Buying Guide

Car awnings transform your 4WD into a pop-up paradise in seconds, creating a sanctuary from sunbaked bitumen and surprise showers with just a quick flick of the wrist!

These practical shades mount to your roof racks or bars to provide reliable protection from whatever Mother Nature conjures up at the site! From huddling away to escape a sudden shower, to eyeing off that elusive tree to park under – it's time to upgrade to a shade solution that rides the open roads with you. 

Types of Vehicle Awnings

Side-Mount Pull-Out Awnings

The classic pull-out car awnings are your entry-level shade solution – unfurling from a sleek aluminum case to create instant protection. These roll-out beauties attach to your roof racks or baskets and deploy in seconds, transforming the side of your vehicle into a sheltered oasis.

Available in multiple lengths (typically 1.0m, 2.0m, 2.5m and 3.0m), these awnings can be matched to your adventure wagon for the perfect fit - including compact SUVs (best suited for 2.0m awnings) and mid-size to large 4WDs (can handle 2.5-3m versions along their sides). For rear-mounted options, a 1-2m option creates the perfect tailgate shelter for esky access.

270° Wrap-Around Awnings

Supersize your shade with 270° wrap-around awnings that extend around the corner of your vehicle, creating a veritable outdoor living room. These premium awnings feature extended coverage area (up to 270 degrees of wraparound protection), multiple pivoting arms that swing out, enhanced weather protection, integrated guy ropes and support poles for rock-solid stability, and a quick, single-person setup (3-5 minutes, from packed to paradise).

While these awnings for cars need a little more muscle to mount (and are best suited to beefier 4WDs), their massive coverage turns your roadside stop into a superior outdoor space. When the weather turns bleak, or you're setting up for longer than an overnighter, these awnings become worth their weight in gold.

Essential Awning Accessories

Take your car awning setup from 'handy' to 'how-did-I-ever-live-without-this?!' too, with purpose-built add-ons like awning walls for privacy and wind protection, extenders to push your shade footprint further into the outdoors, insect mesh rooms for bug-free zones, enclosed awning rooms to transform your awning into a fully-fledged annex, LED light strips to turn night into day for when the yarns get long, guy ropes and pegs to keep things grounded when the breeze picks up, and repair kits... because sometimes Mother Nature will test the limits of your canvas craftsmanship. 

Choosing the Right Car Awning

When selecting the perfect awning for your adventure wagon, consider your vehicle's dimensions and how much weight it can handle on the roof. What mounting options does your roof rack system offer (T-slots, crossbars, or platforms)? Are you a weekender, or are you planning the Big Lap? What's the weather looking like: scorching sun, or sideways rain? How much garage space can you sacrifice when your awning isn't in use?

Most importantly though, what's your patience level for setup? Are you a ready-in-30-seconds person, or someone who believes that slow and steady wins the race?

With quality car awnings from leading brands at Snowys, you'll have your own portable shade wherever your wheels take you. From quick roadside stops to extended bush camps, a vehicle-mounted awning is the camping upgrade you never knew you needed (until it's set it up in seconds and your mates are still wrestling with tarps)!