VanX awning rail?

[MrD]

Looking at awning options and can’t make up my mind as to a rail with fabric awning or brackets with Fiamma type awning. It’s going on our van which my wife now uses daily .

I prefer the rail only option as it just seems less “intrusive” for a daily but also like the Fiamma type just for ease of use. I like the Vamoose/Reimo rails but can’t get over the drilling so saw the VanX option that I assume is adhered to the van using Sikaflex type stuff. Has anyone any experience of the VanX rail is it up to the job being just stuck on though?

 

[RichDavies82]

Looking at awning options and can’t make up my mind as to a rail with fabric awning or brackets with Fiamma type awning. It’s going on our van which my wife now uses daily .

I prefer the rail only option as it just seems less “intrusive” for a daily but also like the Fiamma type just for ease of use. I like the Vamoose/Reimo rails but can’t get over the drilling so saw the VanX option that I assume is adhered to the van using Sikaflex type stuff. Has anyone any experience of the VanX rail is it up to the job being just stuck on though?

I’m off to collect a Van X rail today. The converters put a cheap (sprayed) C rail on the van but the paint’s chipping off and it looks a mess!

Liked theirs as it didn’t stick out as much as the Reimo or Vamoose ones.

Van X recommend using TigerSeal to adhere onto the van. I believe it needs “bending” to suit the shape of the van.

I’ll post some pics this weekend when I install it!

 

[damo1023]

following with interest i'm also looking at one

 

[MrD]

I’m off to collect a Van X rail today. The converters put a cheap (sprayed) C rail on the van but the paint’s chipping off and it looks a mess!

Liked theirs as it didn’t stick out as much as the Reimo or Vamoose ones.

Van X recommend using TigerSeal to adhere onto the van. I believe it needs “bending” to suit the shape of the van.

I’ll post some pics this weekend when I install it!

How did it go ?

 

[RichDavies82]

How did it go ?

Well… it wasn’t straight forward but it’s on and was tested this weekend.

Firstly, the rail is a perfectly straight, profiled strip of metal - the van isn’t! I think having a LWB means it’s a bit more curved than a SWB…! It requires bending in a few places, which is quite tricky but there are instructions online. It needs bending in a few different positions to follow the contours of the van but if you take your time, it can be done.

The hardest thing is bonding it to the van. You need to line the van up with a brick wall and brace with timber, wedging the rail in place. There’s no right or wrong position to place it but keeping it to the lines of the van is paramount.

When it was dry, I removed the wood and noticed that there were a few gaps between the rail and the van, so I ran a bead of Tiger Seal in the gap and smoothed off.

The end cap is a crap fit if I’m honest but it is what it is.

Pics below…

 

[MrD]

Great write up , thanks for this. Not sure now as I don’t have a long brick wall for curing and fitting sounds a bit of a faff to get the look spot on , though plus of no holes I guess. Yours looks great though

 

[RichDavies82]

Great write up , thanks for this. Not sure now as I don’t have a long brick wall for curing and fitting sounds a bit of a faff to get the look spot on , though plus of no holes I guess. Yours looks great though

Ah, you say that…

The old rail was fixed with 10 self tappers as well as adhesive! I had to drill out the holes as they were pronounced with burr. I then plugged the holes with the Tiger Seal prior to fitting the rail!

 

[MrD]

Ah, you say that…

The old rail was fixed with 10 self tappers as well as adhesive! I had to drill out the holes as they were pronounced with burr. I then plugged the holes with the Tiger Seal prior to fitting the rail!

Not ideal and the reason (plus worries of rust) I am pondering which route to take

 

[Linoleum Bonypart]

Duct tape not hold rail in place until cured … is tiger seal as good as sikaflex ..??