180 Degree freestanding awning

[pcstockton]

I dont know DRAX.... So many companies have wonderful kit made in China. ARB comes to mind.

 

[DRAX]

I dont know DRAX.... So many companies have wonderful kit made in China. ARB comes to mind.

Sure, I'm not saying they're all bad, but ARB also doesn't make batwing or free-standing awnings and ARB products tend to be a lot more expensive when comparing apples to apples, some of that is differences in quality and some of that is paying for the brand. ARB also has a history of providing quality products and they've been around for a long time so they've had a long time to build up their reputation, as a result they also know how to get products they want to put their name on.

A lot of overlanding/camping gear comes from China, like it or not. Some is great, some isn't. I'm just saying there's a difference between buying a mass-produced product that just has different labels and buying products specifically made for you. There's going to be a large price/cost difference between those products as well. If ARB has a production/QC issue with the products they're getting from China those manufacturers are more likely to work to keep ARB's business due to volume sold. A small company having their name put on generic products that orders in relatively small volume in comparison to ARB isn't going to have much pull unless they pay for what is effectively custom tooling and manufacturing which will drive up the cost of the product. However, without much brand recognition or company history it would be hard for a small company to justify doing that, let alone convincing people to buy their products that would likely end up costing quite a bit more than the competition. The fully freestanding awning I linked is a perfect example of this and the response from Overland Pros was basically "it costs twice as much as ours." There are reasons why is costs twice as much. Just like Eezi-Awn products, their 270 awnings are made in-house and not in China. They're not fully free-standing and they list for $1,450. A 270 with the same coverage (80 sq ft) is half that price from OVS and it comes from China. Is the Eezi-Awn worth paying twice as much? I can't say, I haven't owned one. I'm just providing an example of cost differences when it comes to products built specifically to your standards vs purchasing existing generic products and having your name put on them.

 

[Basecamp Overland]

Hi Drax, This is Nick. I'm the other owner of Overland Pros. i'd like to share a few things.

1) Regarding your comments on freestanding- the absence of legs does not constitute anything. Any awning can break if it gets windy enough. I think's that pretty obvious. Full disclosure- I've never used the legs on my 6k for wind or rain and its 2 years old. its been through the ringer in baja, death valley, mojave, etc. i've used the legs with the walls so i can pull the walls really tight without torquing the arms. I consider having legs if you want to use them a bonus. from my experience we have customers that don't have a great mounting solution to hold the awning rigidly. either their rack in flimsy or their mounting points are too close together (teardrop, tiny trailers, awning lift systems, yota with a 4' bed, etc). without legs they couldn't run it. food for thought!

2) Breakage- to date i've never had one of our awnings break due to wind unless someone hasn't told me. I've had my RTT blow closed on me in mojave once and in alabama hills once waking me up at night due to the wind. awning was fine. do I try to break it? no so much anymore but i did for a while. We have had 6 or 7 people break an arm and every one was because they either used only 2 mounting brackets or used their own mounting solution that failed. when their brackets bend the awning points straight vertical. when that happens the rear arm that is ratchet-strapped open can't move downward as the awning goes to point vertical so it snaps. not really the awning's fault. that being said if someone's goal is to break one i'm sure its entirely doable with our or any awning out there for that matter.

3) Features- The obvious ones that you can see- our awnings all feature velcro walls and the ability to make internal rooms. we use a stronger hinge than 23 zero which makes it heaving and increases shipping cost a bit. OVS uses a thinner, less expensive material that doesn't fair as well in repeated folding/unfolding. if you rarely use your awning that may not be an issue for you. There are 3 other differences you can't see easily and I won't disclose as they are minor but they are changes we've made and if I disclose them i'll sure the others will add them. no worries if you don't believe me. i'm just being honest. We never set out to make the cheapest route. that's what smittybilt is for lol.

4) Us- while this matters to some and not others i figured i'd put it down- We actually use these. I use them camping, after school with the kids at the river and lately at a lot of kids soccer and softball games! We use everything we sell. Come see us at expo and you'll see what I mean. When the show closes you don't see us close up and go to a hotel. we sleep in our tents, stay in our booths and actually use our products. I can't say that for the others. That's how we figure out what works and what needs tweaking. Just look at our baja tent. we redesigned the doors and windows because frankly the way the competition does it sucks if you actually use the product.

I'm by no means trying to persuade you to buy our product. Just trying to be transparent and to where i come from with the understanding you won't agree with me and that's ok. Its a big space with room for many. Some people will like it and some won't. i'm sorry if you felt Ted wasn't being transparent. i don't believe that was his intention.

Have a great day and come say hi if you see us at a show!

Nick

Thanks for this post Nick. I just ordered a Wraptor 6k awning from your team. Looking forward to getting it!

 

[ndamico]

thanks!!

 

[Basecamp Overland]

thanks!!

Thank You! We just got our awning and put it to use today for the first time. This thing is great!