A Baja, Mexico siesta isn’t a siesta if you have to get up to follow the shade. Chunky beef stew cooked while caught in a Guatemalan downpour is a lot less chunky and a lot less stew. Two examples from a learning journey we took that taught us that you live around an overlanding SUV and not sheltered in it. The easiest solution to gain some sheltered square footage is an awning.
Since this epiphany, we have had over a decade of experience with a traditional roll-out, two post awning from Eezi-awn. While road-tripping we have also camped with folks with the newer 270 or 180 degree freestanding designs. Here are few quick points on why I believe the traditional roll-out awning is the superior choice for overlanders:
I consider my final 4 points to be the primary benefits of this style of awning. You can achieve the enhanced weather protection and privacy with the wall options sold by many freestanding awning manufacturers. But, this will negate any gains in setup time and increase the cost, weight and storage space of your awning. Our advice - buy the traditional roll-out, two post awning and buy the longest one that you can attach to your vehicle.
