Overland Vehicle Systems 270 Batwing Awning - an initial review..

[smlobx]

I bought the Jeep Gladiator with the idea of turning it into a long range remote expedition vehicle. As part of that process I wanted to incorporate some sort of awning/shelter.

Over the last year or so I have been looking at every option on the market, looking at every video review that I could get my hands on and changed my mind at least half a dozen times!

For me there’s always a balance between cost and quality so with that in mind I ended up buying the OVS 270 Batwing Awning. It took about 6 weeks to arrive at my door in three separate packages. Packing was great and there wasn’t any damage. The steel brackets that attach the awning to my canopy are heavy steel that has been powder coated and all the hardware that I used is stainless steel. They included a bunch of mounting hardware due to the various different ways you may have to mount it.

Here are some pictures of the components and the finished product. It took me about 3 hours to install it by myself and I’m very happy with the amount of shade it puts out.

 

[smlobx]

As you can see there is plenty of height and my side and rear awning doors open completely.
The awning comes with 3 poles attached to the aluminum arms and have a twist lock that allows you to adjust the height. Now I have to stop and comment about some YouTube commenters that say that their awning doesn’t require any poles and can be self supported. I’m sorry but I don’t buy that for a New York minute. Simple physics will tell you that the amount of force that could be generated by even a moderate gust is enough to rip off any awning, particularly if not supported. So it doesn’t bother me to take 10 seconds to set a couple of poles. The kit also includes 3 additional poles to use when the sidewalls are installed and that will be reviewed tomorrow! Stay tuned!

 

[smlobx]

Sorry for the poor photo above…the sun wasn’t cooperating and it already was in the low 90’s so I didn’t want to spend any more time fooling with it.

Here are some actual measurements in case anyone is interested. This is one of the larger 270 degree awnings on the market.. (keep in mind that the picture of the awning is reversed from what I have…)

 

[Mucksavage]

Thanks for the report. My new Intech Flyer Explore came with the same awning & I agree. Take an extra minute & set the poles.

 

[Dave]

Looks really nice, thanks for posting!

 

[Andy]

I‘ve used mine twice so far and it’s been great. Much easier to set up than the ARB it replaced, especially working alone. Quality seems good but without much time to evaluate it’s still an unknown.

Things I like: easy set up, great coverage, feels solid.

Dislikes: weight, how tall it is where it attaches to the vehicle (hangs down so far it won’t allow my side doors to open fully on the GFC), not everything fits in the bag so I have to carry extra gear.

 

[smlobx]

Here’s some further pictures and opinions..

First, here are some pictures of the two hinge mechanisms. They seem robust and operate nicely.

 

[smlobx]

The awning and the side walls come with a bunch of stakes and glow in the dark guy ropes. As Andy mentioned this is something extra to be carried and I’ll probably consolidate them into one larger bag..

Another feature that I wasn’t sure about is the triangular flap on the front that covers part of the passenger roof. After I set it up correctly I can see that this will protect the front passenger door area when opened from the elements. Nice little feature. It can also be removed by sliding it off the rail if for some reason you don’t want it.

 

[smlobx]

The full kit comes with 3 side walls that completely enclose the awning. One of the features that led me to purchase this product is that the side walls don’t just hang down but stretch out an additional four feet or so dramatically increasing the useable floor space. Although I didn’t install them there are guy rope attachments that allow you to increase the vertical nature of the walls.

Wall1 which starts at the front of the truck to about The rear corner includes a door which can be easily rolled up. In fact each panel can be rolled up if you want to open the area up.

 

[smlobx]

Another feature that I really like is that each panel is labeled (wall 1, wall 2 etc) AND the corresponding part of the awning is also labeled. Nice when you’re tired after a days driving and don’t want to have to figure things out.

The panels also zip to the awning as well as to each other with the exception of the wall 2/3 interface which has Velcro for some unknown reason. There is a flap on the awning covering the zipper which will make it waterproof in a driving rain. The zipper make for a quick and easy installation. Finally, the grommets at the bottom of the walls are looped with shock cord to insert the stakes through. This should minimize stress on the rip stop material.

 

[smlobx]

Here are some pictures of the interior showing the volume of the enclosed area..

 

[Greg]

That is almost exactly like the Darche 270. Including the labels for the side panels. 2 Differences. The mounting brackets for the arms on the Darche are aluminum. Those look like powder coated steel. The arm hinge on the Darche is cast with brass fittings with pop rivets holding the square tube rather than welded to the machined aluminum hinge. I was told that pop rivets was to allow for the square tube to be replaced by drilling out the rivet rather that dissembling the awning. But everything else, including where the seems are in the fabric, looks identical.

I watched someone do a chin-up on the Darche arm at the last Overland Expo East. Of course the Darche rep nearly had a coronary but the only thing he had to do was readjust the pole for the arm. While a little less convenient the steel mounting brackets and machined aluminum hinge could probably support more weight. Please don't test it by doing chin-ups.

The rivets that hold the center strap will rub against the arm. Regardless of how much I tighten those straps the arms still move and rub during travel. There are wear marks on the rivets and arm. I plan on getting some adhesive backed rubber pads to keep the arm from contacting the rivets.

So. When I pack my awning I do not follow the instructions and allow the fabric to get pinched between arms. Instead when I close a section I pull it up and drape it over top of the next section. My thoughts are that if I pinch the fabric between arms their motion during travel will eventually wear holes in the fabric.