This guide is for van owners mounting a Fiamma F45S to a roof rack side rail, basket rack, or custom side-mount structure. Mounting an awning to a roof rack is a great solution for applications without a vehicle-specific awning bracket available. Whether you already have a roof rack, or you are adding one specifically to mount an awning, it can be easier to do a custom install than you may think.
Starting from scratch? Read below for tips on choosing the right roof rack to mount your awning to. Already have a roof rack? Skip forward to learn how to choose the correct length awning, or for some custom mounting ideas.
What to Consider When Choosing a Roof Rack for an Awning
There are many things to consider when choosing a roof rack for your van. Here are a few key points to consider:
Any planned or pre-existing rooftop accessories like, solar panels, roof top A/C, roof top fans, decks, etc.
Current or future use cases. Will the roof rack be used to carry gear, materials, and solar panels? Or strictly used to mount the awning?
Budget.
Roof Rack Styles
This is a modular style aluminum rack with customizations that can take you from overlanding to job sites. It has long side rails, so lots of real estate available to mount the awning to, and the cross bars can be moved to accommodate rooftop fans and skylights. The cross bars also have a channel in both the top and bottom for T-bolt Sliders that make it easy to mount accessories like solar panels.
This is a contractor grade aluminum roof rack that is made in the USA. It also has long side rails to mount the awning to, and you can also place the cross bars where you need them. It comes with a rear roller for loading and unloading materials, so it is a perfect option for work vans.
Available in your choice of aluminum or steel, 2 or 4 crossbars, and black or white finish. This is a crossbar style ladder rack with uprights that mount to your roof. It is a great option for hauling longer items like ladders, but the side channel does not accept T-bolt Sliders. This is a great budget-friendly option if you need a basic crossbar rack to mount the awning to.
Which Awning to Choose?
For roof rack installs, choose your F45S by overall case length and bracket spacing — not just by shade size.
The Fiamma F45S awning was designed to be mounted to side walls or flat surfaces. It has a lot of bracket options available and is the most versatile of the Fiamma awnings. This is the best option for mounting to a roof rack. There are a few key points to consider when choosing an awning length. Not only does the overall length matter, but also where the mounting brackets will be placed. The majority of the weight in the awning is where the legs/arms extend from and the brackets need to be placed behind those points. Making sure that your roof rack can accommodate the bracket locations is important, especially if you have a ProMaster, which has specific factory roof mounting points.
Fiamma F45S Length & Bracket Position GuideMost Fiamma F45S awnings extend approximately 8' 2" when opened. The shorter 2.6m model extends about 6' 6" and is best suited to lower vehicles. For all models, you should consider the overall case length (A) and the bracket spacing (B).
*Note: The F45S 2.6 m model has shorter legs and a lower maximum mounting height than the longer F45S awnings. It is best suited to minivans and smaller vans; on taller vans the legs may not reach the ground. |
Diagram illustrates overall case length (A), bracket spacing (B), and awning extension (C).
Most F45S models extend approximately 8' 2" from the mounting surface; the 2.6 m model extends about 6' 6".
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Mounting Brackets
The Fiamma F45S awnings will include the standard mounting bracket kit. The standard brackets can be installed by drilling into a wall or flat surface. They can also be combined with other brackets or items from a hardware store for a custom installation.
Note: Van and RV forums are a great place to look for vehicle or roof rack specific awning installation ideas.
For a crossbar-style rack there are a few F45S brackets that could potentially be modified to work on your specific rack:
Fiamma F35 & F45 Awning Mounting Brackets for Yakima / Thule Roof Racks
