BROKEN ALREADY? Bushwakka 270 Extreme darkkness Long term REVIEW

[@DENMONKEY]

My foxwing snapped a couple of hinges 2 days ago. I've been checking my options and have a short list together and this was on that list. Those wear marks so soon would be a deal breaker for me. Of course I'll do the obligatory KZbin review when I get it but it still has to be something I want to put on my vehicle. So I might scratch this one off the list. Cheers for the vid

[@task82]

It is so refreshing to see someone being so honest in their video. So many content creators are clearly flogging a product, but they do not declare they are receiving something for promoting the product. Thanks for being so honest and playing a straight bat, from talking about the not so good stuff and for being transparent about getting something for free.

[@Djmitmit]

Thanks for the review, I've been looking at 180 awning but wanted to check out the reviews on the bushwakka build quality. For the first time ever in my life I'm glad I read the comments section to see your comments about the rubbing wear issue.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Glad I could help. Yeah I made a mistake on the packup process

[@bigmatty50]

Hey Steve - love your honesty.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Thanks mate. I try my best to keep it as real as possible

[@jeffwilkes3039]

Hi Steve, I replace the pole leg with my old rhino 180 awning, as to me it looks weird and difficult to put that leg up with that spike. Now working on tieing rope to one of the other legless spots for one of chance of heavy wind. Good luck

[@fatmanoverlanding]

The Hardkorr version of this awning has the single 3-way switch for the lights. They (Bushwakka & Hardkorr 270 Awning) looks so similar, that I wouldn't be surprised if they were made from the same factory in China.

[@warreng3142]

That is because they are the same awning, just with different brand names on them as was told to me by one of the reps from Hardkorr 😂😂

[@bunnings_snag974]

Great video Steve! Perfect timing for me too, I've been trying to decide what 270 awning I should go for; watched your Kings review one last night and then had this one to wake up to, and I really like the sound of this awning! Going to do some further research on it now...

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Glad I could help

[@regkershaw]

I've been looking at the ostrich wing awning I've hear good things about it

[@defenderzook]

I’ve got one of them as well…..love it….. I drop the legs down and they don’t interfere with the lighting…..but I only only peg it down during strong winds…… I hate the Velcro tabs that hold the legs up…..they are a pain as they are pretty much backwards too……I’ll probably swap them to some plastic c clips instead……. Other than that…..great review….you nailed it…..

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Yeah the valcro tabs are a bit average. If the lights weren’t there I’d prolly screw a clip into the arm to hold the legs

[@lone_camper_001]

Hi Steve, good review mate. I had their 1st edition Ubeaut awning and it was not great, the 2nd edition are worlds better. When I spoke with Johnny about it they let me swap it out for either a Ubeaut or the extreme darkness. I chose the extreme darkness and got the price difference refunded. Absolute legends to deal with. The extreme darkness I’ve had for probably 18mths now and it’s awesome, spent a weekend under it during the flooding rains October last year and it was brilliant 👍. I recommended this one to everyone that’s asks👌

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

I’ve had a few ppl tell me the earlier ones were rubbish. At least it looks like they have listened and improved the product.

[@peterchambers6208]

Nice vid Steve, I’ve got the 270 bushwakka and what is bloody annoying to me is about a 10mm eye in the end of the pole but with a 6mm bolt, so it rattles around like a frog in a sock, according to the bushwakka lady it’s engineered like that 😆 The other frustrating thing is mine has clips not Velcro and when it drops down it’s the exact height of the door frame so when you open and close the door you can easily break the clip each time 😒

[@jasonbarnes5605]

Great awning with some minor issues. I ended up buying an OCAM 270 awning that Im really happy with. Very good attention to detail.

[@ChuongNguyenCGoogle]

Hi man, how do u find the Ocam after a while

[@jasonbarnes5605]

@@ChuongNguyenCGoogle it's been a pretty good experience so far. Nothing has broken yet and I've subjected it to some really bad weather. With everything I buy I go through every bolt and loctite them. With the awning, I've put loctite on the bolts that secure the main pivots. ( not that they came loose, just preventative measures) the canvas is as new and seems to be good quality. ( especially compared to kings. So far very happy considering the price.

[@ChuongNguyenCGoogle]

@@jasonbarnes5605 good tip for the Loctite . I am still waiting for mine to come :) will try your tips

[@Swooned1]

I got the Straighty180 for my Y62, Aussie Made, the team at Bushwakka are a great bunch. Love the awning, super strong.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

They definitely seem like great guys which makes me happy to support them

[@staino46]

Hey Steve great video, I've had my Bushwakka for a couple of years now and I think it's fantastic. It's a great product and Johnny from Bushwakka is awesome to deal with. Love the channel 👍

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

A few ppl have told me that Jonny is a top bloke which is nice to hear. Good ppl who make good products will go far in the game.

[@raymondhayne1250]

Great video Steve. I got the same awning for my 40th birthday. Love it to bits, I researched so many different 270 awnings and decided this was the one. I agree with your negatives about the awning. I find the way you pack it up determines if you get any rubbing on the actual awning itself, play around with a few different ways and you’ll find the best way. The only other negative is the zip on the bag, mine jammed up and is buggered after not even 10 uses and yes I made sure it was open fully when setting up and free of dirt. Just keep an eye on that.

[@warrickmiller4381]

Good review thanks steve, can ask how you mounted yours? Did you just use the brackets that came with the awning and how do you find the mounting kit? Cheers.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Used the mounts that came with it. They are super strong.

[@touringwithtyrone4933]

Really enjoy your videos. I already have a 270d awning but your comments on the lighting has made me think in another direction. Instead of the light bars (which I have) I’ll replace with 4 mini led lights under the roof bars and get 2 uses out of the lights whether the awning is open or not. Also bought a dcs 200ah lithium battery from your last videos…. In a word “beast” Just wish I could build rear kitchens as well as you. Cheers Mike

[@adonismundo]

Hi Steve. Love the vid honest review. Did you have any issue with water getting in the transport bag? Really considering this but I want to know if this has the same issue as the Darche 270 Eclipse transport bag letting water inside.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Hey mate. So far I haven’t had any water in the bag at all and it’s left on the car full time.

[@AlloffroadAu]

I've tried out both Velcro and zipper awnings in my experience, but I have to admit that the zipper option is much faster and more convenient, especially when you're flying solo!

[@Cobian88]

Hey, I'm still waiting for my 270 to come in. But I've done a lot of research with Bushwakka, FSR, OVS, iKamper, 23Zero, Taruca, Kammok, and some other bands. What I learned about the lower-end ones like OVS, you need to have the legs down, it even says so on the awning. When you go up to the premium price tags, it's free-standing. But what most companies recommend, is when you add the walls, you should put down the lets since it's added weight. On two companies they said you peg and tie down in between the arms to help with the rain so it drains and for the Kammok awning they said you don't need legs since it's upward winds that hit your awning, so they only use tie downs. So from what I found, I could be wrong, but I would only use poles for walls and tie down on really windy days. Some companies say it'll handle like 30mph wind, but the warning and warranty say different haha, so for peace of mind on my $1000+ investment, I will take precautions in the wind.

[@Bergo101]

Thanks for sharing. I don't really understand the obsession some people have with the free-standing ability. It's like 10 sec effort to pull down two legs, they can sit on the frame/in the bag so it's super easy - right? It's not like they're really in the way either. Anyway, that's just my experience :)

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Space. Let’s take up space when moving around a camp. Kids run into them and drunk ppl love to fall over them 😂

[@white_knuckle_touring]

Hey mate, I can confirm the light switches are normally the same orientation 😄. I tested the first prototype type for these 270 from Jonny and found them awesome in comparison. And with the Velcro, it’s better to pull up because it helps you get everything in place to stop “bag sag” 👍

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Ahhh so I’ve got a dud of the light wiring on mine haha. Damn it. Ah well I’ll fix it myself haha. Yeah that’s what I was trying to say about pulling it up rather then pulling it down like it currently is on mine.

[@michaelnugara1]

Just wondering how those seams will go without leaking. A one piece awning canvas would be better. Thanks for sharing

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

I’ve had it in heaps of rain and it’s never let water through on me yet.

[@lappingozoffgrid]

Geez 3k for awning now??? This inflation is getting out of control. Trueblue version was like 2k not long ago. And imported was under 1k when it was first released.

[@gregbishop610]

Still have Australian covid tax attached

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Yeah I dunno because I never looked at the pricing prior to getting this one so I couldn’t tell you.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Prolly not wrong

[@msa7773]

Instead of using the cloth to protect the boot you could get some adhesive backed felt or rubber from bunnings and stick it on the leg?

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

That’s something I done with the 200 when I had it and it’s something I’ve been meaning to do with this one. But it’s one of those jobs I keep forgetting about hahaha

[@bryanjeddy]

Thanks mate perfect timing, about to make my choice on RTT and 270 Awning. The Bushwakka 270 is at the top of my list.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Glad I could help

[@essential4x439]

Love your videos Steve! Keep it up Mate

[@AB_productions]

Great review as per usual. I have the 180° extreme darkness and the only negative I would say about it is that the bag is too big and could be a bit more “fitting” as it brushes the doors when using the ARB base rack and matching brackets.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Maybe they use the same bags for the 180 and 270s to keep cost down?? Not sure. I think the bag is just right on the 270

[@jo-annel.wright2975]

Maybe they need a compression zip like a suitcase...even though some people think they are expansion zips...

[@darrenm6037]

Love mine and agree with your review. Good and bad points.👍

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Had a few ppl tell me the same so at least I’ve covered everything for ppl who may be looking to buy one.

[@warreng3142]

Hey Steve, I have had mine now for over 12 months on my Square drop Camper, They are brilliant but do have some faults, 1st one is make sure when you open it up that the top part of the cover is fully folded out of the way from the rear arm ar the back as it will crush the zip as I found out, I rang Bushwakka about the problem and was told this and they would NOT cover it under warranty and would have to but another bag at my cost, was not happy about that and they do not tell you anywhere to do this when setting it up. 2nd is that if you have more than 1 leg on when packing up, makes it really hard to pack away as it becomes too bulky so I made detachable legs for it and packed away separately. 3rd is all the legs on mine have come loose and there is a lot of movement, again spoke to the reps at one of the shows and was told they do work loose and to retighten them??? How the heck do they come loose in the first place???? just my opinion, but still happy with mine.

[@ebbs15]

Just saw your vid, looking at buying a Taruca 270 Extreme Darkness (made by Bushwakka) wondering now how it's holding up now? also looks like you've been in some serious downpoors, any issue with leaking? they mention specifically that it's water resistant but that "the main purpose is to provide shade" which gives me pause as I live in the Pacific North West of the states and if I can't camp in the rain or snow... I don't get to camp! (much at least)

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Hey mate. I’ve never actually had any water get through the awning and it’s been in some pretty crazy weather. I’ve since learnt that I was packing it up wrong which was the cause of the rubbing on the canvas. ( bushwakka have a video on the correct way to pack it up ). I’d happily buy another one.

[@ebbs15]

Very much apprecited! I do see that they've updated at least the Truca version to include 4 lights(lights in every arm) and they're more amber and white vs warm wite and cold white. Thanks for your review, honest insight and reply!@@Australian4x4Adventures

[@shanecrees1239]

The velcro packing strap need to be similar to the Darche 270, which has a "loop" in the top part that the lower strap section folds through, thus pulling the folded awning up.

[@angelocincotta2988]

So in the aerial shot would the awning actually cover the rear doors of a GQ or would the longer door hang out and get wet?

[@jo-annel.wright2975]

I like the grey of the bushwakka awnings. The other colours are deal breakers for this happy camper.

[@Dags470]

My rear 2 lights are switched the same as yours, and the front wing light is switched like the very rear.

[@MKMTA]

Nice Steve, what's with the costume change halfway through the vid 😂. It would be great to see how the awning is going in another 6 months time. i've gone through 2 awnings due to wear issues (poor design) with ARB rubbing on the fixings. Their advice was to retension the velcro straps in the bag every month to stop it moving around....

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Hahaha. The sound on the first record day was all stuffed up in parts so I had re record some parts on another day. You’ll notice it’s in a different location too

[@martywilkinson4930]

Good to see how far these awnings have come saying that my first gen free standing 180 is absolute junk

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Yeah right. I’ve never seen the earlier ones unfortunately

[@bluntobject4084]

the one image no one bloody shows you did. a swag with a 270 awning and if it is possible to put the swag under it like you do a pull out.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

That’s the main reason I have an awning. To cover my swag 😂. Gotta show what ya ganna use it for.

[@Dbcooper581]

Who makes the tents you have on the ground ?

[@aTissa]

LOL, my ocd gets to me in regards to those switches also in regards to front switches! So, I'm guessing all the same then 😂 Love my awning also!

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

It drives me insane 😂

[@justwingit1633]

The bush company awnings are the strongest

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

They are definitely one of the best out there

[@vaskodimoski5690]

And much more expensive

[@jimmcgarvie1483]

‘Super windy” are you kidding me. What a load of bs. Hardly a flutter. Then you share you got it for nothing but that didn’t influence review. 😡

[@tommypaintingplastering2854]

👍👍👍👍

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

Thanks for watching.

[@richardwalsh5570]

👍

[@sida3590]

Rubbing through at $1500^ ...that's not good.

[@Australian4x4Adventures]

It turns out I was folding to wrong. Bushwakka contacted me after this vid and showed me I was putting the arms the wrong way around. I’ve since changed how I fold it up and it’s stopped rubbing