Watched about 10 videos before this one but all seemed awkward. Your idea is the one I am going with! Simple and when you take the tarp down all the ugly hardware is gone. Thank you and well done!
Hi Jay, great video. Thanks for sharing. As a suggestion for your suction cups, you might consider attaching them to your windshield and rear window. The cups are not likely to damage the glass and if they leave a little mess, that should clean off easily with glass cleaner. Just an idea.
I used to detail cars for a living and i worked at a large dealership at one point in addition to small shops along the way. I say that because of the suction cups. They will not provoke any issues or harm ur clear coat in any way,.Just wash ur suv and perhaps hand wax the areas were the suction cups are being applied just to keep up with the paint. Considering oxidation (Oxidation creates an ugly faded burnt apearance on the surface of the paint) will always effect the 3- tops on a car, hood, roof and trunk lid as they are the most exposed to the elements, on an SUV it will obviously effect only 2- areas hood and roof. It's so vital if u luv ur car to clean or treat the surface, this will also help the suction cups attach and hold better and slide less under stress should the wind pick up. Enjoyed ur vid another good economical diy project. Good stuff thx for sharing👍
@@JayWandersOut definitely whether you intend to keep or sell ur car its worth doing. It will maintain the value of ur car and it will continue looking good. Take care Jay.👍
You can also just use a single suction cup on the sun roof glass and then put a zip tie on roof rail. It will be a little janky but it will get the job done.
When you use the poles with the pointy end through the grommet, use the caps to keep them in place. Just in case you get that upward wind. Super simple, great video.
I'm glad I saw this video. I'm going to go this route rather than getting a real awning . I like how the put away is really simple thanks for the video
I did this on my Chevy Equinox and it worked perfectly! Even as a solo female, I had it set up in no time, and it stayed secure and tight the whole weekend. Thank you for such a well done video!
The lever activated suction cups work the same as the handles used to carry large sheets of glass when installing windows. Very strong and very dependable as long as the surface your adhering to is smooth and clean.
Add a small patch of clear adhesive film to each area for suction cup to protect paintwork, when you want to remove same use a hairdryer to remove, works fine, great video.
Amazing! I was deep down a RU-vid hole checking out DIY awning ideas and none I saw had the suction cup idea I was thinking of! So much more simpler than drilling, mounting, etc a heavy, long ass bar on the roof racks. I’ll try this out, thank you!
Nice job. I watched many videos on awnings but none applied completely with my need for an awning that didn't have to be permanent. I didn't want to drill holes into my van and your idea of using the suction cups was a great solution! Thanks!
This was exactly how I saw it in my head- thank you! - you put it on video so I could show my husband the idea. But the use of suction cups made it even better!
The suction cups are a good idea. Someone suggested fishing magnets (really strong magnets with eye bolts threaded into it) because I don’t have a roof rack. But I worry about them scratching, or my not being strong enough to get them off haha. Also someone else said harbor freight has telescoping painters poles for $8 but I’m not sure if the threading will fit in the grommet. Definitely worth looking in to though because they could be easily modified. I think I’m going to go off the back of my Jeep and have the sides go to the ground so I have a sort of privacy tunnel since I’m going solo. Lots of great ideas in the comments sections passing on here. Safe travels 🚗🏕
The painter poles usually have a plastic threaded fitting to screw into the paint roller handle. On the one's I purchased the plastic threaded tip was about 2-1/2" long solid plastic swagged into the aluminum pole shaft. I just drilled the end of the plastic fitting and inserted a pin made from a 3/8" diameter framing nail. Has worked great for about 15 camping events so far.
I have a 5th Gen 4Runner too and I just purchased the Green Elephant telescoping poles to set up a awning also. Don’t have the suction cups however. I’ll try to work around that and use the basket rack itself but may end up buying them too. When the awning is set up it changes the whole feel of camping vs parked out in the middle of nowhere with just your vehicle doesn’t it. 😎🤙
The suction cups are a great idea. You should know that on a super windy day, those plastic hooks can start to bounce and beat the metal, causing a dent on the roof. Think about wrapping foam or cloth around the clips. I had a plastic bungee hook tiedown hooked onto a tarp on my truck. The buffeting wind made the hook bounce so hard on the tailgate it left a dent. But I was driving at the time. Just something to consider.
Exactly what I needed to see as I'm planning on using this setup for working in my engine bay in the sun. You make it look easy. Top job. Cheers from Australia subbed and liked 👍
The suction cup is really a new thing to me. Thanks for posting! I have another solution fro the poles however i use the poles you use for painting with a roller $7 each. just put a pencil in the top hole and the grommit.
I guess to be fair those expensive ones will hold up to much stronger wind but I heard the UV eventually always does a number on the outer bags and I didn't have a good safe way to mount one to my roof rails. I do think many people get the big awnings though to make themselves stand out and look the part.
Really good and clear presentation, and I love the suction cups. I have a smooth fiberglass topper with no racks, and I've been struggling to figure out a way to attach a tarp to it. Suction cups are the perfect solution.
Genius! Just got a 4Runner and looking for some adventure. Your solution isn't just economical; it's also very efficient for saving space. Thank you for sharing - God Bless.
Thank you for posting this video. I am a hammock camper and I made myself a nice bug screen cover for my hammock called a fronkey style bug net. so I got to thinking how hard would it be to make a bug screen porch for an awning. Go to your local Walmart and look for mainstays brand sheer curtains, each pack of curtains cost about $4 and there are two panels in a pack. I suggest you buy the tallest set of these curtains. You will need about 4 packs total to create a nice protected screen porch from mosquitoes and other flying bugs. I hope this info helps. I am currently building my rear hatchback screened in area that I can attach with magnets. Your suction cup idea is a game changer for me because I did not want to mount an extension pole on my roof rack. I just bought 2 sets of the suction cups a total of 4. Make sure if anyone tries this method and to remove the plastic sheet on the suction cups. There is a plastic sheet to protect the cups from debris. They have to be removed or you will not get good suction.
Good ideas. I've also encountered a problem where in Bighorn National Forest all these tiny green bugs kept landing on my bug screen so they'd get in when I pack things up. I have concentrated permethrin with me so I made a solution then soaked all the netting. Now no bugs ever sit on the netting for more than a second or so. Permethrin is magic. I've always treated my hiking clothes with it but I'll treat my netting regularly from now on. You're so right about the protective film on the suction cups. I hope everybody remembers to do that.
Basically I use the same set-up on a minivan. I have a wooden rail attached to the roof rack with hooks for each grommet for the vehicle side. I only set it up when I know I'll be stationary for at least a couple days. When I do use it, it expands my living area and nice to have.
thank you for sharing! worked flawlessly for me. I just started overlanding and I am slowly building my gear. eventually I will buy an ARB 2500 awning but for now I will settle for this set up. I showed your link to a couple of my friends and we did our awning this way. We had a bunch of people inquiring about your set up. thank you
Nice, Chris! I've continued looking at ARB awnings but without installing a new roof rack it seems like most attachment methods aren't suitable for off roading. I'll probably just stick with this for a while to come since it all stows away out of sight. I only use it when it's going to rain or it's sunny anyway so it's convenient to have. It's also convenient because you can set it up on either side as you need at a particular time. I'm glad this helped you and your friends out!
This was a very helpful video for me! It answered all my questions and gave me a great way to make an inexpensive, but high-quality awning for my van. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Thanks for the info! I’ve been scratching my head on how to do this kind of set up and suction cups are the answer! Just ordered the exact ones on Amazon, thank you again! Bryan from Vancouver
I made a diy rod for our tarp....went through all that and few months back saw these similar cups on Amazon.. I use 3 suction cups and two extendable poles like yours.... They work nicely
Our first time camping with our new SUV. This is a great idea since I do not want to connect anything to it permanently plus I like to put it sometimes on the backside or other times on the side of the car! Thank you Jay!
Friggin’… BRILLIANT! I’d probably use it once or twice a year, so this is perfect. I watched a few DIY awning videos too, and can imagine them going 🙄. 🤣
Thanks for this Jay! I really like your solution with the suction cups and am going to use it for my Eurovan. The rainy winters of the PNW can't keep ME indoors!
I think a little chunk of sliced in half pool noodle under the suction cup hardware can offer some protection from the wind banging it against your paint and causing damage. The suction cups are great but are a bit hard to get off.
Just saw your video 7/28/21. Rocked my world! On mt 3rd ---and LAST---incarnation of awning setup for my honda element. Suction cups are easy to switch from back to side of the car as sun moves here in the desert, making repositioning 1. Possible 2. Pretty easy. Many thanks
Yep. On a sunny warm day near the Grand Tetons I set the tarp up on the other side to shade the car side from sun. I also set the poles all the way down which helped it resist some decent winds. I have also set it up with the shorter side against the car for a longer reach for the tarp to get more shade.
I really like the suction cup idea 💡! Thanks! On the DIY side of things one can use extendable paint poles they dont pack down as small but setting one up will keep you well under $20 for 2 poles. 4'-8' expandable painter pole from Wal-Mart $7.42, Stainless Lag bolt from Home Depot $0.49. Drill a hole in the threaded end of the painters pole smaller than the lag bolt so you get a good grip and it bites. Thread the bolt in then remove it. Holding the pole horizontally I fill the hole with hot glue i can usually get 2 small sticks of low temp mini hot glue sticks in. Before it sets thread the lag bolt down so there are no threads exposed and rotate the pole to a vertical position with the lag bolt down to allow the glue to set around the lag inside the pole. Alternatively you could use epoxy instead of hot glue. I leave my poles like this because I use tarps with straps on them. But you could easily grind the head off the lag for a traditional looking tent pole.
Thanks. It won't hold up to as strong a winds as the mounted ones but it works quite well for me. When it's mildy windy I always park with the other side into the wind.
@@JayWandersOut got all the parts in a few day ago and did a test setup. Seems very stable to me! Oh, even though that brown/silver tarp doesn't seem to be available on homedepot.com, I did find it in my local store. Very well made and low cost. Thanks again!
It's not the best for strong winds or gusty situations I'll say that much. I'm thinking of trying something with shock chord to help absorb gusts and not pop the suction cups off.
Very nice video..thanks for informing about the quality and size of tarp..I mistakingly purchased 10x12 feet tarp which I could not fix on my car..suction cups is a best idea indeed👍
I looked at racks as well and the bigger ones were heavy let alone expensive More top weight was one thing I wanted to avoid. I saw that they have brackets to attach a real awning to the Thule roof rack bars but they have a note saying not recommended for off roading. I guess to much force from it. I'll probably stick with this set up for a while to come since it's more inconspicuous.
Great idea with the suction cups. I’m going to tinker around and find a different support system than the guidelines though. I camp mostly in the desert and finding places to sink stakes effectively is always a pain.
Great Vid! I especially like how you even put your video editing software in your list of goodies! I've been trying to figure out what works best for video editing and it seems to be a real secret! So thanks for sharing even those little details! Thanks much, -Mike
Believe it or not I put my bag of suction cups on the back tire then drove off... ran right over and broke both of them! I ordered more right away just to have backups available. Won't do that again.
Genius. I made a slight modification and it works perfectly. Also you can place a pole in the middle a bit higher than the car and the water runs off when it’s raining. My tarp is slightly larger. You can also place it over the hatchback in the rear to give more room to cook when it is raining. Or, have two.
Thanks for the info on permethrin. I use it on my hiking pants. That’s a great idea putting it on the screen. I have the extension poles and the suction cups. I found a nice tent footprint which is water repellent and has grommets in the corners. I’ll be using it for the tarp. I’ll try and get a video out. With links to all the parts and send people to your video link for getting me interested in tarp awning setup with suction cups. My Current suv is a Kia Soul which will be upgraded next year. Take care Brother.
Neat idea. I might add something like that to my suv. Also you should look into oil skin tarps. They’re expensive and heavy. But they’re also super durable.
Yep. My suction cups arrived yesterday and now I’m ready to go. Thanks for the tips. This is a super idea, is very flexible, and inexpensive. What’s not to like?
Nice setup and instructional video. I made something similar for my Jeep Wrangler, based on a video by SUV Rving. I have a roof cargo basket and attach strong spring clips to the cargo basket (where you have the suction cups), and use collapsible PARIA TARP and TENT Poles which are thinner and lighter than your poles. I like the sturdiness of the poles that you used better. However, my skinny poles held up in 10-15 mph winds, but noisy like you said. And you are correct about the cheaper blue tarp. I was in the desert in my video and had good shade but the light does come through. I will be purchasing the brown shade to try out next time. Also, I can put those suction cups to good use for other items on the Jeep, but not the roof, which is made of hard plastic. Thanks.
Nice ideas. I thought life would be easier with a cargo basket but the nicer ones for the 4runner that can support more weight were way too expensive for me, and heavy. I figured this was good enough for now. Your poles are nice. If I saw them before I purchased mine I would consider them but I wouldn't know if 6 ft was enough. I guess it could work... if they were cheaper I'd half consider getting them and using one of mine to prop up the middle. I guess having 3 poles in a little 6x8 area would be tight though. Never considered plastic roofs before! Good point.
We’re told that in the comments below you’ve listed the name of these and where to get them. I didn’t catch it perhaps you could bring the packages up so we can see them and maybe take a screenshot very good idea I love it thanks
Over a year ago I came across your video about wide hiking shoes awhile ago and now I'm wearing the Asics Gel Venture 9s now. Decent so far, maybe got a half size too big and still might try some Atlras soon. And now I recently found myself thinking "I want a roof rack awning but I wouldn't use it often enough to justify a dedicated roll out" and I had a similar idea as you using a tarp, poles, and lines. Crazy to see you pop up in my search for examples of that on RU-vid! It's kinda nuts, I feel like you're an alternate version of myself living a few years in the future 😅
If your poles are long enough, I wonder if you could also attach suction cups to the feet of your poles and have the bottom of your pole attach to the side of the vehicle rather than the ground (like some electric awnings on RVs). That could be useful in certain terrain or if there were some obstacle to pole or line placement.
That's some nice out of the box thinking! True, there have been times I'd be in a bush trying to stake down an end.... I guess if I bring the pole bases down parallel to the tarp and still stake out the guy lines to stretch out the front it could work well. Before sleeping I could also lower the poles to create a lower front end to let water run off. I'll have to play with that idea someday! I think my only concern would be the strength of the suction cups but it could work. I may also get 2 more suction cups and use a tiny segment of 550 chord to reinforce the other 2. Thanks for the idea!
Wow...thanks for this idea! My vehicle is shorter, so I was going to use my hiking poles, but I have been thinking of all kinds of ways to anchor my tarp to the vehicle. Suction cups - who knew! p.s. for vehicles where space is really limited, a nylon tarp can stuff down to the size of a softball.
