Gutter Mounted Awning?

[manapiko]

Good morning all,
I get wordy, so I'll try to stay organized.

Backstory:
So, we have a '21 Wrangler Sahara, 4 door, with the SOT top. So there are no roof mounted racks that work for us. Sure, there are many that mount up fine. And yup, even some that let you open the top while they are mounted. Typically, when loaded with a roof box, it messes with the top too much on highway driving, due to air pressure. I know there are exo systems, but that's not for us. So, I've basically given up on a gutter mounted rack, and that's okay. No biggie, we're looking into a spare tire ski rack or hitch mount. Also, we'll have a Tundra in the driveway soon, and that has plenty of space.

However, the biggest bummer for me is not having a place to mount a 270 awning for camping. Are there any single sided gutter mount racks that anybody knows about? If not, I think I might have to get some mopar high mount cross bars and then just never mount a box or anything to the top, just the awning to one side. Which might look better and more normal anyway.

Thoughts?


(also, be on the lookout for a full roof, gutter mounted rack for sale soon, haha)

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[AirportDave]

Man- I've been wondering the same thing for my SOT! Have a great ARB awning I would love to mount up without using crossbars. Rhino Rack has some tall mounting feet that will clear the SOT, but I think they look goofy, and would probably not fit in my garage.

 

[manapiko]

They definitely look goofy. I basically nixed them from the jump, but now coming back around. Since I'd only mount them for the awning for camping. I have a rack that mounts with four points on either side, two air dams holding down the SOT, and have it as adjusted as much as possible. Still getting lift on the SOT, so I pretty much think it's impossible with the SOT. Even so, we still very much love the SOT.

 

[Wabujitsu]

I’m a ”redneck engineering” guy. When I want an awning, I bring a tarp big enough to lay over the entire SOT, I bungee it to points on the opposite side rock rails and/or tailgate reinforcement kit, then have two poles of the appropriate length for the awning side for the far edge of the tarp.

The poles have 550 (parachute) cord that ties down to a couple of stakes for each pole. It’s an inexpensive and elegant solution, albeit it looks exactly like what it is - a tarp. Thirty years in the US Army has made me an expert at erecting tarps out of what is at-hand.

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