OVS Nomadic 270 Updates and Wall Review // Amazing Awning for Half the Cost? 

Exactly! And with the camper top opened it’s even got a loft. Speaking of which, I wonder how surprised my wife would be if she came home to find a huge fort in the living room...off to find our extra blankets

@@ScenicCityAdventures Sounds like a fun night if you ask me! Disclosure: Wife happiness not guaranteed. Might end up having to sleep on the couch. Unless.... you got yourself a fort in your living room!!!!!

Joshua Beaulieu That’s a great point! Thank you!

Joshua - Thank you for this info. I wouldn't have known that and would probably have been "one of those" people. 😏

This awning specifically says in the directions that it is only to be self supported while being set up.

Thanks for this point. 👊

I was thinking the same thing. Definitely risky, especially if the wind really kicked up. Plus I think I'd like the piece of mind securing really well to preserve the life of it. I do really like the setup.

TheIvoryman No doubt! We use the poles with the walls.

Even without the wall I would use the legs. Rain or wind will put a lot of stress on the hinges.

Glad to help! You will love it!

Me too! That’s the one big thing I wish they would update.

@@ScenicCityAdventures Easy to put on yourself. Replace rectangular area with the thickest plastic sold by the meters at the Home hardware store. You could get it done too. I love this module it's amazing.

I had a friend that did that this winter. It works great!

Absolutely! Glad to help

I purchased mine from Overland Vehicle Systems directly

Thanks so much! And congratulations on the awning. We absolutely love ours. This last weekend using it as shade and getting a nearly 13° difference between the sun and awning shade reinforced how much we love it. The walls are fantastic for adding a little bit of privacy when you can’t be completely off grid and away from everybody. You will definitely love them.

That would be super cool! We did end up using a propane fire pit on our last trip almost every night in the enclosed area with a little bit of the walls open for ventilation and it was super nice. A woodstove would definitely produce more heat and I wouldn’t have to worry about refilling the propane. It definitely needs the poles if there’s any type of wind and honestly it’s better to just use them to keep the aluminum from cracking down the road but it’s nice to see that they can be set up easily without it.

It wouldn't be that hard to put a stove jack in one of the wall panels.

@@ScenicCityAdventures Yeah. You prob'ly shoulda used the poles before staking down the walls. I kept hoping you'd put the poles in and demonstrate the telescoping properties.

OK… If I’m being honest I may or may not have brought a bean bag on a camping trip at one point or another, and not that long ago LOL

Congratulations!! You will love it!

How much does it cost??🤔🤔

I would love a bug net option for this one. Those enclosed rooms are great for Mosquitos! But for now I think I may pick up a Gazelle 4 Person Screened Tent. Seemed to work well for @LifestyleOverland in Alaska.

@@ScenicCityAdventures a Gazelle screened tent is a good idea. Compared to the awning room, it would be a lot easier to put up, and would probably take up less space!

Ya, I definitely could have done better at that. They are bulky, but if it’s going to be cold they are worth it. We’ve taken the walls all over the country. We use them in areas of the west coast that are both chilly and under a fire ban. With a propane firepit inside the walls, with proper ventilation, it really increases the temps and makes it much nicer. From 10k feet in Colorado, to the plains of South Dakota, and even as far away as the Canadian border in Montana, we love the awning by and walls.

Tyler Seymour Thanks! It’s crazy big! Just need a disco ball for a full party. 😂

Hello peter, hope all is well in Australia. I have the 23ZERO 270 on my truck. I pack my straps in a separate drawer in my truck, packed up for travel. Less tension on the zipper, and keep the bulk down for travel. Have fun, go Offroad

Hey thanks! Trying to still get some decent content in spite of the craziness going on in the world

Shane Marr Thanks Shane! That would definitely be pretty cool. And enjoy the new awning. The coverage is crazy big! You’ll love it.

I would love them to have more windows. It has one large door but no windows unfortunately. So typically if we have to put the walls out it’s because the weather has turned bad and we wouldn’t use the windows anyway.

Great question, I have no personal experience with the RhinoRack Batwing. That being said, I have read enough horrible reviews that I won’t be purchasing one. It seems people are popping up on the Facebook groups and Overland forums at least once a week to complain about a bat wing that broke after the second or third use. Of course people that have problems are more likely to post in those that don’t but it definitely doesn’t inspire confidence.

Remember all the mods he did void all warranty And what he calls dropping is actually built into so you do not get puddles on it from rain or snow load Don’t do it

Yep, do at your own risk. There is still enough droop to handle every thunderstorm we’ve found in the last year.

I've watched alot of these, and still havent seen anyone set it up in the wind or wait to show how sturdy they are in wind

@@joshuahedwards1244 send me $1000 and I’ll be happy to test it out for you. Maybe some people actually take care of their investments.

@@michaelbarber6215 how does that imply it's not being taken care of?

@@joshuahedwards1244 when are you sending the $1000? I accept Venmo or PayPal.

@@michaelbarber6215 way to dodge the question. Feel free to continue.

I don’t see why not. It comes with a L shaped bracket for mounting the awning to any horizontal surface. Just make sure it’s above head height, 6 feet or more.

I would be interested in sending you some pictures of my rig for design issues

The walls are super long. I don’t think it would it would be an issue at all. Unfortunately they only have solid walls. None of them are mesh.

@@ScenicCityAdventures I sold my wife on the awning, but not the walls.... "no windows" she said..... got a point. maybe by the time I purchase the walls--next year-- they will come with a clear spot called a window. thanks for the reply.

@@johnk7093 I'm sure you could customize them to include mesh inserts. I'm the same way......I want air and sunshine 🌞.

Roderick Aquino You are most welcome! I think you’ll love it!

Amen to that!

That is a first generation GFC camper. (GoFastCampers)

The nice thing about this is you can add as much pitch as you want using the poles and tiedown ropes. We have had no problems with snow so far. I do think lots of ice could be a problem with how heavy it is. But that’s not the point for us. We don’t get a lot of ice and snow in Tennessee, we do get a lot of afternoon showers and tons of hot summer days. It’s fast to set up for afternoon showers, and as a source of shade I’ve seen as much as a 19° temperature difference. Unfortunately there is no one that makes a 270° awning that is fully sealed off for bugs. For that we use a gazelle gazebo.

@@ScenicCityAdventures Canada here, we get lovely ice storms, snow storms that dump heavy wet snow that quickly accumulates, hence why i was worried about the pitch. and then in the summer its mosquitoes and... black flies... *falls into song* 'And the black flies, the little black flies Always the black fly, no matter where you go I'll die with the black fly a-picking my bones In north on-tar-i-o-i-o, in north on-tar-i-o" A snow skirt around the truck, A stove jack, a heavy welders blanket heat shield, and it might make a nice winter expidition and camp vehicle. Then add some "cot tents" as bug free places to sleep, to heavy to "carry" for packing into an area. but if you are using a truck its just unload them and set them up under the awning.

Bug netting/screen is definitely needed

Yep, that’s correct. But for us we use it more in the summer heat and light rain then thunderstorms. That being said, the pooling is minimal even in in strong storms.

Thanks! I am 5 foot 11. And if I could change anything I would add an additional window or two with screen instead of just the large door.

I’d be lying to say didn’t have a battery powered projector. 😁 The best is using it to watch epic rockclimbing movies while camping near the wall you are climbing in the morning! It gets you hyped!

Yep, That’s correct!

Nice! They are so convenient!

I haven’t had any problems with water pooling. There is still enough angle on mine. That being said I needed the spacers on my go fast camper but I did not need them on my Super pacific. It may just be dependent upon your application.

For sure

Yup, I’d love some little props on the arms. That being said, after a few years of use I’m still happy with it. Rain, snow, and sun… it does a great job.

@@ScenicCityAdventures No, that's not what I meant. It needs support poles under the ends of the arms. I know you were trying to demonstrate the strength of the system, but it would be crazy to leave those long arms unsupported, particularly when hanging walls. The self-supporting nature of them should only be exploited during set-up and break-down.

Oh I gotcha. Ya, we use the arms nearly everytime we set it up, and always with the walls. The only time we don’t use the arms, is if we are using it for shade for a couple hours, and with no wind, rain, or walls.

Nope! We used it at the beach all weekend in 25+ mph winds with no issues. We anchored everything down with sand filled buckets.

Thanks man! That would definitely be awesome.

There is a very large door, in the middle that rolls up and out of the way.

I wouldn’t be surprised. They seem to be popping up everywhere!

Ya, more windows would definitely be nice. Ya know, I haven’t set it up to deal with mosquitoes. Usually just for rain or if it’s cold we add a little heater inside. So I really can’t say.

5

Looking at the pictures of the quick pitch it looks to be almost identical to the Alu-Cab. Our friends have that one and it is a great size if you don’t need one as large as mine. That being said overland vehicle systems recently released the smaller version of my awning. It looks to be about the same size as the quick pitch and Alu-cab. Last I looked it was for sale around $599. Using the L brackets that it comes with it should mount just find the front runner rack without sticking as far forward as the large one does.

Bahaha! Thanks!

Honestly yes, but when it’s just the wife and I the 270 is enough. When we have others around I’ve definitely considered adding a 180.

Dave Salas Hey Dave! I don’t think the 270 would work with just a roof rack, but maybe the 180 would?

Thank you! I did eventually add a third bracket to help support the weight. I noticed a couple of the aluminum T nuts from GFC had actually broken after tens of thousands of miles of trail use. After adding the third bracket I did not have any more problems. We still use awning all the time. In fact it’s going to be 18° when we are camping tonight so we will throw the walls on it and the propane firepit inside of it to stay warm.

That’s a smart idea!

Yep! Works great in the snow. Throw a little propane fire pit in there for warmth and to roast marshmallows over and it’s amazing. We used it every night during our fall trip to Colorado. It gave the 4 of us a warm and protected place to cook and hang out.

Congratulations! You’ll love it. I think a wedge will work perfect, We over-simplified it and used a piece of 1/4 inch aluminum and it’s been working fine.

I used some quarter inch aluminum scrap I had laying around. It worked great. The weird thing is I needed them on my previous camper but my new Super Pacific doesn’t seem to need them. I would install it first then see if you need spacers.

I don’t believe so. Each wall can only go where it’s supposed to go sadly.

Absolutely!

It’s been awesome. We still use it all the time. So far we’ve had no problems. The zippers still work fine, all of the poles have held up, no mildew or stains in the fabric. We have used this thing all over the country. From 11,000 feet in Colorado to sitting on the beach with every pole and rope deployed to keep it from blowing away in the wind it’s been perfect.

ARB makes good stuff. I believe the fabric is a little thicker in the ARB. But I haven’t seen any ARB 270s to compare the OVS to, just the standard pull out ARB.

My Pleasure! Glad it could be helpful. I used 1/4 inch spacers, and had to drill through the center of the awnings main plate, where all the arms attach, to use the GFC brackets. Now that I have a Super Pacific Camper, with better brackets that don't sag, I haven't had to do any drilling or add the spacers.

@@ScenicCityAdventures Thanks for the reply. I ordered the awning. 👍 will mount this on my SnugTop camper shell. The shell will have a Yakima roof rail n racks.

Subscribed your channel too😁👍

No problem! That will work great, it comes with some really sturdy universal mounts.

Correct, but the droop was exaggerated with the GFC brackets. There is still plenty of droop. I’ve used it many many times in the rain. The spacers aren’t need on the Super Pacific camper we use now.

They are quarter inch aluminum. The interesting thing is I needed them on my Go Fast Camper, but I don’t need them on the Super Pacific camper I have now. I would just try and install it without them first. You can always add some later.

Unfortunately it’s just the large door and no screens. If it’s hot, we don’t typically put all the walls up, just one or two for privacy so we have good airflow from under the truck and around the walls. The shade provides a huge difference in temperature, especially with a little breeze.

Great questions! If we ever get a stove, then I will think the Stove Jack would be awesome. Primarily we use a propane firepit for cooler weather, and just leave a bit of the top edge unzipped as a vent. It works great! We used it nearly every day in Colorado and New Mexico. The advantage for us, is a propane fire pit can be used in a burn ban, where other sources of open flame can’t. I’m not sure about an enclosed stove. I’ve packed this up in the rain and snow. It’s not fun, but it’s worth a couple minutes of cold / wet for the hours of dry conditions. We can a lot of little spring squalls here in TN. So we’ll quickly pull the awning out, then when the rain stops pack it back up quick. We’ve had no problems even in but storms, as long as you use the tie outs. It’s been a lifesaver for sure.

@@ScenicCityAdventures I installed a stove jack that attaches with Velcro to my Eskimo ice shanty but any little fire in the alpine camp chef and it becomes a sweat lodge. So, I believe with this awning / walls and maybe a welding blanket one could brave some pretty cold elements with the stove at full burn.

@@JohnLaFosse I doubt doubt it! We’ve done a few nights into the 20s with the walls on and it helps. It will never be perfect with air coming in along the sides and under the truck, but it makes a huge difference, especially if it’s windy.

Agreed! I was thinking the walls are stupid during clear weather but failed to foresee the value during inclimate weather...Ever since this unfortunate life-changing event, I've started cross-training with leg and foot movements in the off-chance I need to walk to a place where I can see the nice views I traveled to see. Thanks for uploading this video SCA!

Absolutely! We have used it in a number of heavy thunderstorms. As long as you deploy the legs and stake it out we’ve had no trouble leaving it up all night. Using the walls also helps keep the wind from getting underneath of the awning.

Great question. For me it’s unlikely we will use the walls on our typical road trip style long distance trips. It’s just not worth taking the time to set them up. But, if we are in the same spot for a weekend, we’ll definitely bring them. They add some privacy if you are near a trail. We won’t use all of them, but depending on the setup of camp we’ll probably use at least one.

Walls are good if the sun changes angle on you.

Absolutely!

@@ScenicCityAdventures can you tell us the dimensions and weight of all walls when packed? Do they take up a lot of space in vehicle? Thanks!!

They packed down relatively flat so they don’t take up an enormous amount of space but they are about 36 x 20 x 4, and there are three wall sections each in their own bag. The nice thing is you can roll them up or change the dimensions based on where you are storing them. We kept them packed in a tote and just folded them up to fit the size of the tote.

Huh, I'm not sure! When I have it out next I'll see if I can measure for you.

Sadly no. I hope they will come up with walls that include large screen windows but with so much space around the edges and under the truck that insects could get in I don’t think screens are a priority. I have seen people use clear painters tarps in place of the walls to get lots of light and also trap heat.

Wishful thinking I suppose.

Ya, I should have! Sorry about that. Once you unzip the sides you can roll it up and hook it to the cinches at the top. Leaving it as a large open doorway.

@@ScenicCityAdventures thanks for the reply.

Absolutely! No poles for a quick lunch, but definitely poles if you are staying for a while.

Well congratulations! I don’t, but I can check this morning.

ScenicCity Overland I was able to find the distance. Thanks for replying!