Choosing the Correct Height Awning + Adjusting the Cowl/Tunnel

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When looking at Driveaway Awnings it’s important to choose the correct height awning to ensure that you get as snug a fit as possible between the driveaway awning and the point that you are attaching it to on your vehicle. It’s most likely that this attaching point on your vehicle will either be a pre fitted “C” channel or rail, the channel on a windout Fiamma or similar awning, or simply to the roof of your vehicle (if you are going to throw guylines over the roof)

Measure from the ground up to your connecting point to work out if you need a Low, Medium or High fitting awning

Each anwing will have a range of height of vehicles that it will be possible to attach it to, each manufacturer categorises these slightly differently (please check each individual product for an exact fitting range) but we have divided up the awnings on our site into the following categories;

LOW – To fit vehicles that attach between 170cm – 210cm

STANDARD – To fit vehicles that attach between 180cm – 240cm

HIGH – To fit vehicles that attach between 240cm – 295cm

The range of heights that each awning will fit indicates the amount of spare material that is in the tunnel area that allows the tunnel to lower and raise between these heights.

If, for example, the rail on your van is 240cm high and you’re wondering whether to go for a Standard or High fitting awning, we would always advise to go for the Standard. This way you will be on the upper range that the tunnel will stretch to and the connecting tunnel will be much more taught. If you are a few cm over the maximum height then we would suggest that you may still choose an awning from the lower height range, you can always move the awning a tad closer to the vehicle to allow for this.

There are so many different types and heights of vehicles out there that it’s most likely that you will have a certain amount of spare material flapping around in the tunnel area of the awning. There will always be straps or ties on each end of the tunnel which allow you to pull some of this slack material in, make sure you do this in order to minimise loose material in the connecting cowl.

Please have a look at Outdoor Revolution’s handy video on this subject, in which inparticular, Sam demonstrates how to adjust and take up the slack in the tunnel area –