Batwing style awnings

Kory B · 03-21-2021, 05:23 AM

Anyone have one on an extended econoline? I’m looking at an ovs 270. Wondered what modifications were necessary and the best way to mount one. Will the gutter rails support the weight? I gogogled the heck out using these awnings with vans and could only find them used with transits.

86Scotty · 03-21-2021, 08:54 AM

I don't have one on an Extended E-series but I would if I still had an E series. I do have one on a crew cab full size truck and love it. It's the older Rhino Rack batwing but is long enough to cover the whole tailgate of the truck and up the passenger side to the middle of the cab (b-pillar between front and rear doors).

I will soon be replacing it with a longer one though since there are so many available now.

You can easily mount any of these to Ray's (1der's) awning brackets sold on this site. I would be very careful with any of the pole-less ones though. Given a little wind they might tear up or bend rain gutters. My experience with these bigger awnings is that I'm just not willing to try to use them without poles, ropes and stakes. The bigger the canvas the bigger the sail and all it takes is one gust to total a very expensive awning, brackets and perhaps vehicle.

Here is an awesome and comprehensive thread on the latest and greatest from Expo:

https://expeditionportal.com/forum/t...2#post-2863931

Kory B · 03-21-2021, 10:00 AM

Awesome. Thank you! Ovs nomadic is what I’m looking at.

carringb · 03-21-2021, 12:05 PM

I have the Rhino Rack Foxwing. It's great! But don't be tempted to leave it out self-supported in high-winds. Caught a gust once and snapped ends of two of the supports. But they sell repair kits. It's mounted to my rack. I don't think I'd trust a gutter-mount alone. But most crossbar systems should work. It came with brackets for Rhino Racks which is just fancy unistrut, and it even came with strut-nuts.