FWC New Awning

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

. My ideal of a great awning would be one that covers the side and back, one that has optional walls and one that provides protection from bugs. The downside with most of the ones I've found is that the walls are not screened. So I will likely modify which ever one I purchase.

You might PM Takeseasy,he has a side awning that he made and has bug screening.
Frank

 

[Rob85]

Awesome! I have been waiting for FWC to offer this awning. I can't wait to have one installed.

 

[fireball]

Anyone have one of these mounted yet? I asked my local dealer to see if FWC is adding any internal reinforcements to the attachement points or not.

I'd be interested in seeing any detailed photos anyone has of the mounting setup.

Thanks!

 

[Captm]

We saw it mounted at Expo but it was never deployed do to wind. I don't really understand it as I had my side and rear Fiamas deployed without problem and another FWC had their Foxwing deployed without issue.
The Batwing when installed per FWC stands off the camper 1 1/2 " - 2".
Plenty off room for rain to come thru- It seams that for $1400 the gap should have been covered.
Cheers


Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

 

[camper rich]

We just ordered the Batwing Awning on our new Grandby. The best reason is that my wife liked it, but I liked it also. We will be taking it to Baja with us in January and it will really get a workout, as putting the awning out is usually one of the first things we do when we make camp. Not only that but we usually stake it down and leave it for long periods of time. BTW, our Baja trips are usually 2-1/2 months.

This will be our third awning. We have an A&E TransAwn 2000 that we've been using heavily for 29 years on both our VW Vanagon and our 1998 FWC Shell (I move it from the van to the FWC for our winter trips to Baja). The awning has made 4 trips to Baja on the van and 15 trips on the FWC with only 1 mishap when I didn't stake it down. I was able to repair it myself and it's still going strong thanks to tolerances that allow for it not being perfect anymore. It will now stay on my Vanagon as we ordered the Batwing for the new Grandby.

Our other awning is a 2008 Fiamma F45 which came standard on our Casita Trailer and has made 4 trips to Baja plus numerous other trips. My personal feelings about it is that it is over designed, and not nearly as survivable as the old A&E. It has collapsible rafters that fold in a hard wind and is most vulnerable when trying to roll it in during a high wind. It definitly takes 2 people as 1 person cannot hold the awning down and wind it in at the same time. The one stiff center rafter has to be removed for winding in. We have had it billow up like a paraglider as the rafters folded up. The leg hinges are also made of plastic, of which I've had to replace 3 at $26 each. Granted I overloaded them while trying to stake them down, but if they were metal they would not have failed. The other problem is that the tolerances are so close that sometimes I have to wind the awning in 3 or 4 times to get it to lock in the case. I don't know why they couldn't have built it with more tolerance, except it worked well on their computer. Their fix is to add a strap around the case so it doesn't come open on the road.

Given the option of the Batwing or the Fiamma it was a no brainer for me. First, like I said, my wife liked it, but as I looked it over I could see that it was all made of metal (except the canopy of course). It will be easy to add lines to the ends of the 3 non collapsible rafters to stake it down. Yes there is a hole around the hinge where rain can come through but it is on the corner of the camper where we won't be hanging out anyway.

Here are my reservations: 1. How well will the ripstop canopy hold up given that we will be leaving it up in the Baja sun for long periods? 2. How easy is it to fold up in a strong wind? Can I do it by myself? 3. Both my A&E and my Fiamma are 10 ft awnings, and the Batwing is only 6-1/2 feet, although on both the side and the back. It will lbe a whole different campsite. 4. Cost. If my wife is happy with it, it will be worth it. 5. How easy will it be to add tarps or shade cloth for additional shade. (there is no slot to add hooks like on the other two awnings). 6. The zip-up case is not as nice looking as the Fiamma case or the A&E. It should hold up well however as it is made of sun resistant material. We'll see how the zipper does exposed to blowing sand.

I will try to update this after we return from Baja in April. We should know by then how well it will work for us, except the long term durability of the canopy over years of use.

 

[dakozicki]

I had a Batwing installed (at the FWC factory) on my Hawk and have used it one time in wind and rain. It is relatively easy to open and collapse and one person can do it. I am 6'6" and still needed a stool to make it easier. However, you need to fold it just right to get the zipper to close. It was super tight around the first part where all the beams come together. I was worried about damaging it. I think the cover could be better engineered and made just a bit larger. It was pretty cold, so there wasn't a lot of flex. I hope it will break in overtime.

Yes, rain does come through at the corner. There is a small gusset that you can position to help with that, but rain still gets through. Also, rain does pool in the sections and will dump (or need to be dumped) at various times. I didn't stake down the poles. This may have helped tighten it up and prevent the pooling. The wind wasn't severe enough to require guy cords.

There is no way to attach side panels to the Batwing other than to "rig something up." I was thinking that some of those spring loaded construction/woodworking clamps would work.

 

[muttmaster]

Eezi Awn Batwing review and feedback

 

[muttmaster]

Searched a bit for feedback on the Batwing but did not find any since FWC installed back in 2016. Stan at FWC even asked for feedback from owners.

My 2016 Grandby came with the Batwing. I have used the awning no more than a dozen times, and I have a few issues. The thin L shaped bracket on the right side holding up the four arms when awning is folded has broken. It started by flexing then broke off. I called Paul at Equipt Outfitter and he told me in seven years, he never had anyone that had this problem. He told me he would send a replacement to me in a couple of weeks, but after four weeks and another inquiry a week ago, I have not heard back.
I also asked about replacing the bag, which is coming apart at the seams along the zipper on the left side. It seems the bag cover material is disintegrating along the zipper. No respond from Eqiupt yet.

Any other Eezi Awn owners had issues? Long term test feedback to FWC can help the company decide if they should continue to offer this brand.

 

[larryqp]

We had a Batwing installed by Dave at FWC in Rosenberg,TX, in March 2019. The brackets are super strong. that rear bracket you mention must have been redesigned because Dave gave me the option to either pop rivet or bolt thru. I chose to have it bolted thru because it is definitely strong enough to support our 1 gallon water bag, when we are in camp. Dave did a great job. Only thing I would change is we wish we had ordered the tan rather than the gray fabric.

Can't speak to long term issues, but we love it. We debated for over a year whether to purchase, before pulling the trigger. We have used it unsupported as well as supported by the 3 legs. The first thing I did after getting home was apply 303 protective to the bag and will continue to do so on a regular basis to protect the bag from UV.

The second thing I did was apply some blue lock tight to half of the bolts holding the awning to the brackets. I paranoid that I might come back from a day of fly fishing and find someone unbolted it and walked away. I think the lock tight would slow them down.

 

[muttmaster]

Larry, if you read my post carefully, you will note that I was not referring to the heavy duty mounting brackets that mounts the awning to the camper. The thin steel bracket that the four arms sits on when the awning is stored inside the bag is very thin and flexible. It will bend and break. I finally got hold of Paul at Equipt and he informs me that replacement bracket is in route and he also told me Eezi Awn rep from down under is coming to be at Exped Show and he will be receive feedback on weak bracket and my disintegrating bag.

 

[larryqp]

My bad, your talking about the bracket that is part of the awning itself. Gotcha. I'll take a look at that later today. Let us know if the replacement is any stronger and what the rep states with regard to your problem

 

[muttmaster]

Paul at Equipt Outfitter sent me replacement L bracket or shelf at no charge and the new one is twice as thick metal as the original. It is not going to break. He also replace my Eezi Awn cover. It will be a project to replace the bag.