Campervan Awning Rail Install (Simple & Lightweight) | Transit Van Conversion E16

[@jazzz60]

Loving the build! Having watched things front to back I’m giggling at your comment about needing the awning during the build. Oh boy will you be needing it! 😂 great job guys keep going! J

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Haha cheers, just went back and rewatched that bit. Yep our awning pretty much became our rain shield, not sure what we would have done without it! Could count on one hand the number of times we've actually had it up in the sunshine. At one point we had it up in the beginnings of a storm and a freak gust of wind came and pulled it straight off the van and blow it straight into a sharp fence post that sliced a rip all down the middle. So bit of tent repair tape later and back in business... in the rain of course 😂

[@ladyfish22]

Didn't read all the comments but a tip is to tilt the legs inwards which makes it all sturdier and lets the rain run off it.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Cheers, yeah we generally do that when we're setting it up, makes a big difference 👍

[@SheltiesRule49]

So enjoyed your video! This is a very good guide for me to use in the next few weeks to put my rail on my travel trailer! Thank you so much for posting!!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂👍

[@MyVanMyfanwy]

Now that our van is (almost! But is it ever?) finished - we now realise that a Fiamma-esque awning won’t fit cos of unistrut anc solar panel combo. Was about to fashion a tarp and karaniner solution when - voilá - along comes you vid - perfect solution - thank you soooooo much!!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

You're welcome! Hope it works out well for you 🙂

[@CalVlogz]

Why more people don’t do this blows my mind! Why spend 800$+ on an awning that lives outside, deteriorates, and can be ripped off by a low hanging branch… this is brilliant!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Yeah for sure, we're really happy with our setup and it's been working out great for years now! Much cheaper, but also much lighter too. We can put it up and take it down in a few minutes, and it just lives in a small bag in the garage ready to go 😎

[@linthamdesigns]

That looks very neat, great video

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Cheers 🙂

[@MrN8073]

Thanks for that guys. I shall endeavour to have a go myself then.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

You're welcome, hope it goes well! 🙂

[@williamwilson1857]

Thanks for this video guys, been wresting with screws versus sika for a while now… gonna go your way… if it comes of, it comes of… thanks again

[@SelfBuiltStories]

No problem! The sika has held up with no issues so far for us and it has had some decent use now 🙂

[@dave633]

Very useful, thanks. I'm going to see if I can get a shorter one for my E-NV200.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

You're welcome! 😊

[@gary.solexa]

Very helpful - thank you both.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

No worries! 👍

[@BennaCaique1]

❤ thanks again! Love your videos

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Cheers 🙂

[@Dirt-Diggler]

Looking really great guys 😎 That step looks really good 👍, following your journey on this conversion 😁 Great editing and production by the way, very nicely done 👍

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Thanks a lot! Glad you're enjoying the videos, it takes a while to put them together so nice to hear 🙂

[@user-zj4gz9tr8s]

Just stumbled on this today .. I then put my awning rail on my transit custom camper, we used to use magnetic type.it was a faff on .. anyway put 7 waterproof rivets on mine as well so chuffed with it saves the faff lol .ps I used 3meter length.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Cool, yeah these rails are simple but do the job perfectly 👍

[@drewhodge3820]

Look for screw on tent pegs. Use a cheap cordless drill to screw and unscrew them. You will find most campsites have gravel pitches. So you will need the screw in type tent pegs more often than not. They are a complete game changer. Stick some orange webbing/ribbons (tapes/tags) on each screw in tent pens so no one trips over them and you don't leave them in the ground when you leave the pitch.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Cool, thanks for the tip 👍Not seen those before so will check them out 🙂

[@corinneclarke7508]

Hi, great vid! Can you tell me where you got the rail from please? Thanks 😊

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hey, cheers :) And sure, there should be a link for it in the video description 👍

[@fionaridley5011]

We had drawn a blank on an awning for our jumbo transit, thank you so much for a great solution. I was going to construct something out of a bike packing tarp! Out of interest, why didn’t you get the single 2.8m strip of track? It’s twice the price of three strips but not ridiculous.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

No problem, glad you found it useful 😊 We've made so much use of the awning already (which we weren't expecting!), so handy to put up in the rain! We didn't really see any in that length at the time. Most of them were the 1.2m pieces, presumably so delivery is easier, but if you can get a single 2.8m for a similar price then that would work well, you would just need two people to put it up neatly

[@fionaridley5011]

One earth have them in 1m and 2.8m lengths. Costs twice the price of 3 x single pieces though!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Thanks for the info! Ah yes, we did actually see that one but in the end we picked ours up from eBay where that option is harder to come by (but saves a few quid). We quite like having the extra length that the multiple singles give now too as we can slide it around to vary the position a little 🙂

[@fionaridley5011]

We’ve finally remembered who did the decent but affordable awning and after several trips have finally got around to adding ours tonight after ordering last week. We overlapped the passenger door a little to hopefully protect a little more from rain when opening the door. The rail bent round ok. We used 3 full lengths. Crossed fingers!

[@titusreene3949]

Hi how is your awning now you have had on a while, I watched you video and inspired to do the same to my van..

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, it's still working great, have used it many times and no signs of any issues so far! 👍

[@davidyarwood6111]

Hi interesting video.im curious to know how the SikaFlex has coped with awning. Got the same one conspiring fitting c rails on our Boxer

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Cheers, and it's been rock solid, no issues at all. Still using it the same as when we installed it through all kinds of weather 😎👍

[@waynegon]

Brilliant

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Thank you, it's already been so useful, but mainly for rain so far not sun 😂

[@willangel5307]

Love the mats 👍👍 Have you got link for them please.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Yeah we got them from www.carmats-uk.com/ 👍

[@willangel5307]

Many thanks 👍👍

[@SelfBuiltStories]

No problem!

[@alfa156man]

Hi guys. Great channel and brilliant conversion. I noticed that after you packed the awning away and shut the sliding door it looked like there was some movement on the rear window. Did you block the standard vents up at the rear of the van because it could be a pressure differential that's causing it. Cant wait for the next video👍🏻

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Thanks very much, really glad you're enjoying them 🙂 Hmm interesting, it's not something we've noticed having opened and closed the doors hundreds of times, no vents have been covered. There is some vibration generally as you need to give quite a bit of welly to close the door completely, but we'll take a closer look 👍

[@colinweight4455]

Enjoying watching your van come along as I'm halfway through a Transit Mk7 conversion myself. You seem to get the balance right between being technical and getting things wrong that most of us can associate with. Can I ask who supplied your fitted floor mats?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Thank you 🙂And cool! How different is the build for the MK7? When we saw one parked up the roof looked a little less rounded than the MK8, and remember thinking that insulating the ceiling might be a little simpler! And sure, we picked up the mats from www.carmats-uk.com/.

[@colinweight4455]

@@SelfBuiltStories The Mk7 roof is almost flat. It also doesn't slope down at the front. However mine is a lot more beaten up and I'm sure the milage is a lot hight than yours lol

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Yeah we would have been pretty jealous of a flat roof during the insulation 😅And the roof rack actually! But we do like the look of the MK8, and now we've tackled most of the van curvature and we're working on the interior things it's a lot simpler! Ours isn't beaten up, but it's still done quite a few miles for its age, pushing 190k! But it's been well looked after and serviced and almost all of it was sitting on the motorway- it covered all of that in pretty much two years, so hopefully we have a lot of life left in it yet 🙂

[@Sharonius54]

Looks like a nice, inexpensive awning. Now that you’ve had it for a while how do you like it? Has the track stayed secure and in place?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, yep it's held up perfectly with lots of use and we'd do it again in the same way. Really lightweight and quick to put up and down 👍

[@hollystjohn-hilton1985]

Great video guys, me and the little one enjoyed watching you whilst drinking our tea, he was a bit miffed though when you didn’t reply to his continuous “hellos!” 😂 Your awning looks great!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Ah that's sweet, sorry to disappoint him! And thanks, we've gotten a lot of use out of it so far 😃

[@mattneale1333]

Hi, where did you get the personalised floor mat from?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, we got it from www.carmats-uk.com/ 👍

[@TheAllSeeingAye]

I feel like the c-rail should be mounted facing down to prevent debris from sitting in the channel? Not sure which way is more structurally stronger? Were there instructions on top or bottom?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, no instructions with it just the rail. You could do it pointing down as well, not sure it matters that much. We thought we'd do it pointing up to give a bit more clearance to keep the canvas away from the door, had it this way for a few years now and not had any issues with it 👍

[@Twink_Twins]

Would be really interested in your luck/progress getting the dvla to agree on the conversion being completed, have read nightmares on there updated stipulation on this and how specific it is, does that mean you’re getting a decal too?

[@Dirt-Diggler]

Me too ! I've tried 3 times to get my conversion changed to motorhome ☹️ I hope you 2 have better luck 👍

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Yeah the updated rules are a bit vague aren't they! We're still some way away from going through the registration process, but have had a chat with the DVLA on the phone to query a few things. Most of the criteria is what we were planning on doing anyway, like the windows and bed and things like that. But the awning and decal we weren't sure about 🙃 From what we can see we should be o.k. for the awning now after fitting this one, but still might need to tackle the graphics side of things. When we pressed them, the person at the DVLA agreed it was pretty vague and suggested just googling 'campervan style graphics' and having something similar to that down the side 🤷‍♂️😅 We don't really want to put those kind of graphics on the van, so we might try to submit the application with all the other points checked off but not that one, but not sure about that yet. As from what we've read and chatted to them about, even though it suggests that it's not mandatory to have all the items on the list, in practice it might be viewed more as a required check list. It's a shame that the rules now specifically mention having a high top van too. Doesn't affect us with the Jumbo, but a shame that a smaller van with a pop-top possibly wouldn't qualify anymore.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

@DirtDiggler 3 times! That's frustrating, was it the same reason each time? Did you change much in the build between each submission?

[@Dirt-Diggler]

@@SelfBuiltStories DVLA don't give a reason so all i can do is re apply ☹️ I've matched all thier criteria as listed on the website, even fitted an awning i dont want and can't use as it blocks the door (ambulance conversion) , they wont even give me van with windows just "box van" 😤 it has 5 windows for god sake ! Still good luck with your conversion, I'll be following you on the way 👍😎

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Ah! Yeah sounds like you're ticking all the boxes! We'll be sure to not expect a simple process when we come to apply then 😂 And thank you 🙂

[@craftertewaka289]

Awning looks great!! how is the Sikaflex standing up??

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Yeah we're really happy with it, and the sikaflex is holding up perfectly. We've had it up and down countless times in the rain and sun, and at times getting battered a bit by the wind. So far no problems at all 🙂

[@fttf]

Hello! Don't think anyone asked yet so I will...is it possible for one person to put this awning up alone, or is it really a two-person job?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya! If you mean for putting it up and down each time to use it, then yeah we don't find it a problem on our own and often do that. We just stand on the step and pull it across the top, only takes a few mins to put the whole thing up and down. Really happy with it! If you mean to glue on the rail then also possible but definitely would be easier with two people to be able to line it up and hold it in place when securing it to the van with sealant and taping it up till it cures. HTH 🙂👍

[@fttf]

Great! I will definitely look into it further then. Thanks!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

No problem! 👍

[@rainbowbizcic]

Hi there, just watching this video. Has the c rail stayed stuck fast ok?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, yep still holding strong with no issues at all 👍🙂

[@rainbowbizcic]

That's fantastic! Thanks for sharing your install, we've just bought ours 😊

[@SelfBuiltStories]

@@rainbowbizcic No problem, good luck with it 🙂

[@MKHNitro]

What are the advantages of registering it as a campervan with DVLA ?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, to be honest not a lot anymore. It used to be that you'd be more likely to get cheaper insurance quotes, and possibly cheaper ferry crossings or tolls. But since mid 2019 the DVLA has pretty much declined all applications to reclassify them and have much stricter requirements than they used to. For example to even start to be eligible now you need to have a high top roof (not pop top) which excludes quite a few vehicles. From what we've seen only around 5% actually get approved now, so what's happened is insurers that used to want to see it reclassified have changed there requirements so that as long as it's basically a campervan and you can prove it with photos etc it's enough. So in practice the real reason today is more just a badge of honour 🙂 We think we technically will meet all the new requirements with our van so we might try it but won't be expecting to get it back or be too bothered if it doesn't get it 😛

[@stephenroberts7459]

Now that you've had your awning rail installed for a while, has it proved to be strong enough being held in place just by sikaflex?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, yes no issues at all, it's been rock solid so far 🙂

[@stephenroberts7459]

One year on and I have just bought my awning. Do you have any further advice after a years worth of use?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Still holding up great! We use it all the time in the rain and it's often buffeting around in the wind, so if we were doing it again we would probably do it exactly the same way. If we really had to think of a change, possibly would add a bit more rail on the left side of the door. But can put it up or down in a few minutes and it's working really well for us 🙂👍

[@stephenroberts7459]

That is brilliant news! Thanks very much for the reply, I trust all is well with you and yours!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

You're welcome, and yep all is well, cheers. Hope the same for you 🙂

[@EDODP1968]

Hi did you remove all of the tape on the back or just the paper cover as we have one we are going to do.. also did it rain the same day once you fixed it ?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

We moved the backing but added the sealant over the glue, you can see it in the video close up here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZTCYXd8mJKeis0. And it actually showered a little bit while we were still putting the last bit of sealant on (of course 😛). But it cleared up and we left it overnight and tested it later on the next day. Has held up rock solid ever since 👍

[@benryan5731]

Does the channel fill up with lots of dirt because it’s facing up instead of down? Not sure which way to mount mine

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, nah no problems really that we've noticed. Every time we wash the van we clean it out a bit with a soapy sponge and wash it through, still going strong as we did it back in the video 👍

[@lizjobs8552]

Hi guys, do you have the direct link for the awning you bought, I’m converting a Ford transit MK7 and can’t seem to find anything suitable! Any help would be great 😁😁

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, no problem! We went for this one: wildearth.online/shop/ols/products/delux-wild-earth-sun-canopy-for-vw-camper-van-2-dot-4-x-3-metres-medium-grey-in-stock. We're very happy with it, and glad we got the 'delux' version which has the telescopic poles as it's so quick to put up and down! How is your conversion going? 🙂

[@lizjobs8552]

@@SelfBuiltStories hiya thank you so much! Yeah it’s going great but we have been stuck with how to attach the awning and rail for so long now so hopefully this link will help! Your video was great also! 😁

[@SelfBuiltStories]

No problem! And thanks 😊

[@nnaheim.]

Hey you guys out there in tv land....

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hey! 👋🙂

[@ConservationChatUK]

What tape are you using to hold the rail on while drying?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, it's just some blue masking tape. Found it really useful in various projects, went through a few rolls during the build. Have added a link to the one we had in the description. HTH 🙂👍

[@willangel5307]

Hi, I have L3 H3 mk 8 Transit. Have you got a link to this awning as I have looked and there is quite a few out there.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hey 👋 Sure, it's the Wild Earth Delux one and their should be a link to it in the video description 👍

[@claretaylor7434]

Hi, was this awning enough for the dvla? I really don't want a big heavy. like you say jobs have been hard enough😜thank you

[@SelfBuiltStories]

We're hoping it will be, but haven't got to the point of submitting to them for reclassification yet. It would be a nice badge of honour to get for sure 🙂 But we're not too worried if it doesn't. And yeah the awning is great, we love how lightweight it is!

[@willking3239]

@@SelfBuiltStoriesHey, how about now? Great vid!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

​@@willking3239 cheers :) And nope, we decided not to pursue changing the status with the DVLA in the end as it's a lot harder these days since they changed their requirements to be a lot stricter, and now most of the applications are rejected. You have to have a high top van now to start off with, and 'campervan style graphics' on the side of the van (whatever that really means, I called them and even they weren't exactly sure and just said to google some images 🤣). We'd meet all of the things apart from the graphics as we don't fancy putting those on ours, but there's much less reason to make the change now as most (if not all) insurance companies don't require it anymore, as long as it's basically a campervan and you can send them photos of it they're generally happy. It might save a bit of money on some ferries or things like that but we haven't felt the need to change it and are unlikely to anytime soon 👍

[@joergarms1]

Planning to build our own van. And this was something that I thought about a few weeks ago. Why install an (in my opinion) ugly cassette awning. This looks much better, is much cheaper, more robust, less weight, less fragile, I only see positive things. I only would have taken a rail from one piece and put a few screws in it, for the ease of mind.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Yeah we don't see the appeal with the big fixed ones either, this setup has held up perfectly for years now with lots of use, and it's great that it all packs away into a really lightweight bag. A lot cheaper too! 😀

[@gezkelly4564]

Hi both Where did you get the mat from ?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hiya, we got it from www.carmats-uk.com, it was £10 more for the custom embroidery when we got it 👍

[@gezkelly4564]

Thanks Hope you're enjoying the adventure

[@SelfBuiltStories]

@@gezkelly4564 Cheers! 🙂

[@willangel5307]

Can you get the sika flex in black as my awning is going on a black Transit?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Yep you can get it in black, both the 522 and EBT. We used black on the roof to match the unistut and other bits up there 👍

[@willangel5307]

Many thanks 👍

[@SelfBuiltStories]

@@willangel5307 No problem 👍

[@corneliusencyclopedia39]

Wondering how the rail has held up since install. Is it OK with just Sika flex?

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Hey, no problems with it so far! We've had it battle tested fairly regularly now, mostly as a rain shelter whilst trying to work underneath it! Left it up overnight a few times, and has been caught in a few bouts of wind too and the only thing we've noticed since we put it up is the sealant has got a bit grubby (whole van has!) so we need to give it a bit of a clean at some point... 🙂 Our awning is pretty nice and lightweight, so can't comment on anything else, but for ours we don't think it's going to have any problems any time soon

[@corneliusencyclopedia39]

@@SelfBuiltStories Thanks for the reply, been watching the build for a while now. Good luck on your adventures!

[@SelfBuiltStories]

No problem, and thanks 😀

[@corneliusencyclopedia39]

@@SelfBuiltStories Bit the bullet and got the wild earth awning with deluxe poles. Rail is on, used some Pu40 and VHB tape for instant grab. Rock solid.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

@@corneliusencyclopedia39 cool, glad to hear! Enjoy 😛

[@tyespencer8645]

Please post link to awning :D

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Sure, it's this one: wildearth.online/shop/ols/products/delux-wild-earth-sun-canopy-for-vw-camper-van-2-dot-4-x-3-metres-medium-grey-in-stock 🙂We went for the slightly upgraded one that has telescopic poles. We like it a lot!

[@waynegon]

Is there a link for the awning please

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Sure, we went for this one: wildearth.online/shop/ols/products/delux-wild-earth-sun-canopy-for-vw-camper-van-2-dot-4-x-3-metres-medium-grey-in-stock. Really happy with it!

[@allanb52]

Your enemy will be the wind. In hot climates like here in Portugal the wind gets strong. So beware.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Thanks, yeah we make sure to take it down if it looks like it's going to be very windy. It let's you know too as it can get a bit loud flapping around 😄

[@allanb52]

@@SelfBuiltStories I was lucky my first one blew down and did no damage, working on a new design may take some pictures.

[@SelfBuiltStories]

@@allanb52 Cool, good luck with the new design

[@JonMadsen70]

:)

[@SelfBuiltStories]

Thanks for watching 🙂