Some car awnings had been fast to deploy and retract, however folded in winds I thought-about weak. Others required way more effort and generally two folks to arrange. Placing them away could possibly be extremely inconvenient and time-consuming. And I didn’t take into account any of them “adventure-ready,” which means I may get them up as quickly as a rainstorm blew in, they usually may endure not less than reasonable winds.
When Kammok launched its Crosswing awning, I used to be intrigued however wasn’t hopeful that it will fulfill my necessities for adventure-readiness. However Kammok is shut by in Austin, and the model provided me a unit that was cosmetically broken in cargo with no strings hooked up. So, I acquired the 7-foot-wide model (the model additionally has a 5-footer) for my Subaru Outback Wilderness.
For a stable 12 months, the Kammok Crosswing lived on my automobile, and I deployed it not less than just a few occasions per week, which I by no means did with different awnings. Typically, it was for only a telephone name or an internet assembly. And, after all, I used it throughout in a single day or longer tenting journeys. It withstood two brutal Texas summers, spring flooding, a Colorado street journey, and, extremely, an icy winter.
Briefly: The Kammok Crosswing modified how I take into consideration and use car awnings. The category-crushing pace at which it may be deployed and retracted removes all of the inconveniences and frustrations I’d had with different awnings. The Crosswing is in an echelon by itself, and its pure comfort has led me to make use of it a lot greater than another awning in my many years of adventuring and each day residing. The self-supporting, cantilevered design withstood wind higher than others as properly.
Kammok Crosswing Evaluate
Specs
The awning material is a heavy-feeling 8-ounce 600D PVC-coated polyester that’s waterproof and mildew- and UV-resistant. The housing is powder-coated aluminum with ABS finish caps, whereas the mounting {hardware} is powder-coated hardened metal.
The supporting arms below the material are powder-coated 6061 extruded aluminum (this was up to date to an anodized end). Inside mechanical parts are rustproof stainless-steel.
The Kammok Crosswing housing has two commonplace T-tracks on the again for mounting functions and one on the underside to connect equipment reminiscent of lights and kit hooks.
When closed, the unit measures 88″ x 3″ x 5.7″. The awning can deploy to a few lengths: 35.5 inches, 58.5 inches, and 77.5 inches. At full size, the material covers 42 sq. ft. Kammok claims the 7-foot Crosswing weighs 45 kilos.
Kammok provides the Crosswing in a 5-foot vast model (MSRP $950) along with the 7-foot mannequin (MSRP $1,100) reviewed right here. Each are available in charcoal grey or desert tan.
Mounting
Mounting the Kammok Crosswing to my Thule cartop rack crossbars was a single-person affair that solely required a 5mm and 8mm hex wrench.
Like another rack accent, a bracket was hooked up to every crossbar’s T-slot. It was anchored with two commonplace T-track sq. nuts contained in the crossbar and two hex bolts on prime. The identical methodology secured two awning mounting brackets into one in all two T-slots on the again of the Crosswing housing.
The awning-mounted brackets hooked into the crossbar brackets, and I used to be capable of regulate the horizontal place and awning angle to my liking. For rooftop racks with out T-slots, Kammok consists of crossbar clamping {hardware}.
Kammok Crosswing Deployment & Retraction
The Kammok Crosswing deployed and retracted again into driving mode sooner and simpler than another awning I’ve ever used or seen by an enormous margin. It wasn’t even in the identical ballpark. I may do it on my own, persistently, in the identical period of time, each time.
There isn’t a overestimating how this affected my view of utilizing a car awning. I may deploy or retract the awning in lower than 30 seconds with out hurrying, no matter circumstances. This opened up so many extra use instances.
Establishing the awning consisted of transferring a lever on the left finish cap to the unlocked place, unbuttoning (up to date to Fidlocks) two loops that linked the forefront of the awning to the case, after which pulling on these loops to deploy the material. I may cease at one of many three discrete awning lengths dictated by ball-and-detent mechanisms. These are absolutely housed contained in the crossed assist arms beneath.
As soon as on the desired awning size, I articulated the lever on the left finish cap so as to add rigidity to the material after which put it again into the locked place. That’s it. There aren’t any legs to deploy, no man strains to anchor, nothing to assemble.
Taking the Kammok Crosswing down was basically the reverse of the above steps. After unlocking the lever, an outward tug on the awning launched it from the chosen place, and it virtually pulled itself again in. I solely wanted to use slightly little bit of strain to nudge it alongside.
A spring-loaded spooling system stored the material below rigidity, and it easily disappeared into the housing. A couple of tugs on the lever tightened up the material, after which I locked it and snapped the finger loops to the housing.
It’s exhausting to convey how straightforward each of those actions are compared to all different car awnings. Actually, the Kammok Crosswing was in a category all by itself. I actually may have deployed and retracted the awning not less than 10 occasions within the period of time it took me to arrange or stow the final crossover-vehicle-style awning I used. And the PITA issue was nonexistent with the Kammok Crosswing. Different awnings had been usually super-frustrating, particularly when erecting or stowing them in inclement climate.
Kammok Crosswing Stability
The self-supporting, cantilevered design of the Kammok Crosswing was not solely fast to deploy and retract, but it surely additionally gave the awning extra built-in stability than all different awnings I’ve used.
The 2-segmented, sq. tube extrusions below the material are spring-loaded and maintain the three set positions through a ball-and-detent mechanism. They cross to type an “X,” which lends assist, similar to spokes in a bicycle wheel. The spring-loaded material spool, which was ratcheted tight with the lever, additional added stability by forming a cantilevered construction as soon as the material was tight.
Once more, the secret’s that the ball-and-detents within the supporting body ensured rigidity and the power to bear a compressive load from the stress ratcheted into the material. No legs or man strains are required. This additionally stored the world below the awning clear and eliminated any points from uneven or rocky floor. All this made the Kammok Crosswing extra usable than different awnings.
In 20mph gusts, I may see and listen to the awning transferring, however I used to be by no means nervous about injury, and none ever occurred. I used to be nonetheless assured at 25 mph, however the awning motion was regarding, so I guyed it out with two strains on the entrance two corners.
It looks like Kammok agrees with this reinforcing methodology, because it now provides an awning tie-down equipment that features two man strains, two screw stakes, and two sandbags. Kammok additionally provides a pole pack to make use of below the entrance two corners for much more stability.
More often than not, I used the awning at full size. Retracting it to the center place tremendously elevated its stability; 25mph winds had been no drawback at this size. And when it was super-gnarly, retracting it to the shortest place didn’t provide a lot space below the awning, however not less than it was a spot to gap up and wait out the rain.
The Elephant Below the Awning
I can’t fathom one purpose to not get the Kammok Crosswing aside from the sock-you-in-the-wallet worth. At each sizes hovering across the $1,000 mark, the Crosswing is greater than twice the worth of in style items just like the ARB Touring Awning and even prices greater than some 270-degree batwing fashions.
However once I take into account the purposeful worth greater than the sticker worth, when you have the means, I feel it’s completely value it. The convenience, comfort, and pace at which I may arrange and take down the Crosswing made me use it exponentially extra usually than another awning I’ve used. After the primary week with the Kammok unit, I adjusted my pondering and awning-deployment methods.
I didn’t take into account unfurling an awning except I wanted protection for not less than just a few hours. On some fashions, it wasn’t value it to me except it was a day or in a single day. However with the Kammok Crosswing, I might bust it out, even when it was for a fast telephone name whereas I used to be on the go.
Being in Texas, the season to keep away from late morning to early night solar is lengthy. And the Crosswing made my not less than twice-weekly days of cellular working in Austin so a lot better. I had no excuse or purpose to take a seat or stand within the solar for even a couple of minutes when it was sizzling.
I can’t overstate how way more I used the Crosswing awning than others. I estimate that inside the first three months of use, I had deployed it greater than all my different automobile and van awnings I had owned mixed.
Kammok Crosswing Evaluate: Last Ideas
The Kammok Crosswing is a big funding, to make certain. 4 digits is rather a lot to pay for a car awning, particularly contemplating there are completely usable variations for as little as a few hundred {dollars}.
However the less-than-30-second setup and the equal take-down pace rendered the Kammok Crossing into an equivocally way more usable class. I didn’t must justify any time or effort to make the most of the shade or shelter from precipitation. Even pulling off the street to take a 10-minute telephone name or Zoom assembly was sufficient. There was no trepidation and 0 hassles to sheltering within the candy shade on a sizzling summer season day.
Unimaginable comfort and value didn’t come at the price of stability or sturdiness. None of my different awnings may face up to the winds the Kammok did, and if it required reinforcement, it was simply managed with the man strains I had available. Moreover, Kammok provides equipment to shore up the Crosswing. However I solely wanted to tie it out as soon as in your complete 12 months of use.
Lastly, after a 12 months of sitting on my automobile within the brutal Texas solar and equally brutal rain storms and tornado-watch winds, the Kammok Crosswing has suffered zero structural injury.