Any Recommendations for a Roof Mounted Awning?

[MT_Flyfisher]

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Consider also getting a bug room for the summer…keeps out the skeeters & meat bees …they also allow several extensions to be added for more sun coverage if you need it

That’s a really nice looking setup up you have there. I had a Rubicon Unlimited hardtop a few years ago, but never added a lot of aftermarket accessories to it.

Where live and fish (for the most part) in PA we don’t have many skeeters, etc. that are a major problem where you’d need a screen. We do have lots of heavy hatches on some of our rivers, but I just open my mouth and chomp down on them from time to time. And for the past several years now, my trips to MT have been in the fall when the biting type bugs are no longer an issue, and screen rooms don’t provide much protection from the biting bears that I might encounter.

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

They are not crank out...usually I am able to set it up myself, but if it's very windy having a second person is helpful...

And since I’ll often be by myself, anther set of hands would also be helpful to do it faster if it’s raining.

 

[Draketake]

@MT_Flyfisher ,

Gotchya. Yeah my tarp idea is more for an overnite camp.

Learned some things here too. That window screen idea is pretty slick.

Good luck on the search.

Bob

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

For what it’s worth, here’s a picture of my Wilderness Outback sitting in my garage this morning, as I ordered it from the dealer. It does have Subaru’s mudflats on all 4 wheels, which are kind of nice, but in hindsight I wish I’d have gotten Weathertech‘s mudflaps which are sturdier and I think would have provided more protection.

 

[SurfnFish]

So basically an Outback with a mild lift? They add some under armor as well?

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

So basically an Outback with a mild lift? They add some under armor as well?

I think it is something like 0.9” higher off the road than the standard Outback models, and Subaru offers a couple different options for under body armor but I didn’t get any on mine, at this point, since the extent of my off roading is limited to 30-50 miles or so of pretty tame gravel roads in our state and national forests on a single trip.

However, if you look a little deeper, you’d see that there are many other differences between the standard Outback model and the Wildnerness Outback, all aimed at off-road driving or other outdoor activities. I’d suggest going to the Subaru website for a more detailed explanation or comparison.

This is my first Wildnerness, but we‘ve owned (or I should say my wife has had) about 5 or 6 regular Outback models in the past 6-7 years or so. Obviously, we’ve liked Outback’s; however after having had this Wildnerness model for only 2 months, I feel it is WAY better for my purposes than the standard Outback model.

 

[SurfnFish]

This is my first Wildnerness, but we‘ve owned (or I should say my wife has had) about 5 or 6 regular Outback models in the past 6-7 years or so. Obviously, we’ve liked Outback’s; however after having had this Wildnerness model for only 2 months, I feel it is WAY better for my purposes than the standard Outback model.

Looked it up online, like it! We've owned 3 Outbacks, daughter on her second, wife chose a 2021 Forester this time around. No one makes a better awd system.

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

This looks like it might work. Anyone know where I can get it?

 

[cdnred]

Might be a bit of over-kill but have you considered or looked at tailgate awnings..? I'm thinking that with either awning you decide to go with, you may encounter problems with rain pooling up and causing the center to sag from the weight of the water unless you can devise a center ridge line to deflect the water..

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

Might be a bit of over-kill but have you considered or looked at tailgate awnings..? I'm thinking that with either awning you decide to go with, you may encounter problems with rain pooling up and causing the center to sag from the weight of the water unless you can devise a center ridge line to deflect the water..

No, I don’t think that’s overkill at all if I wanted to keep my tailgate open while I slept in my car. That might actually be a Subaru pictured (I haven’t looked at the video yet). Actually, I’d seen another video of a very similar setup, but I want to keep my tailgate closed while sleeping, in part because I feel safer sleeping with the doors closed and locked, as well as keeping the doors closed most of the time when I’m outside the car. It‘s a neat setup otherwise.

 

[Matt B]

Since we are expanding our suggestions, here’s another approach:

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

Since we are expanding our suggestions, here’s another approach:

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Guess that proves “where there’s a will, there‘s a way”...unless you don’t want the debris off that tree branch falling into your scrambled eggs. I do like the idea of using the canoe, table, and tree beach together to keep the tarp high above your head and the tailgate though.

 

[Brute]

I've used Hawaiian slings as tarp posts on the beach before...if you wrap a quarter (or a small rock) in any spot on the tarp, you have a place to lash a line...

 

[cdnred]

I think that your best bet would be to go with a Thule Outland Awning. They're a bit pricey but come with a great pedigree for quality and endurance plus easier to open/close on your own. If you have a roof rack already on your Outback then it should be relatively easier to install. When getting it installed, a good benefit would be for it to be easy to install and remove when for when it's not needed..

Amazon product ASIN B085RPTRPX

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

I think that your best bet would be to go with a Thule Outland Awning. They're a bit pricey but come with a great pedigree for quality and endurance plus easier to open/close on your own. If you have a roof rack already on your Outback then it should be relatively easier to install. When getting it installed, a good benefit would be for it to be easy to install and remove when for when it's not needed..

Amazon product ASIN B085RPTRPX

Thanks. That’s where I was when I started looking at awnings, and now after looking at all of the many suggestions that I’ve received here, that’s the one that I seem to come back to. I really like the idea of a crank out awning like the Fianna, but haven’t found one yet that is small enough for my Subaru.

I’m hoping if I do settle on the Thule that they’ll have them on sale. Before Christmas I was able to buy my Thule crossbars and storage box when they were on sale, plus I got them in a nearby state that has no sales tax, so I ended up saving about 25%-30%.

 

[Brute]

Thanks. That’s where I was when I started looking at awnings, and now after looking at all of the many suggestions that I’ve received here, that’s the one that I seem to come back to. I really like the idea of a crank out awning like the Fianna, but haven’t found one yet that is small enough for my Subaru.

I’m hoping if I do settle on the Thule that they’ll have them on sale. Before Christmas I was able to buy my Thule crossbars and storage box when they were on sale, plus I got them in a nearby state that has no sales tax, so I ended up saving about 25%-30%.

Cranks can break...these other awnings have the telescopic poles fitted into an aluminum slot in the leading edge that come down after unfurling the awning...it's pretty simple. I've also used 6lb soft diving weights in liu of stakes on hard rock or pavement...

 

[cdnred]

Thanks. That’s where I was when I started looking at awnings, and now after looking at all of the many suggestions that I’ve received here, that’s the one that I seem to come back to. I really like the idea of a crank out awning like the Fianna, but haven’t found one yet that is small enough for my Subaru.

I’m hoping if I do settle on the Thule that they’ll have them on sale. Before Christmas I was able to buy my Thule crossbars and storage box when they were on sale, plus I got them in a nearby state that has no sales tax, so I ended up saving about 25%-30%.

If it's not too late, see if where you're buying the Thule Crossbars and Storage Box if they can give you a better price as in a package deal if you're buying the Thule awning at the same time. They should offer you a much better deal since you're buying so much at the same time, no harm in asking. See if they'll offer a 25% -30% cut now after you spending so much money on the other 2 items. Buying it now while you're buying the other 2 items is the prime time to get it on the cheap rather then waiting for it to go on sale and I'm sure you won;t be saving any more money by waiting. They may even be able to help you with or suggest a way of attaching the awning to the side of your Subaru. I'm sure there's an easy way of attaching it so that it can get removed or reinstalled easily for each time you're going to be using it. You might be able to attach it to the side of the Thule box in a secure way so that they both go up as one unit tied together. Not sure what they mean by "push-button operation allows for easy, one person setup", whether that means it rolls up like a Venetian blind or..?

edit: Sorry I missed the note that you had already bought the Thule Crossbars and Box but give it a try for a better deal none the less, nothing to lose..

 

[RyRy82]

I have no complaints with the OVS 270 degree awning. They do make a smaller version and a 180 as well.

 

[MT_Flyfisher]

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I have no complaints with the OVS 270 degree awning. They do make a smaller version and a 180 as well.

Thanks, I just took a look at their awnings. You’ve got quite the setup.

 

[Peatbog]

Can you stand up under tarp awning deployed from the roof of a Suby? Thirty years ago I fished out of a couple different early eighties wagons and I found the rear hatch was where all the action was. I built a custom rack that had two 6 inch pipes for rods and a special homemade tarp that deployed over the rear hatch loved it. Folks around forks loved it and I got pulled over a few times by the state because they were curious about the rack. I painted the whole thing black and it looked menacing, like a rocket launcher. I have a van now and I went with a freestanding 12x12 canopy with walls if I want. I can set up where ever I want hell you could park that completely under it or in it with the walls. Food for thought. By the way i am typing this from the Olympic suites motel waiting for daylight listening to the wife snore. Here's to a beautiful day fishing.