I don't believe awning manufacturers make awnings for a particular vehicle, it's just a length with support needed at certain intervals of the awning base. Bush Company tells you where that support needs to be, I assume others do the same. Just a matter of understanding if the roof is long enough. 180 degree and standard pull out awnings are likely to have different support requirements than 270 degree awnings.

I didn't look at the material differnces too much but it looks like the same square footage as the smaller Bush Company 270 awning but at $1k more than Bush Company's. I suppose it depends how much you want to support American made vs Australian made. Note the Bush Company awnings do ship from the US.

 

I have the Darche Eclipse 270 awning. Mounted it on the left hand side, so it covers the rear door area when camping. I have the front runner table mounted on the rear door and was looking for shelter from the rain when cooking. The awning has a ton of usable space and great construction. Matches the dimensions of the expedition rack almost perfectly.
https://gtfoverland.com/products/dar...se-270º-awning

 

All super helpful! Thank you very much. I've noticed that you can order most of the 270 awnings either driver or passenger side. What are the pros and cons and things to be consider when making this decision?

 

Drivers side seems to make more sense in the Defender because the rear door of the truck swings open to the right. You can have the door open, awning up and the door won't bother you much. If it's on the passenger side I'd imagine you've made that 270 more like a 180 because the door acts as a wall.

 

I did passenger solely for the reason that when parked on the beach side in California it would always be facing the ocean. They do create some amount of wind noise so I do also like that it's not directly above my head, although not sure how big of a different that would really make.

 

I went with the James Baroud Falcon 270 awning. It seemed like a more complicated installation than I was comfortable doing, so I took my Defender to Mainline Overland in PA to install it. They did a great job. The only thing I'll say about this awning is it is big on the side of the explorer rack, like really big. The nice thing is that it is simple to remove and attach to the rack. So, I mainly store the awning in my basement and only put it on when needed. I couldn't see keeping this awning on all the time.

What do others do with their awnings? Do you always leave them on or only put them on when needed? Just wondering.

Tim

 

@yocut33m I really like the JB Falcon 270. I went with the Rhino Rack Batwing 270 instead. I keep mine on all Summer long and in the winter I keep it in the garage. The Batwing now has the new mounts that allow for fast removal and installation. Still requires 2 people to take it off but it's one screw on each mount.

 

My two cents:
I have a Drifta Rapid Wing 270 (passenger side) which I have slept under around 40 nights over last two years. Decision for me was to put it on the opposite side to the ladder.
Pros:
Lightweight at 14kg, aluminium adjustable legs with peg holes, snow peak pegs. Can setup sections at various angles for rain run off or wind protection in about 3 minutes.
Sturdy, thick canvas, but dries quickly.
Good coverage over rear barn door and side rear door. I can fit two biker swags and a separate table, two chairs underneath with barn door open, barn door table down. For me this is plenty, but some want bigger.

Cons:
Poles always required, as well as sand pegs with guy ropes when on the beach.
Canvas seams require initial waxing to repel water.

I have been looking at free-standing alternatives myself. Bush Company XT Max is quality, but very expensive and very heavy at 33+ kg. For a much cheaper option, the OCAM Premium Wingman 270 looks sturdy from reviews, much lighter at 20kg, 3mm aluminium construction, and the option to fully enclose with walls, windows, poles, guy ropes.

Whatever you decide on, I think the main consideration is around poles, how quick is it to setup when it's windy, what happens if the rain is torrential. Does it cover the gap when my barn door is open? Will the canvas dry in the bag if I pack it wet and I get direct sun exposure on the bag before it gets mouldy.