The Best Car and Truck Awnings of 2024

During our testing, we tried out both the lighter-duty Kelty Sideroads and Backroads awnings, and found the latter to be the more livable of the two with the addition of the single doorway. Both awnings are otherwise very similar, and spring to life with three poles that bump up the peak height to more than accommodate our tallest users.

Once set up, the Backroads can be shuffled into place behind your rig of choice, and secured down to it with a strap system that latches onto whatever is available. We found these straps long enough to reach the rear wheels on our pickups, and more than happy to attach to the roof racks on smaller hatchbacks. Then after pinning down the front of the awning, the twin doors can be rolled back for more airflow, buttoned down for weather protection, or left one up, one down for more flexibility.

The single door screams camping tent, and works as such (we left ours open for much of our testing, but there’s even a mesh window to add some view). The fiberglass poles, while admittedly durable, are certainly not our favorite, as they are fairly heavy and can shed splinters when new. The addition of some lightweight aluminum poles (like those that the Moon Fabrications MoonShade uses) would yield high praise from us, but would admittedly drive the price up.

Perhaps the highest praise we can heap on the Backroads Shelter Awning is just how versatile it is. We set it up on trucks, hatchbacks, and sedans — even slinging it between two rigs. If your adventures aren’t tied down to a single vehicle, this awning offers a budget entry point to car camping done right.

We tested this awning on a Toyota Tacoma, and found it to provide the ideal amount of coverage for cookouts, camping, and kicking back after a day at the ski resort. The setup is a cinch, and the awning springs forth from the rugged vinyl case to be set up in less than 5 minutes. The whole thing mounts easily to T-slot compatible bars, and impressively only weighs 47 pounds, quite a bit less than comparable awnings.

Unlike some 270° awnings that incorporate a second set of hinges for an additional panel at the front of the awning, the MajorShady keeps it simple with a single pivot point from which three spreader bars rotate — unfurling the full 80 sq. ft. of shade.

This is a bit more than the Roofnest Litewing (70 sq. ft.), but less than dual pivot awnings like the 23Zero Peregrine Pro (117 sq. ft.) or Overland Vehicle Systems Nomadic 270 (129 sq. ft.) When we set up underneath it, there was easily enough space for four campers, plus a cooler and stove set up.

At 90 inches in length when collapsed, the MajorShady is primed for longer wheelbase rigs and pickups with full-size beds — the 6’-bed access-cab Tacoma we tested it on was just about the lower limit of what we think can support a large-and-in-charge awning like this, though it is a bit smaller than the iKamper ExoShell 270 when collapsed (that awning case spreads a full 103”).

One of our only desired improvements for the MajorShady was related to the support legs; they are made of excellent twist-locking aluminum (though we do like the thumb-knobs on the iKamper 270 better), however, there are only two of them included with the awning, and we often wanted for one additional leg. The awning itself is fully self-supporting, however, and you can toss in another for an extra $20 if you so desire.

Primed for entire seasons of relaxing underneath it, the MajorShady 270 is the 270° awning refined. There are some that sport more coverage, and some pack down smaller, but for the full package, it’s tough for us not to recommend the MajorShady. Mount up and ride on.

The awning is built on carbon fiber supports, not aluminum ones. Functionally, it’s no different, but it does save weight. It’s also compact and streamlined and had little impact on our gas mileage when driving with it installed. We tested the Lightwing on both a Ford F150 and a Toyota Rav 4 Prime.  

The Lightwing was one of the most stress-free awnings to set up, and because it’s so easy to use, we deployed it nearly every time we went for a mountain bike ride, paddle board adventure, or any other outdoor activity that was made better with shade before and/or after.

We were impressed by the clever way that Roofnest stores all the parts and pieces inside the aluminum housing so straps, clips, and stakes weren’t floating around inside our car, somewhere to be lost eventually.

This awning is the claimed lightest 270° awning. And with lightness comes less coverage — about 10 square feet less than the Yakima MajorShady. That’s plenty of shaded space for hanging out after a sweaty bike ride, kicking back with our feet on the cooler, and sipping a cold beverage, but it’s smaller than other options. That said, because it offers 270° of coverage, we never felt like someone got left out in the searing sun. 

Various awnings, like the ARB 8.2′ Touring Awning, offer the option to install LED lights. This awning comes with them pre-installed, which was a major time saver. That’s also what made it one of our favorite awnings to use once the sun sets. Light strings are pre-installed along the carbon rails. The tool kit has quick-connect cords that clip into the pre-installed light strings. And the whole thing plugs into any USB battery pack, the kind you use to charge your phone.

Packing the awning takes a tad longer than deploying it. The awning has to be stuffed back into the aluminum casing. If you’re doing this with a friend, be sure you have good communication, or someone’s fingers might get smooshed when one person pushes the casing closed, and the other person is still tucking the awning. 

Compared to other compact options like the Rhino-Rack Batwing, the Lightwing takes the poll position for a few reasons: For one, the all-aluminum case is far nicer than the fabric roll the Batwing tucks into. The carbon-fiber struts are also greatly superior, making the weight comparison no contest: this awning is a full 10 pounds lighter. For an awning to stick on your smaller SUV, the Lightwing is our go-to suggestion.

Read Review: Superlight 270-Degree Hardshell Awning: Roofnest Litewing Awning Revealed

While we’ve been big fans of the ARB Touring Awning (a sweet shade with built-in LED lights), the Peregrine PRO has it one-uped by being a full 270° awning. In addition, the ‘Light Suppression Technology’ (most of us would call this: black) coating on the underside of the canopy also goes a long way in keeping light from escaping your awning during the night, meaning this canopy is campground-friendly, as well. Consider this the new best awning for after-hours.

Set-up is simple: Unzip the fabric case, and the awning rafters fan out to support a 270° sun and rain protective awning. Then, attach the two camming buckle S-hook straps and the awning is ready to go. 23Zero integrated LED lighting into each of the five lightweight rafters that support the awning.

Plug them into the included wiring harness and into a small battery pack, and not only do you have sun and weather protection, but light to keep the under-awning chilling going until you’re ready to call it quits. 

In addition to a spacious shaded area, this awning provides access to an RTT with a rear entrance through a zippered panel over the tailgate. It’s also a stellar awning for people looking for a lot of shade and minimal setup. This awning is freestanding unless you’re in high winds. For windy days, each of the rafters has a twist-to-adjust leg that lives Velcro-strapped to the rafters when they’re not in use.

The awning is made of high-quality materials, but 23Zero skimped on the guy lines and stakes. It’s worth the few bucks to upgrade the guylines with reflective P-Cord. And if you’re a gear nerd, you might also want to replace the stakes with nicer ones that are more in line with the overall aesthetic of the awning. 

23Zero’s Peregrine Pro, which is a brand new awning for the brand, is strikingly similar in design to Overland Vehicle Systems 270° awing. Clearly they were made in the same factory, and likely started from the same base design. They look the same, but 23Zero uses a weight-saving box truss system and higher-grade awning fabric. It’s cooler underneath than in the Overland Vehicle Systems awning. Both awnings are freestanding, with the option to use poles and guy lines in a stiff wind.

23Zero’s Peregrine PRO is notably lighter than the Overland Vehicle Systems 270° awning (51 vs. 72 lbs.) It has the aforementioned zippered hatch for getting into an RTT, as well as integrated LED lighting, and the option for zip-on canopy. When it comes down to it, the Peregrine PRO is undeniably the better awning, save for one aspect: shaded space. The OVS 270 has it licked there, with 12 more square feet of coverage.

Deciding between the two should be easy: If you want a fully kitted-out awning with options for all the accessories you may one day want, the 23Zero Peregrine PRO is the one to get. Need to eke out every inch of shade to fit a bunch of campers? Go OVS. In the end, it was the lighting set-up that won us over on the Peregrine, and being able to hang out long into the night is a very nice feature.

Setup by one person is straightforward (if you’ve ever set up a tent), and the awning is adaptable to almost any type of vehicle. Two different-sized suction cup anchors adhere to the roofs of pretty much anything we stuck this awning onto (a Mercedes Sprinter van, Honda CRV, and a teardrop trailer, included). A nice feature is the option to orient the MoonShade with either the 9- or 7-foot side facing outward.

The awning fabric is a sturdy 420-denier ripstop polyester with a UV 50-plus topcoat facing outward. The underside has a reflective coating that blocks outside light and works to disperse lantern light. When sitting out under the repressive heat of Eastern Washington, we felt a good amount of relief from the heat.

Compared to other portable awnings we’ve tested, like the Kelty Backroads Shelter, the MoonShade has an obvious advantage in being able to set up with support poles and elevate the end of the awning up off the ground. This creates much more space for hanging out under, but you’ll certainly pay for the functionality — to the tune of an added $225.

When not in use, the MoonShade fits into a zippered bag 28 x 6 inches, weighing a little under 8 pounds — that’s lighter than the Backroads, by the way. The compact dimensions are great for stowing inside and are much easier to transport. This also keeps weight off your roof when on the go, and doesn’t cut into fuel economy. For a portable awning option, this is the one to get.

Read Review: First Look: MoonShade Is a Temporary Awning for Your Adventure Rig

The awning shades a massive 129 sq. ft. area, from past the windshield of our test truck down one side and past the tailgate, with enough width for multiple chairs, a cooler, a firepit, bikes, and more. We mounted this awning on a Frontrunner rack on a Ford F150, and since it’s a heavy awning, it’s best suited for larger vehicles due to the length and weight. The brackets top mount to the rack, and the awning is quick to install once these are installed with two bolts on the vehicle roof rack.

To open this awning, all you have to do is unzip and unfurl. This dual-pivot 270 swings open on a burly aluminum frame with reinforced oversized hinges and heavy-duty rafters. The awning comes with two ballistic nylon tie-down straps, which can be hooked onto the rack and the front wheel of the vehicle.

If it’s a calm day, once those straps are attached, the awning is supported by the boxed aluminum rafters. If it’s a windy day, release the awning’s three legs, which are held against the rafters with Velcro straps, and twist to adjust them to the appropriate height before you stake down the awning with the provided heavy-duty stakes and cord. 

The awning comes with a bag of cords and tent stakes. Some are for staking the corners where the legs attach, and others are for staking the valleys between those corners so that in a storm, water can drain instead of pooling. The awning is made from 280G poly cotton ripstop material with heat-sealed seams. So even when we used this awning in a torrential storm, the awning didn’t leak. But water did run down the truck in the spaces where the awning is strapped to the frame. 

As mentioned previously, this awning is very similar to the 23Zero Peregrine PRO — so much so that we imagine they are made in the same factory. The 23Zero version has a number of different bells and whistles that elevate it above this awning, but isn’t quite as large as the OVS. We also feel more confident in the boxed aluminum struts on the Nomadic 270 for off-road use.

When it comes to wind, the OVS Nomadic 270 was one of the best. It’s rated to withstand winds to 25 mph freestanding, and to 40 mph when fully staked with legs deployed. The awning can be installed on any roof rack with a weight rating to support it. If you’ve got an entire camp of people to keep shelter, the 129 sq. ft. of space underneath this awning is the one to do it with.

The ExoShell 270 offers a huge amount of shade (a full 121 sq. ft. — almost as much as the OVS 270) and weather protection from its 45-denier waterproof-treated ripstop polycotton awning material. It’s self-supporting, but it also comes with dropdown poles and guy wires included if you find yourself in high wind conditions. It’s so fast and easy to use that we can see ourselves popping it open for an afternoon mountain bike ride or even the kids’ soccer practice.

270 awnings are our favorite for real base camping in our rigs, and it’s impressive to watch them unfurl for the first time — wrapping around the rear of your vehicle and providing covered space for even the back hatch. For our pickup truck-driving testers, this made a killer front porch and made entering and exiting the rear sleeping platform much easier (and drier). While some 270 awnings are offered in both driver and passenger models, the ExoShell only comes in a driver-side arrangement.

While iKamper specs out their mounting brackets as being compatible with their rooftop tent offerings, they don’t claim it to be universal, and our testing agreed with this. Traditional T-slot crossbars will play nice with the brackets in theory, but at 75 pounds the cantilever force is more than we were comfortable with. The ideal setup would be to mount the ExoShell 270 to a burly platform rack, where it’ll be fully supported.

If you value coverage and convenience — and have a big vehicle with a platform roof rack — the ExoShell 270 has a lot to offer at this not-inexpensive price. In most circumstances, however, a solid $1,000 270 awning, like the Yakima MajorShady, 23Zero Peregrine Pro, or the OVS Nomadic 270, will likely do the trick. If that equation works for you, however, this is a great way to spend more time outdoors in comfort.

Read Review: iKamper ExoShell 270 Review: Big, Burly, Bountiful Awning

That’s because once you drape the back of the Screenhouse over the top of your vehicle hatch or pickup cap, the straps that attach the tarp to your vehicle thread through your wheel spokes and tighten down. Then, it’s time to set up the center pole, stake the center guy line, and stake out the rest of your awning. When the Screenhouse is fully assembled, straps on the car end tighten in several places to customize the fit.

What we loved about this awning is that it provides shade, and so much more. If mosquitoes, black flies or no-see-ums have ever ended your party early, you’ll understand what a savior a bug-free space can be. And this one is plenty spacious for at least four people, and more if you don’t mind getting cozy. If you don’t want the screehouse, you can enjoy the Waypoint with the walls rolled up too. 

The semi-universal mounting system works with any SUV-style car or pickup truck. It won’t work with sedans, however. Rigging up the guylines to tension the awning is made easy with line locks, but it does require a larger footprint in order to get your web of guylines sorted. Three of the lines are necessary, while a second set keep the fabric from flapping in a breeze.

In addition to protecting you from sun and bugs, this awning also cuts down on wind, and it’s waterproof too. But because it’s mesh on all sides, rain can blow in if it’s windy. Compared to the Kelty Backroads Shelter, we liked the Waypoint when we had to seat more people — the Backroads is comfortable with two camp chairs, while this tarp can seat four to six people underneath it.

At under $200, if you’re considering an awning, the Waypoint Screenhouse is hard to pass up. We tend to think that the ease of set-up on the Backroads is a little more user-friendly (tarp-craft can get a little techy) and thus better for more people, but if bug control is necessary where you travel, it’s tough to ignore this awning.

The 6.2-foot OutLand Box vehicle awning, which is also available in 7.5-foot and 8.2-foot sizes, is made from durable and lightweight aluminum, including the tough storage case. This case pops open easily with a single push button, and really protects the awning while on the road.

Unrolling the awning is similar to most other awnings, but the Quick Lock system on the legs and tensioning system in the struts sets it apart. These mechanisms are simple to use, and really made the OutLand feel a bit more refined and fast to set up in our testing.

Rounding out the higher-gloss finish on this awning is metal telescopic legs that connect to the lead rail with metal connectors, rather than nylon. The jury is still out on whether we’re entirely sold on these yet, as nylon often has a little bit more give when wrestling an awning into place, but metal will undoubtedly win the durability race.

Be mindful of wind with this awning, as there are no tie-off loops on the canopy or lead rail. In a pinch, you likely could fashion yourself some guylines and make them fast to the lead rail itself, but you’ll need to source the cordage to do so. Thankfully the legs do sport openings to pound stakes through, so you’ll have some connection to terra firma.

The OutLand Box Awning includes a locking adapter kit that mounts to Thule or various aftermarket roof racks. The price is certainly on the higher end, but the well-refined design and ease of use will make sense for many who are looking for a mount-and-go option. For most, we’d recommend the Front Runner Easy-Out series as a better alternative. Despite being a bit more low-tech, we’ve had no issues, and at ~$450 less.

This Batwing awning not only includes 69 square feet of coverage, but it’s also stylish, and thanks to its true pentagon shape it extends as far outboard as it does deep, meaning a more compact footprint in tighter overlanding sites.

Most 270 awnings like the OVS Nomadic or Yakima MajorShady are a good bit wider than they are deep, and are better suited for long-bed pickups where the space can be better utilized. The Batwing Compact, on the other hand, is ideal for small to medium vehicles that still want the full coverage a 270 awning provides.

Made from a durable ripstop polycotton canvas material, this Rhino-Rack compact batwing awning is water-resistant, and in traditional down-under style is rated to a full 50 UPF+ to protect against the sun. Made for either the right or the left side of your vehicle, we found this awning to be easy to set up with two people. Simply unzip its storage bag, fold out the arms, and peg down the ropes. You’ll have a shaded and secure basecamp set up in no time.

While many 270 awnings utilize metal support hinges, the hinges on the Batwing is an engineered plastic that while it initially gave us pause, proved itself to be able to hang. The mechanism is also user-replaceable, and it’s simple enough to swap out a support hinge end if one becomes munged up.

As Rhino-Rack is a roof-rack solutions brand, their mounting system is friendly to other brands and types of roof bars, integrating with most any T-slot type bar including Thule ProBar and WingBar Evo as well as Yakima JetStream and HD Bars. There are also a number of different tubular and square bar rack brackets, making this one of the most mix-and-match friendly awning systems we’ve tested to date.

Unlike some other vehicle awnings, the Rhino-Rack awning’s poles, ropes, and pegs stow in the main awning compartment rather than in a separate pouch that could get lost. The Roofnest Litewing is our choice for most needing a lightweight 270 awning, but if the price makes you wince, the Batwing is a viable alternative.

Sliding into an integrated sleeve, the LED light strip is set and forget it once it’s in place, and can be rolled back up with the awning for storage. The unit is powered off the cigarette plug in your vehicle, and can be dimmed down to fit the mood. The awning itself is a manually deployed unit that unfurls to over 8 feet in both directions. Check your vehicle’s length to make sure this awning isn’t too long for it.

Boasting a simple design, the awning uses a 300 GSM PU-coated polycotton ripstop canvas and weighs a hair under 45 pounds. That’s held up with tough aluminum legs and struts, and was simple to set up in our testing. The whole affair packs away into a zippered 1,000D PVC carry bag, but if you’re frequently driving through dense bush and worry about banging up the bag, the Touring Awning is also available in an aluminum hard-case variety — just know that it will run you an extra $250 for the upgrade.

Unfortunately, the Touring Awning does not come with any mounting brackets, so you’ll either need to get handy or snag a few of the awning brackets that ARB makes. These come in both a fairly standard L-bracket that will interface with T-slot roof bars, or some burly gusseted brackets for mounting to platform racks of roof baskets. Overlanders are resourceful folk, and we doubt many would have trouble brewing up a strong connection to their unique rooftop system.

Once you install the included LED lighting strip, you can light up your camp with the Touring Awning — giving you shade, style, and illumination. Unlike the 23Zero Peregrine PRO, this awning can only be powered by a car plug, making it a bit less usable. Also, we liked the additional space of the 270 awning when relaxing at night — but for less than half of what that awning costs, this ARB unit gets the job done.

Built on a time-tested design, the OverCast is in many ways quite similar to the ARB Touring Awning and Front Runner Easy-Out Awnings (we actually believe these awnings and the OverCast to be made nearly identical). After unzipping the tough travel cover, the awning unrolls and is supported by twin struts and two adjustable legs. These aren’t as high-polish as the Thule OutLand Box, but they are a reliable design that lasted in our testing.

Shade in the 4.5’ design is minimal, but certainly enough for tossing a few camp chairs underneath or even setting up a small camp table with a stove to cook on. You’ll have to get inventive if you want some side coverage, as none are offered for the OverCast, but thankfully this awning does sport tie-off loops for guy lining the awning down in breezy conditions. For more coverage, go with the 6.5’ awning ($470).

In the same way that the Rhino-Rack Batwing Compact adapts to other mounting systems, the OverCast also plays nice with a variety of different bars, including all T-slot options, round and square bars, and aero-style stock bars. It’s nice to not be locked into a rack ecosystem when mixing and matching vehicle accessories, and our OverCast bolted right up to the Yakima round bars already on our vehicle. This is actually one of the major reasons to go with the Thule option over the very similar Front Runner offerings.

One feature we found on the OverCast to be unique among vehicle awnings are the locking hoods that encase the mounting brackets. These simple plastic enclosures surround the mounting bolts of the brackets and help to keep folks honest. They also add a nice finished look to the package.

Kids’ soccer matches, community cook-outs, or tailgates: all fair game with the OverCast. The Front Runner Easy-Out awnings are cheaper, but if you’re looking at a long-term install, the locking hoods of the Thule version can make the $30 difference a consideration. This was an awning that had our friends reconsidering what’s possible to add to a crossover or compact SUV.