Foxwing 270 awning

[larryqp]

I have been looking at awnings for my 2014 Eagle shell. Ideally, I'd buy the Batwing, except for the price. I read a thread here about the Fiamma 45 awning and everyone seems to like it, however the 270 degree design seems they way to go, rather than 180 degrees. I found the Foxwing 270 degree awning and its much less expensive. Does anyone have any experience with this product? And has anyone mounted one to a FWC camper? They are designed to mount to a roof rack, which I don't think would work, because of the height of the roof rack once the roof is extended.

Looking for suggestions
Thanks

 

[ckent323]

I don't have one but in case you are not already aware, Alu-Cab also makes a 270 degree awning and I have read some good reviews about it. I think it is around $1500. There may be other manufacturers of 270 degree awnings as well.

For comparison, I have a Fiamma F45 it covers between 1/2 and 1/3 the area of a 270 degree awning and I believe they run about $800.

I am getting ready to add an awning over the rear door as well as a better shower enclosure. I thought about one of the 270 degree awnings but I am concerned about such a large area in even modest wind. Reviews I have read seem to indicate the better made 270 degree awnings are more robust and can handle the wind.

It will be interesting to read what those who actually have these awnings write about their experiences with them.

Craig

 

[Wallowa]

I don't have one but in case you are not already aware, Alu-Cab also makes a 270 degree awning and I have read some good reviews about it. I think it is around $1500. There may be other manufacturers of 270 degree awnings as well.

For comparison, I have a Fiamma F45 it covers between 1/2 and 1/3 the area of a 270 degree awning and I believe they run about $800.

I am getting ready to add an awning over the rear door as well as a better shower enclosure. I thought about one of the 270 degree awnings but I am concerned about such a large area in even modest wind. Reviews I have read seem to indicate the better made 270 degree awnings are more robust and can handle the wind.

It will be interesting to read what those who actually have these awnings write about their experiences with them.

Craig

Craig,

What about the support point of attachment to the FWC? ...with that surface area and leverage; I personally would be skeptical of the structural integrity as the "wing" moved and flexed on that single attachment point.

Phil

 

[Squatch]

I too have been thinking of these. Somewhere here is a thread from someone who made poles that are attached to the jack brackets to fasten theirs to. Looked real clean.

The Batwing that FWC uses self stores the upright poles by folding them up into the roof supports.

On the Oztent Foxwing they appear to store in a separate bag. Not a big issue for me though I do like the self storing ones.

The Foxwing also has provisions for zip on side panels. Nice for blocking low late day sun.

 

[ckent323]

Phil,

I do not understand your question/comment:

"What about the support point of attachment to the FWC? ...with that surface area and leverage; I personally would be skeptical of the structural integrity as the "wing" moved and flexed on that single attachment point."

The Fiamma awning on the passenger side of my camper is attached high on the sidewall at multiple points (FWC OEM installation).

To the best of my knowledge the 270 degree awnings attach along the side wall of the camper Those attach points (I assume multiple) are presumably attached thru the Aluminum frame rail of the camper at the top of the wall (just below the pop-up portion). However, since I do not have one I really don't know how they are attached.

Below is a photo of a camper without the siding on it and there is a wide aluminum framing member that goes all the way around the top of the camper box. It is welded to the other frame members and looks pretty stiff to me.

My first order concerns would be the awning canopy support arms buckling from wind force (rafters? ribs?) and after that how the awning attaches to the camper wall - does it use a long plate against the camper wall or short brackets mounts at each end that could produce leverage points to pull the bolts out - is that what you were getting at?

Edit: I just looked at how the Fiamma F45 is attached to the side of my camper. There is a long plate the full length of the awning that is attached to the camper with numerous screws. It is also attached to the awing body along its full length. That is the right way to do it.

Craig

 

[Wallowa]

Phil,

I do not understand your question/comment:

"What about the support point of attachment to the FWC? ...with that surface area and leverage; I personally would be skeptical of the structural integrity as the "wing" moved and flexed on that single attachment point."

The Fiamma awning on the passenger side of my camper is attached high on the sidewall at multiple points (FWC OEM installation).

To the best of my knowledge the 270 degree awnings attach along the side wall of the camper Those attach points (I assume multiple) are presumably attached thru the Aluminum frame rail of the camper at the top of the wall (just below the pop-up portion). However, since I do not have one I really don't know how they are attached.

Below is a photo of a camper without the siding on it and there is a wide aluminum framing member that goes all the way around the top of the camper box. It is welded to the other frame members and looks pretty stiff to me.

My first order concerns would be the awning canopy support arms buckling from wind force (rafters? ribs?) and after that how the awning attaches to the camper wall - does it use a long plate against the camper wall or short brackets mounts at each end that could produce leverage points to pull the bolts out - is that what you were getting at?

Craig

Craig,

The original Batwing was supported/installed at the upper right rear corner of the FWC frame as I recall....the issue was when in use all the load was at that pivot/support point..you could deploy vertical support rods/braces but the load was at this single point on the FWC frame...flexing in wind/rain produced differing loads at this single point on the frame...perhaps my memory is incorrect..

And hey, I could be wrong...

Phil

 

[kluber]

We've been using a 10' x 10' E-Z Up that sits nicely on the floor of the camper. It's the last thing to go in and the first thing to come out. It's all padded, so it doesn't scratch or dent the camper when we're bouncing around off road. We like it because we don't always park where we're gonna hang out, and because the sun moves and we don't want to move the truck. The E-Z Up has sides too, so we can block the sun if it's low angle and too intense. This isn't as slick as an awning, but we're out in the desert a lot and this has served us really well. You can also get screens for the E-Z Up, which is bonus if you're in the woods and the critters are biting : ) About $300.

 

[badtoytrd]

I too have been thinking of these. Somewhere here is a thread from someone who made poles that are attached to the jack brackets to fasten theirs to. Looked real clean.

A guy who was (he has since sold his Fleet for a Sprinter) on here by the name of Broverlanding mounted his Alu Cab with 2x3 angle aluminum to the jack brackets. I will be doing the same thing with an Alu Cab 270 once spring gets closer and the camper is out of storage. The Alu Cabs do great in wind from what I have seen.

 

[Squatch]

I forgot about his. Didn't realize he had moved to a sprinter. I just can't keep up! Ha Ha

This is the thread I was thinking about. I had looked at it a couple of weeks ago when doing some homework. Looks like he did a nice job. If I go that route I'll probably do similar.
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/14027-new-batwing-awning/page-2

 

[larryqp]

This has all been very helpful, My FWC Eagle never comes off my truck, so using the jack brackets might be the best idea. I emailed Rocky Mountain FWC to see if they have any ideas. The frame photos were great, I didn't know that the FWC had a aluminum rail all around the top of the sides. But I was trying to figure out how to keep the roof clamps functional, the aluminum posts that NWcamper designed solve that problem

With regards to wind, rain, the Foxwing has poles and stakes, so it would work in a gentle rain and low wind, if it's really blowing, I'm gonna stay inside the FWC, LOL. I like the self-supporting feature of the alu cab awning, except the price is up there with the bat wing awning. Foxwing is around $850. I'm usually not in that much of a hurry to setup camp and spending a few minutes with poles and stakes/sand bags wouldn't bother me.

We just finished 9 nights camping at Big Bend Ranch State Park in Texas in their 4WD backcountry campsites and could have used more shade than the camper itself generated from 2-4pm. We tried to finish hiking before the hottest part of the day.


We have reservations for the White Rim Trail in May and I really think I need something for shade. I'll keep everyone up to date with my progress.

Thanks again to everyone, if anyone else has any ideas, please post.

 

[larryqp]

Update on price. Adventure-ready.com has the Foxwing 2.0 for $539 and the Foxwing 2.5 for $679. The 2.0 is only 78" long, so it wouldn't interfere with the mid roof roof clamp. The 2.5 is 98" long.

 

[larryqp]

I heard from Josh at Rocky Mt FWC yesterday. To summarize, he said that FWC reviewed the 270 degree awning, decided that the Manta 270 was a product they could stand behind and developed a bracket for it to allow it to be mounted on FWC campers. The bracket is unique for that brand and can't be used on the Foxwing. They suggested if the cost of a 270 was to high I might consider a side mount Fiamma awning which they mount. They also stated the Shadow 270 by All-cab is the best out there.
Bottom line if I want the Foxwing, I will have to install myself.
My jack stands brackets are more than 78" apart, and I liked to stay with the smaller foxing to avoid interference with the roof clamps. My jack brackets are more than 78" apart, so that method won't work.
I'm thinking to use a 2x3 aluminum stock suggested in a previous post. with short aluminum posts to get the foxing above the roof line so it clears the door.

My hesitation is that I really would like to hear from someone who has a Foxwing. I'll keep researching.

 

[badtoytrd]

I find it strange that they “stand behind” the Manta but say that the Shadow is the best. This may have something to do with Paul May (awesome dude and shop) being a FWC and Eezi Awn dealer as well as the importer for them. From watching a few videos the Manta hinge seems to be weak and deflect quite a bit. The Fox Wing seems to be a contender but just a tad bit less solid.

 

[camper rich]

We have been camped for the last 3 weeks on a beach in Baja. The wind has been almost constant and our Batwing Awning has been deployed for all but 1 night. I staked it down with long sand stakes and use chinch knots (trucker's hitch) to make sure it is taught. I noticed that the poles had worked themselves down into the sand and the lines were becoming slack so I tightened them and added some bags of sand (canvas grocery bags), to hold it all down. The awning is like a flat plain, so the wind does not billow it up, but rather just flaps the nylon canopy. As far as stress to the center pivot, the hinges are designed so they can sag when you first deploy it and when you undeploy it. That sag is what takes the stress off the pivot point with the normal movement in the wind. It's not like the awning rafters are on a rigid hinge.

This is our second Baja trip since we purchased our 2016 Grandby in Dec, 2016. We used our awning in the same way on the first trip. It has been deployed for long periods of time where ever we camp with no problems. It was also use on our 3 month Alaska trip this summer where it rained a whole lot of the time.

FWC's mounting of the Batwing is bomber. It is mounted thru the structural member at the top of the camper frame with 3 aluminum plates on the inside of the camper.

One of the biggest reason I like the Batwing is that all the structural parts are metal. No plastic to fail. It's easy to deploy fold back in.

X2 on Paul May being a great guy. He is our FWC dealer in Salt Lake City and really took care of us when we had to get the bugs out of our camper after it's 3 month break in trip to Baja.

A lot of other campers say they are really impressed with our Batwing Awning. The downside is they are more expensive, but IMHO, I probably won't need to buy a replacement for a long time so they are worth it.

 

[larryqp]

Camper Rich, Thanks for the details on the awning. I think I'm convinced that its worth the extra cash to get the Batwing. I'm not convinced the Foxwing will handle any breeze unless staked down. Of course now Foxing is coming out with a new version, so I'll have to see what that is like. Did you have your Batwing installed at the factory or Salt Lake City FWC?

 

[kmacafee]

Check out awnings at BundutecUSA

 

[camper rich]

Camper Rich, Thanks for the details on the awning. I think I'm convinced that its worth the extra cash to get the Batwing. I'm not convinced the Foxwing will handle any breeze unless staked down. Of course now Foxing is coming out with a new version, so I'll have to see what that is like. Did you have your Batwing installed at the factory or Salt Lake City FWC?

FWC installed the Batwing on our new (at the time) Grandby.

 

[larryqp]

I received an email from FWC Factory, they will sell me the brackets to attach a Eezi Awn Batwing awning to the camper for $55. They said they are pre-drilled for that specific awning and I'll have to relocate the front side roof latch. As always the factory guys are awesome. Knowing I can get the correct brackets is another check on the Eezi Awn Bat wing purchase.

 

[Kali]

I received an email from FWC Factory, they will sell me the brackets to attach a Eezi Awn Batwing awning to the camper for $55. They said they are pre-drilled for that specific awning and I'll have to relocate the front side roof latch. As always the factory guys are awesome. Knowing I can get the correct brackets is another check on the Eezi Awn Bat wing purchase.

Did they tell you where to drill the holes, or can they provide a template where they drill?

 

[larryqp]

Here's what they said:

"We do not include instructions for the install. We can give you a rough measurement to go by. You will also have to relocate the right side, front latch forward, to clear the awning."