Quick attach awning

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Quick attach awning

Postby bbrider » Sat Jan 27, 2018 9:36 pm

We are ever so slowly getting our Wee-Go ready for our Alaska trip. My wife will be officially retired February 5th giving us a few months to finish organizing our lives to take on this 2.5 month trip.

One of the things I have been thinking about was adding an awning to the Wee-Go. I didn't want to drill holes or added permanent mounts as I would only use it for rainy weather which we are sure to encounter. While walking around in Harbor Freight yesterday I saw these double suction cup handles for $7.99 and thought that might work. I bought two of them, a small tarp, 50' of cord, and some tent stakes. I had two telescoping aluminum poles I made back in the mid 90's for a tent trailer we used to pull with our motorcycle. Kept the poles when I sold the trailer.

So the problem is storage. My only storage is the small lock box on the tongue and anything over 3' long won't fit. I added a joint in the upper slide pole to make a three piece pole. I cut slots in the end of the female so I could compress it for a clamp type fit. Then I cut two slots about 3/16" apart and pried the center part out enough to slip a hose clamp through. That made the clamp captured to the pole. Now by loosening the hose clamps I can separate the pole into three pieces that will fit in my tongue box.

Next I cut two 18" long pieces of 3/4" aluminum tube from a 3' piece I bought at Lowes. The handles of the suction cups were a little to big for the tube so I heated some 1/2" pvc and pushed the aluminum in it about 1" to make it large enough to fit the suction cup handle. I did have to turn them down just a little to get the fit right. Then I drilled a 1/4" hole through all of that to lock it into place. Next I cut a piece of wood to fit the inside of the tube and drove that in leaving it 1/4" below the end. I drilled a hole in the wood and screwed in a hook. Mixed some JB Wield to fill in the end. Now I can attach these to the side of the Wee-Go to hook the tarp to. I did add a new grommet to the tarp to match my supports.

Next I cut 4 pieces of 1/8" abs 1/2" wide and 1 1/2" long. I drilled a 3/16" hole in each end and laced my cord through both holes. I tied one end of the cord to a stake and the other end got a knot at the abs slide adjuster. Loop the cord over the pole and pull tight easy as can be. Doesn't take much room to store and I can pick up those tarps all day for less than $5.00.

I hope this gives others some ideas. I even thought about using a longer tarp and a second set of suctions to cover the whole trailer so I could use the roof vent in the rain.

Anyway, no thread is good without pictures so here they are.

152755

152752

152753

152754
Naw Bro, We ain't lost. We just ain't never been here before!

Wee-Go build journal:
viewtopic.php?f=50&t=66964
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Re: Quick attach awning

Postby davidAndshannon » Mon Jan 29, 2018 10:18 am

Thanks for sharing this!
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Re: Quick attach awning

Postby Rainier70 » Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:57 am

:applause: :applause:

Thanks!
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Re: Quick attach awning

Postby ae6black » Tue Jan 30, 2018 1:06 pm

Is it just suction that is holding those cups to the side or did you glue them on? I wasn't sure reading your post.

Art
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Re: Quick attach awning

Postby pchast » Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:50 pm

:thumbsup: :applause: :applause:
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