When you first buy a 4WD there are so many options and choices to choose from. It really depends on your specific need, for instants do you need a large family vehicle capable of carrying up to 7 people. If so you should probably look at wagon for example a Toyota Prado or a Nissan Patrol. Maybe you personally are the opposite, and your main concern is storage so a good option could be either a dual cab or for even more storage a single cab ute.  Then if you’re somewhere in between then maybe a mid-sized 4WD like a jeep is the right choice for you. None the less once you make this decision to join in on one of Australia’s favourite pass times 4WDing, there a many more choices to make. The great thing about owning a 4WD is it allows you to make the most out of your camping trips. Particularly in the hot sun burnt country of Oz, one of your first steps to getting your vehicle ready is to sort out your shade options.

Awnings are a perfect solution for this, Car awning are a polyester material that come with collapsible pole and guide ropes. They are installed to the roof of your vehicle by either a roof rack or an aluminium platform roof rack or roof cage.

Make sure you look for a brand that offers waterproof 170GSM ripstop polyester with a UPF50+ sun protection rating to ensure you have a quality awning.
Another helpful quality tip is to check the other components of the awning for instants make sure it has anodised anti-scratch alloy poles and alloy knuckles for durability and long life. A method to go by when inspecting the type of bag the Car awning is store in, is to make sure it is heavy duty nylon-reinforced 1000D PVC

Side awnings come in so many shapes and sizes to suit all vehicles but also all your particular camping setup needs. The most popular and most common size for a polyester awning is 2×2.5 meters. Not only do awnings come in various sizes but they also come in various styles. When you talk Car awnings generally the most commonly thought of is a side awning. The reason for this is side awnings are great for a camping or day trip setup, this setup allows you to use your car as protection from one of the sides which is particularly important if you are on a beach. As the car will help protect you from the harsh winds and sand. However most quality awnings do also come with an option to purchase side walls, Awning walls are great protection from wind, sun and even rain.

Another style of car awing is a rear awning as you can probably guess it attaches to the rear of your vehicle. The benefits of a rear awning are for people with either a wagon 4WD or a camper trailer.  A rear awning will allow you to access the rear of your vehicle whilst being protected from the elements. This is particularly helpful if you have setup the rear of your vehicle with an overland type setup with a fridge and food storage.  Rear awnings work best when paired with a side awning as well.

If you like the sound of both a side awing and a rear awing but you want that little bit more than a 270 degree awning is the right choice for you. A 270 degree awning attaches to one side of your vehicle like a side awing but when unfolded it wraps around 270 degrees of your vehicle. The benefit of a 270 degree awning is it fills in the small gap between a side awing and a rear awing allowing you to have a fully protected 270 degree camping setup safe from the elements.

Although not a standard awning, another type of car awning is a shower awning.  These are also sometimes known as an Instant Ensuite.  An awning shower attaches to the side of your vehicle and once unfolded creates a privacy room for you to have a quality gas hot water camping shower. This little bit of camping gear looks like a small awning when it’s packed away on the side of your vehicle, but in seconds you can have it setup and ready to use, whether it’s for getting changed, having a shower or somewhere to put your portable camping toilet a shower awing is right for you. If you’ve ever struggled to get dressed laying down in your swag or rooftop tent, or had nowhere private to setup your camping toilet or shower, you’ll know why a shower awning is perfect solution to your problems.

Some quality awning brands offer walls as an optional extra but some brands take it a step further and give you the option to create what is known as an awning tent.  Make sure you look for a brand that offers a design that is fully enclosed with a roof and a PolyEthylene bucket floor so it is completely waterproof. Awning tents work by attaching to your awning with tough velcro straps and a sailtrack or zipper front skirt. Once you have completed that, like a normal tent the next step is to peg it out for a quick and easy set up. Awning tents are great for camping trips and quick overnight stays or maybe a day trip where the weather is less than ideal.

Awning Tents are great for providing shelter from the elements, bugs, insects, and flies while maintaining an area of privacy. But to ensure you are still protected whilst having excellent air flow make sure to look for a brand that offers rollable window flaps with midge proof mesh.  

 So now when you go to kit out your 4WD to get into the Australian camping way of life use this little guide as a helpful checklist in what to look for in an awning brand but also to know what type of car awning will best suit your particular needs.