A 270 awning wraps shade around the side and rear of your vehicle. If you are shopping for one, the hard part is sorting out what actually matters. This guide covers coverage, build, mounting and lighting, so you can pick one that suits your setup.
What a 270 awning gives you
A straight awning shades a doorway. A 270 awning shades the whole working area of your camp. It covers the side of the vehicle and wraps around the back.
That matters when the weather turns. The covered area is where you cook, change and keep gear dry. Rain or harsh sun, you have somewhere to stand.
The OTH 270 Degree Awning gives you 9m² of shade and weighs 26kg. It stands on its own three legs, so you do not need the vehicle to hold it up.
Freestanding or not
A freestanding awning carries its own weight. That means you can park the vehicle, set the awning out and still drive off without taking everything down. It also means less stress on your mounting points once it is open.
Look for one with solid legs and a single mounting rail. Fewer fiddly parts means a quicker setup at the end of a long day on the road.
Build quality to look for
Check two things first: the arms and the canopy.
The OTH awning has heavy duty aluminium arms and a weather resistant ripstop canvas canopy. Ripstop matters on an awning more than most places. A small tear in a panel under tension spreads quickly, and ripstop slows that down.
Lighting that runs off the tent
Camp lighting is easy to overlook until it is dark and you are hunting for a head torch. The OTH awning has LED strip lighting built into the support arms. The light falls evenly across the whole covered area instead of coming from one bright point.
It runs on a USB plug. Every On The Horizon hard shell tent has USB points inside, and the awning plugs into one. On a rack without a tent, any USB power bank runs it. No wiring needed.
How it mounts
This is where most buyers get stuck. You have two main options.
The awning comes with a standard bracket that bolts to a roof rack. That works with or without a tent.
The second option is the OTH Heavy Duty Awning Bracket pair. These quick release brackets fit onto the standard bracket, or straight into the channels down both sides of the 1.4, the 1.4X and the 1.4Z. They also fit aluminium and steel roof racks and tub racks using the slotted adjustment. Either way, the awning lifts off without tools.
The brackets are heavy duty steel with a textured black powder coat. Each one is 150mm high and rated to carry 50kg. A pair weighs 3.1kg boxed.
One catch: the 1.5 Pro and the 1.9 Penthouse take a different awning, which we are sourcing separately.
How many brackets do you need
Two brackets carry the awning. Three spread the load across three mounting points instead of two. That is what a corrugated road punishes.
If most of your driving is dirt, take three. If it is sealed roads and the occasional track, two is plenty.
Buying the awning and brackets together
If you are putting the awning on a tent, you need the quick release brackets. Most people who buy the awning for a tent come back for them soon after. The 270 Degree Awning and Quick Release Bracket Pair puts both in one order and saves $75 against buying them on their own.
In the box you get the awning, the bracket pair, channel nuts and mounting hardware. The channel nuts go in when you mount it. Nothing to fabricate and nothing to drill. The whole set weighs 31kg boxed for the awning, plus the brackets.
The same set moves with you if the vehicle changes, because the brackets also fit roof racks and tub racks. If you want to see more options, browse the 270 degree awnings and awning brackets collections.
Using both sides of the tent
Both sides of the tent carry a channel. You can run the 270 awning down one side for living space and a shower awning down the other. That is a handy way to split your camp into a kitchen side and a wash side.
Common questions
Do I need a rooftop tent to run a 270 awning?
No. The awning comes with a standard bracket that bolts to a roof rack, so it works with or without a tent. It also mounts to tub racks using that bracket.
How many brackets for a 270 awning?
Two brackets carry the awning. Three spread the load across three mounting points. Take three if most of your driving is dirt.
How does the awning light run?
The LED lighting is built into the arms and runs on a USB plug. Use the tent's USB point or any USB power bank.
Can I take the awning off between trips?
Yes, with the quick release brackets. The awning lifts off without tools, so you do not have to drive around with it fitted.
270 Awning: How to Choose One for Your Rig
A 270 awning wraps shade around the side and rear of your vehicle. If you are shopping for one, the hard part is sorting out what actually matters. This guide covers coverage, build, mounting and lighting, so you can pick one that suits your setup.
What a 270 awning gives you
A straight awning shades a doorway. A 270 awning shades the whole working area of your camp. It covers the side of the vehicle and wraps around the back.
That matters when the weather turns. The covered area is where you cook, change and keep gear dry. Rain or harsh sun, you have somewhere to stand.
The OTH 270 Degree Awning gives you 9m² of shade and weighs 26kg. It stands on its own three legs, so you do not need the vehicle to hold it up.
Freestanding or not
A freestanding awning carries its own weight. That means you can park the vehicle, set the awning out and still drive off without taking everything down. It also means less stress on your mounting points once it is open.
Look for one with solid legs and a single mounting rail. Fewer fiddly parts means a quicker setup at the end of a long day on the road.
Build quality to look for
Check two things first: the arms and the canopy.
The OTH awning has heavy duty aluminium arms and a weather resistant ripstop canvas canopy. Ripstop matters on an awning more than most places. A small tear in a panel under tension spreads quickly, and ripstop slows that down.
Lighting that runs off the tent
Camp lighting is easy to overlook until it is dark and you are hunting for a head torch. The OTH awning has LED strip lighting built into the support arms. The light falls evenly across the whole covered area instead of coming from one bright point.
It runs on a USB plug. Every On The Horizon hard shell tent has USB points inside, and the awning plugs into one. On a rack without a tent, any USB power bank runs it. No wiring needed.
How it mounts
This is where most buyers get stuck. You have two main options.
The awning comes with a standard bracket that bolts to a roof rack. That works with or without a tent.
The second option is the OTH Heavy Duty Awning Bracket pair. These quick release brackets fit onto the standard bracket, or straight into the channels down both sides of the 1.4, the 1.4X and the 1.4Z. They also fit aluminium and steel roof racks and tub racks using the slotted adjustment. Either way, the awning lifts off without tools.
The brackets are heavy duty steel with a textured black powder coat. Each one is 150mm high and rated to carry 50kg. A pair weighs 3.1kg boxed.
One catch: the 1.5 Pro and the 1.9 Penthouse take a different awning, which we are sourcing separately.
How many brackets do you need
Two brackets carry the awning. Three spread the load across three mounting points instead of two. That is what a corrugated road punishes.
If most of your driving is dirt, take three. If it is sealed roads and the occasional track, two is plenty.
Buying the awning and brackets together
If you are putting the awning on a tent, you need the quick release brackets. Most people who buy the awning for a tent come back for them soon after. The 270 Degree Awning and Quick Release Bracket Pair puts both in one order and saves $75 against buying them on their own.
In the box you get the awning, the bracket pair, channel nuts and mounting hardware. The channel nuts go in when you mount it. Nothing to fabricate and nothing to drill. The whole set weighs 31kg boxed for the awning, plus the brackets.
The same set moves with you if the vehicle changes, because the brackets also fit roof racks and tub racks. If you want to see more options, browse the 270 degree awnings and awning brackets collections.
Using both sides of the tent
Both sides of the tent carry a channel. You can run the 270 awning down one side for living space and a shower awning down the other. That is a handy way to split your camp into a kitchen side and a wash side.
Common questions
Do I need a rooftop tent to run a 270 awning?
No. The awning comes with a standard bracket that bolts to a roof rack, so it works with or without a tent. It also mounts to tub racks using that bracket.
How many brackets for a 270 awning?
Two brackets carry the awning. Three spread the load across three mounting points. Take three if most of your driving is dirt.
How does the awning light run?
The LED lighting is built into the arms and runs on a USB plug. Use the tent's USB point or any USB power bank.
Can I take the awning off between trips?
Yes, with the quick release brackets. The awning lifts off without tools, so you do not have to drive around with it fitted.