One of the most useful accessories you could add to your 4WD is an awning. It's a quick and easy way to create shade for a roadside lunch stop, a sheltered space next to your car in the campsite, or especially useful in the instance of a remote vehicle breakdown as you can create shade right next to your car.

Awnings come in numerous styles and sizes to suit all styles of camping as well as for different locations on your vehicle.

Pull Out 4WD Awnings

These come straight out from your vehicle, they usually roll/unroll and are commonly fixed to roof racks or baskets. They come in various lengths including 1.0, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0-metre lengths. The shorter awnings are usually attached to the rear of a vehicle whilst the longer ones to the side. Compact SUV's are best paired up with a 2.0m awning whilst larger 4WD's will have the capacity to mount a 2.5 or 3.0-metre awning to the side of the vehicle.

Wrap Around Awnings

These offer much more coverage than regular pull-out awnings, they feature pivot points and multiple arms that wrap around the vehicle to create a large sheltered area. These are bulkier and heavier to mount on a vehicle and are best suited to large 4WD's, but this extra bulk is offset by the increased liveability the shelter offers.

Awning Accessories 

Almost every awning will have a host of optional accessories that can enhance the way in which you utilise your awning. These include walls and extenders that provide increased weather protection as well as mesh and weatherproof rooms that fit in underneath an awning for insect protection or a sheltered place to rest for the night.