Service side sun shade

Tucson really kicked this mod into gear. Our site at Gilbert Ray had the service side of the camper facing directly west, fully exposed to the pounding sun. We quickly realized it would be wise to put up the second awning, however, we simply had no room to extend the awning out and run the guy-lines. Needing to do something, I jerry rigged our 6x6 ground mat, angled down to provide some needed shade.

A mod was soon percolating in my mind once again, and as we were wandering the 4th Avenue district, we happened upon a fabric/upholstery store, and in we went. The place had clearly been around a long time, with bolts of fabric lining the walls, and a big central work area crammed with cutting tables and sewing machines. Soon enough we found where the outdoor fabrics were, and lo and behold, they had just what I was looking for.

Finding the right material had proved to be a bit of a challenge. Originally I was thinking of a rip stop material, but then realized a shade fabric would be a better choice. Shade fabric offers sun protection, referred to as a percentage of sun blocking, breathability, and it can be seen through. The fabric they had in stock was a Textilene 90%, in a perfect shade of grey. It almost exactly matches the colour of the SC awning. And the best part...it was selling for the fabulous price of $9.00 a yard. Similar material I had seen online hovered around the $50.00 a yard price point, so this was a great deal. We bought a bunch, rolled it onto a bolt, and threw it into the roof box for the journey home.

Knowing I would need some hardware, I browsed over to Sailrite.com, a fabulous resource for all things related to marine/outdoor fabric fabrications. Soon an order would be waiting for UPS pickup before we crossed the border home.

As we have an additional awning that can be used if the space is available, I decided the design would be very purpose specific. Something that would allow it to be put up in any campsite, and the size would be focussed on providing shade for only the fridge area. A little measuring led me to think that an 8x6 foot shade would do the job.

I quickly found that shade fabric is a tad difficult to work with. It took endless experimentation to find the best combination of needles, thread and tension to get a stitch that was half decent looking. It was also very apparent that I was pushing our little Kenmore sewing machine to its limits...and it let me know every time I started sewing! I now drool when I see those cool walking foot sewing machines on the Sailrite site...but that’s definitely a debate between the want and the need.

Sandbanks was the first test, and it worked great. The keeder edge is curved to follow the roof line, and this allows the panel to hang straight down. The attached guy-lines will hold the shade panel out from the side of the Alto however far is needed.

No poles design allows for close quarters set up

We were in full sun most of the day, and because we had the room, we ended putting up the full awning. This kept most of the side in shade, which helped the overall temp inside.

When you have the room and need maximum shade

So it turns out this is a very specific use mod, which I suspected at the outset, but we are now equipped for most any sun situation. Beyond the fighting with the sewing machine, it was an interesting mod to figure out and throw together.