cracked rain gutter from awning

[Zero419]

I've had an awning on my van for many years mounted with the GoWesty adapters and now they are cracked in those locations. what is another way to mount?
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1987 Westy Auto Bostig 2.0 Ztec

[Sodo]

Was the lower tab floating away from the body?
Or does it restt on the body?
Maybe you have to put a bolt in the tab to prevent the movement.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[dobryan]

Pics please.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[skills@eurocarsplus]

This is the exact reason why I have not put one on my van
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[valvecovergasket]

How big of an awning? How many mounts? Are they bolted to the body?
Oh and... Pictures
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MegaSquirt resource - SpitfireEFI.com

gone, but not forgotten: '83 tdi westy - swap thread

[Sodo]

[E1]

I’d bet Skills had similar concerns to mine when I went with another awning (Jonce Fancher’s, it survived Hurricane Matthew when 30 miles from Savannah).

My concerns were mostly about wind strength and weight of the Fiammas, but for whatever reason also didn’t like the mounting. I guess things can look riskier or more intrusive than they turn out to be, a proper worry of loving these old vans.

Is the OP saying the mounts cracked, or the rain gutter?
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[elizer]

For awnings you should really have 3 brackets even with the arb awnings. Also when you install the brackets there is a such thing as tightening them to the rain gutter too much. You can actually see it bending and distorting the rain gutter which I assume weakens it. You need to back off on tightening at that point.
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91 syncro westy fas tdi

[skills@eurocarsplus]

[SCM]

[1988M5]

To deal with the curve I used spacers but the intent was to not bow the awning. I guess it would work the other way around too and not stress the van.

BK
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1991 tin top GL
2002 Winnebago Vista. VW VR6 24V Eurovan front clip powered class C 21' RV.
Some BMWs.

[elizer]

I have the 3 brackets without the bottom hole drilled. So far no issues. I had the arb. I moved to the fiamma.

Drilling into the body is 100% the best solution. But I too hate drilling holes. The bottom portion still makes positive contact with the body and has yet to pull away. But, ya it is still a lot of weight riding on there. I'm surprised people mount roadshowers on rain gutters.

The ease of setting up and breaking down is huge on how often I use something. The fiamma takes seconds. I have a 23zero 270 degree awning on my overland trailer. I have used it 0 times.
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91 syncro westy fas tdi

[Sodo]

Agreed on all counts elizer.

Re: drilling a classic vehicle, I pucker too, hem & haw.
Eventually I have to remind myself that if drilling was so bad, rust repair or collision repair would be impossible
and upon discussing with myself that a hole can often be patched,,,,

I weigh how bad I want the mod, how much time I've wasted thus far,
get confident that I'm not about to drill the wrong location,
and (if all is well) drill-baby-drill.

The awning is kind of like a specialty tool.
Only AFTER you buy it...
And use it more than once,
can you start the regret,,,,
in not buying it 30 years ago.

Upgrading to the Fiamma is like "then buying the better tool" and you start the "past regret" counter at zero again.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[vanis13]

Link


Even with this ease, I rarely use it. Only if hanging out in sun or rain...I rarely hang out.... And it's nice to have when one wants it

Now the brackets, supported on the rain gutters and drilled into side have worked really well. I think the lower support point helps.

The same brackets on the other side have held a couple hundred pounds or kayaks, skis, and hang gliders depending on season.
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make

[bobbyblack]

Huh... I've heard of sunk costs. This thread's direction makes me feel as if there needs to be a new term:

Sunk Regrets!

I've got enough money to buy a Fiama, and have had such an amount (dedicated for VW toys, and fixes) for quite a while. Mrs. Black Loves the idea. Our camping style has never had me grumpy that I didn't have an awning yet. But, I still WANT one..
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[elizer]

The fiamma 45s 10ft weighs about 50 lbs
The arb Hard case 2500x2500 weighs about 40 lbs

Still curious to see the OP pictures, driving conditions, etc.
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91 syncro westy fas tdi

[dobryan]

Had awnings for over 20 years. No gutter issues.

And I drive out west every year and hang out on wash board.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[djkeev]

[thatbaldwinlife]

We love our Fiamma awning and couldn't imagine camping without it. Especially here in the PNW where it will rain from like Nov-April
I too was concerned with cracked and deformed rain gutters especially after we went to the 10' F45 awning. Here is what we did:
I took the GoWesty brackets and added 2" to each side of the clamping area making them around 7" wide each. I just used a small sledge, a vise and a welder to form the extensions. This spreads the clamping loads out significantly. We then drilled and inserted the Rivnut to use a security bolt to retain the lower part of the bracket onto the body. This is very important to keep it from flopping around. We also used spacers to deal with the curve of the Westy vs the straight awning.

We still feel it shaking a bit on rough washboards but after a few seasons of abuse, it looks just like it did when we modified it.
Hope this helps.
nate
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1987 Westy
Insta: @Thatbaldwinlife
Vanagon Adventure and DIY videos:
That Baldwin Life YouTube Channel

[E1]

Good work creating a fix, but this ^^^ is precisely what’s amiss with some vendors, and *consistently* one in particular that I’ve personally observed for over a decade now.

If vendors can’t make the time to engineer and fully test their wares, in what other venue is it presumed or acceptable that the users — the *customers* — are able do that pre-market work for them?

Nonsensical, and I’ve tired of posters here excusing what clearly appears to be absolute disrespect in serving — and in some cases, protecting — the customer.

We customers *built* these companies with hard-earned money, they owe us for that and for trusting them, and we deserve that very basic Business 101 consideration.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman