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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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 Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 1:11 pm Post subject: Shady Boy out of fashion? (light-weight awning, that is) |
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I am curious after doing a search and the last post discussion was around 2009. I have one that I bought quite early from Wolfgang. Seems to be the popular ones are Fiamma or ARB.
I know Shady Boy is not for everyone. For me it is the light weight, and relatively resistance to breeze - a safety and property damage concern.
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- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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jimf909 
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7477
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 1:21 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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Right now I've got the cheap $45 option (10x10, 2 dome poles). Shopping for a case awning. 10x6 for the shady boy seems a tad small.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=462083&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
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- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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jimf909
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7477
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 1:30 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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They have two YouTube vids that are helpful...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CJG3le7AJP0
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ti9_R1SXJa0
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- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 1:37 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Not familiar with the awning. Looks compact yet small. Only having a projection of 6' may be it's main draw back?
Went to their website....
http://www.shadyboy.com/
What an awlful site!
It is lacking any real useful information!!
How does it mount?
how does it deploy?
what colors are available?
just the one size is available?
The site left me wanting to be moving on to something interesting and holding very little interest for me.
Time to come into the 21st century?
But Country Home Camper has a toutube video that tells me quite a bit about the awning and also demonstrates its stability in the wind!
http://youtu.be/CJG3le7AJP0
Dave |
Yah. U tell me about it. Wolfgang did not come across as your FB generation. Even back then when few Vanagon has awnings his site looked the same as I check it today. I will dig out some old photos and post soon.
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- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 1:52 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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Thanks for the link. That thread does have some pros and cons discussions circa 2013 - 2014. Shady Boys certainly won't win the sq. ft./$ contest.
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- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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outwesty
Samba Member
Joined: June 06, 2006
Posts: 1074
Location: Tahoe City
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 2:18 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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| I've had a shady boy for about 10 years now. It has held up very well and is extremely light. Some of those big Fiamma awnings weigh a lot, and that is why I chose the SB. The thing can really take a beating in the wind when the corners are tied down to the bumpers or wheels. |
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 2:25 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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| Quote: |
But Country Home Camper has a toutube video that tells me quite a bit about the awning and also demonstrates its stability in the wind!
http://youtu.be/CJG3le7AJP0
Dave |
Watched the video. These two guys are not the most proficient in setting it up. You would not want to use it as your product promotional video for sure. I can put it up a fraction the time it took them, in a more fluid manner. The breeze they have there will make a Fiamma dangerous to be left deployed.
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- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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syncrodoka
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005
Posts: 12008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 2:37 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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We had one on our white '91 and I didn't like it much, when the van was totaled I sold it off rather than transfer it to our '90.
I really didn't like how you had to drill holes in the roof to mount it and the fabric is so lightweight that setup in light wind is more challenging than one would like. Deployment of other brands of awnings are easier and the awning gets used more as a result. Having to tie the awning to the car during breezes was always a concern rather than set and forget making it one more thing to worry about rather than relaxing.
IIRC the person that bought it from us had it destroyed by wind later.
FWIW that awning mounted on the van was a purchase point for us as it was the go to awning at the time when we picked it up so we had positive expectations going in. |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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ThankYouJerry
Samba Member
Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 3:46 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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| syncrodoka wrote: |
We had one on our white '91 and I didn't like it much, when the van was totaled I sold it off rather than transfer it to our '90.
I really didn't like how you had to drill holes in the roof to mount it and the fabric is so lightweight that setup in light wind is more challenging than one would like. Deployment of other brands of awnings are easier and the awning gets used more as a result. Having to tie the awning to the car during breezes was always a concern rather than set and forget making it one more thing to worry about rather than relaxing.
IIRC the person that bought it from us had it destroyed by wind later.
FWIW that awning mounted on the van was a purchase point for us as it was the go to awning at the time when we picked it up so we had positive expectations going in. |
Points taken. However, just like the "no-drill" Fiamma mounting brackets ( http://www.gowesty.com/product-details.php?v=&id=2542 ) there is also a custom "no-drill" mounting bracket available for the Shady Boy: http://countryhomescampers.com/shop/custom-brackets-for-shady-boy-awnings/
IMHO, having to tie the awning to the Westy beats (Fiamma) poles mounted into the Westy (drilled holes... no way around it). Yeah, I know the poles can rest on the ground, but when the wind picks up you have 3 choices... put the awning away, tie the poles down, or mount them to the pole brackets on the van = drilling holes in the van.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with my Shady Boy (light weight, no holes drilled in van, small case on side of the van, coverage of awning, "domed" roof vs. flat). I will admit though I'm mostly a fair weather camper. I haven't used the Shady Boy in strong winds or hard rain. I certainly see the pros (and cons) to other awnings, but I'm happy with the SB for my needs even for the $$$ which I also admit is a bit much especially with the "no-drill" mounting brackets  . Regardless, it is about 50% of the cost of a comparable 10' Fiamma:
Shady Boy (10' x 6' - 14lbs) - w/poles + "no drill" mounting brackets = $612+ shipping ($60)
Fiamma F45S (10' x 8' - 50lbs) - with Aluminum case + "no drill" mounting brackets = $1015 plus shipping ($264)
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1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD
Last edited by ThankYouJerry on Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:15 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:00 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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| djkeev wrote: |
Well, thanks for bringing up the whole Awning topic.
I have a BusDepot EZ Awning which I've set up only once just to try it and have carried it for 1,000's and 1,000's of miles..... Almost 9,000 now......
We felt that it is so cumbersome to set up that we never bothered and haven't had significant rain to warrant the effort.
Looking at this awning post started me thinking about getting something easier and that doesn't require precious storage space in or on the Van.
I somehow ended up on the ARB thread...... Really liked what I saw, did some surfing and found myself ordering an ARB.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=555872&start=280
IMHO the price point for this Shady Boy awning is just too far out of line to make it a good value today. Honestly...... For what it is? $170 would be fair.
Dave |
I agree the Shady Boy price point is way too high for most people to justify. I have sympathy for him building something unique, compact and lightweight. Because of these and low volume the production cost is high. The poles are solid fiberglass round battens with aluminum connectors. There are 3 machine milled aluminum blocks where the battens are supported. Then the casting is extruded aluminum housing with CNC machined solid millable plastic ends. The fly is probably cut and sewed in the US so labor cannot be cheap.
He probably don't sell more than a handful a month.
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- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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syncrodoka
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2005
Posts: 12008
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:07 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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| ThankYouJerry wrote: |
IMHO, having to tie the awning to the Westy beats (Fiamma) poles mounted into the Westy (drilled holes... no way around it). Yeah, I know the poles can rest on the ground, but when the wind picks up you have 3 choices... put the awning away, tie the poles down, or mount them to the pole brackets on the van = drilling holes in the van.
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Another solution to the issue without holes in the van if one wanted to keep it a fiamma deployed http://www.gowesty.com/product-details.php?v=&id=4436
We sold off our SB before the pricey gutter mounts(initial offering price was quite higher) became available but I am unsure that they would have keep that awning from going up for sale. |
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fxr
Samba Member
Joined: December 07, 2014
Posts: 2325
Location: Bay area CA
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 5:58 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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We're very happy with our Shady Boy. It's lightweight, quite quick and easy to deploy. It'll keep light rain off, and we just take it down if strong winds or heavy rain are forecast - or suddenly happen upon us! It excels at its main purpose of providing adequate shade for knocking back a few beers in otherwise blazing sunshine. 
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Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300 |
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TequilaSunSet
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2012
Posts: 2109
Location: Philippines
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 6:17 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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KMART $29.95 solution... works well 
[URL=http://s90.photobucket.com/user/casaguy/media/canopy_zps3d12fd08.jpg.html][/URL
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Don't harsh my mellow...
1985 Hightower Vanagon 1.8T- Gone
1972 Panel Bus- Gone
1967 Bug- Gone
1964 Euro Sunroof Bug- Gone
1969/72/63 Sunroof Bug- Gone
1975 Brazilian Bug in the Philippines 🇵🇭- New to me
Last edited by TequilaSunSet on Sat Mar 05, 2016 9:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ThankYouJerry
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Joined: September 01, 2012
Posts: 2271
Location: Shakedown Street
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 8:07 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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^^^ That looks cool. I like the size and the domed roof like the SB. More details? Size? How's it attached to the van? Etc?
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1990 Multivan - "Ohana"
1.8T, Auto w/3.27 R&P + Peloquin TBD |
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zak99B5
Samba Member
Joined: December 21, 2014
Posts: 471
Location: Albany, NY
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 8:17 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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That chair looks like a Byers Maine Lounger. I worked at the factory any made those in the summer when I was going to college.
Edit: I have the same awning as Tequila. I cut off two legs, leaving stubs of a couple inches. These rest in the rain gutter.
I use bungees to tie these ends down to the bus.
It works well in sun and light rain. You can stake down the feet of the poles. I've never experienced more than breezes when I've had it up, and it was fine.
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1991 Tintop GL Manual tranny, EJ22
Last edited by zak99B5 on Sat Mar 05, 2016 8:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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chase4food
Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016
Posts: 636
Location: PNW im Amerika
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| Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: shady boy out of fashion? the light weight awning that is |
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My favorite chair as it takes up next to no space. Still have it. In pristine condition. I have to try to remember not to leave it behind. Don't see anyone use it anymore.
I also have 2 deck chairs of my garden, and one with feet support option. They were not cheap from REI.
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- Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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