enough. The smallest 2" on the page still has 1 and 1/8 inches of unthreaded area and the Thule cross bar is only 3/4 inch thick. So I'd need a stack of washers. I think I'll end up using a round clamp with some type of padding strategy. I think they're a myth! Like Unicorns.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader |
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sanchius 
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Joined: May 03, 2007
Posts: 1450
Location: IN
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| Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 6:45 am Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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| Jon_slider wrote: |
| The arrow shows where some people drill a hole and fasten the gutter mount to the body. Otherwise, on bumpy roads, the weight of awning will move the awning and will wobble the bottom of the mount back and forth, away from the body, and deform the gutter. |
When I got T-boned, my awning, which had that exact (unbolted) mounting, separated from the vehicle after the drip rail collapsed and the awning ended up in the road quite a way from the wreck.
In the before image, you can see the three awning mounts.
In the after wreck image you can see the three places where the drip rail failed.
It must have slid forward a bit before coming off.
Fortunately the awning didn't hit anything, but, under different circumstances, it could have become a high liability missile.
I will be bolting the next one solidly onto the body.
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PDXWesty
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Timwhy
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Joined: January 01, 2009
Posts: 4002
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 2:09 pm Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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| dougass wrote: |
I just mounted up my ARB to Yakima round bars with the ARB brackets and 1-1/8" SS pipe hangers. I had to drill 4 holes in each bracket for the u-bolts, quick work with a drill press.
Location - using 1A towers with no risers, I found that putting the bracket on the inside of the tower should prevent rain from coming in between the van and the awning.
Testing this weekend with chance of rain.
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Picked up two more bars and towers last weekend and I am ready to mount them up to attach my awning.
Any thoughts positive or negative about your mounting set up? I have the same mounts and like the idea of the awning being up higher
for more headroom.
I have been using the GW awning brackets but needed to relocate my basket to the rear, too much wind resistance
and poor fuel economy.
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'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary
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dougass
Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2016
Posts: 300
Location: NJ
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| Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 5:46 am Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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| Timwhy wrote: |
Any thoughts positive or negative about your mounting set up? I have the same mounts and like the idea of the awning being up higher
for more headroom. |
I have no complaints! The awning ties together the bars to make the rack setup one assembly.
The only nuance I ran into was in heavy rain, I got some splatter from rain hitting the roof. Turns out the awning was too close the the edge of the roof; by setting the awning back a little on the crossbars it was greatly reduced.
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'91 GL - 2.1 automatic named Klaus for weekend adventures.
#klausvan & @thisisklausvan |
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Timwhy
Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2009
Posts: 4002
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2018 6:34 am Post subject: Re: Clamp your awning brackets onto your roof rack? |
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| dougass wrote: |
| Timwhy wrote: |
Any thoughts positive or negative about your mounting set up? I have the same mounts and like the idea of the awning being up higher
for more headroom. |
I have no complaints! The awning ties together the bars to make the rack setup one assembly.
The only nuance I ran into was in heavy rain, I got some splatter from rain hitting the roof. Turns out the awning was too close the the edge of the roof; by setting the awning back a little on the crossbars it was greatly reduced. |
Awesome! Thank You!
_________________
'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary
http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMWHY2?feature=mhee |
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