FWC Installed Awnings

[kmacafee]

Greetings

Does anyone have an awning installed by FWC? Specifically, one that is bolted to the passenger side.

I have been in contact with Aaron at FWC and he tells me that they bolt 3 brackets through the side of the camper. There is a channel that is 5 inches wide that runs along the top from front to rear that the awnings are bolted to. He reports that, structurally, there should be no problem bolting an awning there.

FWC will not sell the brackets to the public and he suggested that I have some made. However, he can't/won't send a photo of the brackets so I can see what they look like.

Can anyone who has a FWC awning take a photo of the brackets? Any issues with the awning since you've had and used it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Kevin

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Kevin, give ATC a call. They install Fiamma awnings, and I suspect that Marty and Jeff would be helpful.

 

[wuck]

Kevin, My Fiamma awning was factory installed without the brackets on my '04 Hawk, and frankly they did a poor job of it. I think they didn't use them because they wouldn't fit on the C-Channel structure they used then. However, when I look at the mounting on newer campers they are using the factory Fiamma brackets and it all fits nicely, maybe the channel is taller now.

Fiamma lists the brackets available on their website. I suspect the kit you want is #AS-120.

I'll be posting on my awning problems in my build thread soon.

 

[Captm]

Kevin,
I took my factory mounted brackets off to move it up 1/2". It was a "no brainer" to reinstall the mounts and new mounts from Fiamma would be just as easy. The parts are the ones Wuck linked to in his post and Fiamma (Fla.) is great to work with.
I guess your resent experience is an example of what happens to customer service when Vulture Capitalist take over a business.
Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

 

[PaulT]

The only issue I've had with the Fiamma was operator error when using it the first few times. Couldn't get the awning to completely retract into the return position at rear of camper. Discovered that on storing the legs, I had to snap the foot correctly into the center, plus push the rotating end piece fully home into its storage position before cranking it closed. No harm done but it didn't look right.

Paul

 

[fireball]

The Fiamma brackets are what you want, they will bolt directly through the sidewall of the camper, then the awning is secured to the brackets. You will have three little plastic caps that snap into place to hide the ends of the bolts and the nuts on the inside of the camper.

FWC won't sell them separately but I'd imagine you can buy them directly from Fiamma at Pat mentioned above. The smaller bracket goes in the middle, the wider ones on the outsides.

 

[kmacafee]

Thanks so much for the responses. I failed to mention in my initial post that I already have a Hannibal awning and am simply looking to see what kinds of brackets FWC used. I doubt the Fiamma brackets will work but I will check them out.

CaptM -- why did you have to move them up? I assume you had to drill new holes -- how did you plug the old ones?

Thanks again everyone. I'll keep you posted.

 

[tree]

Thanks so much for the responses. I failed to mention in my initial post that I already have a Hannibal awning and am simply looking to see what kinds of brackets FWC used. I doubt the Fiamma brackets will work but I will check them out.

CaptM -- why did you have to move them up? I assume you had to drill new holes -- how did you plug the old ones?

Thanks again everyone. I'll keep you posted.

plug the holes with "shoe-goo" or "goop" works great. im getting ready to install my own rear flood lights, and awning light. installed a bass pro shops power panel. running the wires to the lights will be interesting.

 

[kmacafee]

Kevin,
I took my factory mounted brackets off to move it up 1/2". It was a "no brainer" to reinstall the mounts and new mounts from Fiamma would be just as easy. The parts are the ones Wuck linked to in his post and Fiamma (Fla.) is great to work with.
I guess your resent experience is an example of what happens to customer service when Vulture Capitalist take over a business.
Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

Captm

Did you bolt it directly thru the cross piece? Aaron indicates that they now bolt awnings through to the interior and from the inside, you see the nuts and fender washers.

Kevin

 

[Captm]

I moved the awning up so I could slide my portable solar panel under the overhang for storage. I didn't bolt the awning mounts - I used aluminum rivets.
Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

 

[Captm]

I used sika flex to seal the factory holes as well as to adhere the mounts to the skin along with rivets.
Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

 

[kmacafee]

I moved the awning up so I could slide my portable solar panel under the overhang for storage. I didn't bolt the awning mounts - I used aluminum rivets.
Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

Based on the spec sheet on the FWC site, the Fiamma awning weighs in at 40 pounds. Have those rivets loosened at all? I certainly like that idea better than drilling through the frame and my Hannibal only weighs 25 pounds.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Here are some pictures of the brackets Fiamma supplies us with.

And also a picture of the old generic "C channel" we would install on the side of the camper for other awning applications.

Hope this helps.




Stan

 

[kmacafee]

Stan

It appears that the brackets are held on with self tapping screws. Is that correct? Aaron indicated that they were bolted through to the inside.

Many thanks for providing the pics.

Cheers




Here are some pictures of the brackets Fiamma supplies us with.

And also a picture of the old generic "C channel" we would install on the side of the camper for other awning applications.

Hope this helps.




Stan

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

You wrote:

<<It appears that the brackets are held on with self tapping screws. Is that correct? >>


On Normal Four Wheel Camper Models (Eagle, Fleet, Swift, Raven, Hawk, Grandby):

On the Fiamma 8' Side Awning, those pictures I posted above are correct.

We use 3 screws per bracket to hold the awning brackets into the aluminum camper frame.


The only time I have seen them "bolt through" would be for one of the following other applications:

* Mounting an awning on a "Flat Bed Model Camper".

* Mounting the new "Batwing 270 Degree" Awning on a Four Wheel Camper.

With the "Flat Bed Models" and the "Batwing Awning", they DO "bolt through" the camper frame using 3 custom stainless steel brackets we have fabricated.


Stan


.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Batwing Awning & Flat Bed Model Awning Pictures Attached . . .


Stan

 

[kmacafee]

Many thanks Stan.

 

[XJINTX]

OK, bit off topic but have issue and no sense starting new thread. Looks like I (wife) did not tighten the thumbscrew on one of the Fiamma legs. When I went to use it last week it was missing must have fallen out. Used a clamp to hold Now that I'm home I found a "MacGuyverized" replacement. It's a 6mm thumbscrew and I can't find a match or even two like new ones that I like. Is there a source for the Fiamma ones?

 

[wuck]

XJ, Parts are available at FiammaUSA. From the download page you'll need to get the parts catalog and then check for your particular awning. There is a separate price sheet to download at the same page.



I'm guessing the part you want is # 98655-452.

 

[Timothy McGowen]

XJ, Parts are available at FiammaUSA. From the download page you'll need to get the parts catalog and then check for your particular awning. There is a separate price sheet to download at the same page.

Replies like this are exactly why this site is so awesome. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.