Latest update March 21st, 2015 4:45 PM
REVIEW: Bus Depot EZY Awning Plus
Owning an awning was not high on my Want List until I spent a full day trapped inside my Vanagon as a storm passed through while camping. I kept thinking, if only I had an awning we could be sitting outside in a chair enjoying the sounds of the rain instead of watching movies inside. As soon as I got home I decided to finally pull the trigger on an awning I’ve had my eye on for awhile. It’s a Bus Depot EZY Awning Plus which measures 8′ wide by 11′ long and sells for $149.95.
The EZY Awning Plus stores in a nylon bag much like a tent and is not permanently attached to your van. The awning attaches to the rain gutter of you van by way of 3 rain gutter clips that hold one of the two main support bars in place. It really is a neat design and the amount of space it covers for the price is great! I love having the awning pretty much cover the entire length of my van.
One of the things thats a major plus in my opinion is the raised center portion of the awning. The awning is flexed upwards via 2 long flexible fiberglass tent poles which gives the awning plenty of head clearance underneath. Many of the other, more expensive awning on the market do not have this bow on the roof of the awning which can be a bit of a problem for taller campers.
If you’re looking to purchase one of these awnings my biggest suggestion is to spend another $12.95 and add on a pair of Rain Gutter Clamps. Yes the awning comes with 3 clips but I found it to be much more secure with a total of 5 clips holding down the awning support bar to my van. 3 gets the job done but still allows the support bar to flex out of the rain gutter quite a bit. 5 clips keeps it all in place.
A couple of items I’ve purchased to go along with the awning are a 9’x12′ Reversible RV Mat from eBay and about 5 strands of these really cool 12v LED Christmas Lights. These light strands are about 10ft long and run about $10 per strand. What’s really cool is that they can be daisy chained so you can run as many as you like end to end and only use one cigarette lighter plug to power them. I absolutely love these things and in fact I may end up buying a few more. 5 strands is more than enough to cover the perimeter of the awning so I just hang the left over length in the van from the roof vent on the fiberglass top. This helps illuminate the interior very nicely.
I’ve camped with this awning about 4 times now and yes the process of getting the awning up has gotten a bit quicker but it is still a bit of work, especially if you’re doing it by yourself. The awning comes complete with guy wires and metal stakes so that you can tie down the corners for added stability in windy environments. At one time the wind was so heavy that I had to place an full ice chest in between the two outer legs and attach guy wires from the ice chest to the horizontal support pole in order to make sure it didn’t fly away. I was still a bit nervous.
As with any awning or tent I would never recommend storing it wet. One camping trip I had to break down the awning in a light rain but once I got home I simply hung it over the fence and let it dry out. This durable, light weight nylon dries very quickly and it’ll be ready to be packed up before you know it.
Would I recommend this awning to anyone? Yes. I would… BUT. One thing is worth mentioning, if you plan to be on long road trips where you may be camping in different spots on a daily basis I do not think this awning is for you. It just becomes too cumbersome to set up and take down and I can’t imagine doing it daily if its needed. Now if you go camping for 2-4 days at a time in a single spot then yes, I highly recommend this awning. I mean for the price you simply can’t go wrong. Are there awnings out there that can be set up much more quickly and easier to handle? Yes but then you’re talking about awnings in the $800-$1,000 range. That’s a big jump up from the $165 or so with this EZY Awning Plus and extra Rain Gutter Clamps.
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Highly recommended if you're an average camper needing shade and/or cover from the rain on trips. Not recommended if you're a hard core #vanlife guy who travels and sets up camp in various places every other day or so.
9 thoughts on “REVIEW: Bus Depot EZY Awning Plus”
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Owning an awning was not high on my Want List until I spent a full day trapped...
I had this on my short list when I was fitting out my Westy with the Fiamma on the “some day” list. Well, I had some extra money and went with the 10′ Fiamma and am so glad I did. We rarely stay in the same spot for more than one night, especially when we’re on our annual nomadic family pilgrimages (last year to SD, WY, ID, and MT parks, this year to CO, AZ, and UT parks) so the ease of the Fiamma is really nice. Despite the price, it’s my skeptical wife’s favorite gadget on our van.
One caveat to the Fiamma: it doesn’t seal against the rain gutter, so until I figure out a way to bridge that 1″ or so gap with a sheet of plastic or a ΒΌ round of PVC pipe, no joy of leaving the sliding door open on those warm rainy nights. But we’re very happy with it.
Thanks Bentley! After using the EZY Awning Plus for awhile and with upcoming long distance short stay trips coming up I too feel that something along the lines of the Fiamma is my best option. I see us camping at a new spot daily as I make my trek to and from California from Texas as well as to and from Colorado. It just makes much more sense… I’ll have to look at that Fiamma case and gap between the van.
Do a quick image search for “Fiamma rain guard”. it’ll yield a few options Fiamma offers in order to close up that gap in between the awning case and the van. Lemme know if you find one that works. I guess you could always try a rubber flap from the hardware store normally used for garage doors. That might be an option too.
For that gap between the awning case and the roof, order some of the rubber seal material that is used on the front overlap edge of the pop-top. The Skylight Guy has been stocking this for replacing the rubber seal between the pop-top and the front luggage rack. It’s a little stiff, but I was able to work it so that it attached to the gutter and then seals against my awning case.
Not what they well it for but works like a charm… You might want to explain that you need a longer piece than what goes on the pop-top but I found the length they sell was enough to shield the open slider and most of the front door.
A little hard to describe, but if you talk to Cheri at “The Skylight Guy” web site, she’ll know what I’m talking about. Oh wait !! Found the web page: http://vanagonwestfaliaparts.com/shop/westfalia-pop-top-to-luggage-rack-seal/
Ahhh I’ll have to check it out. I ordered the Fiamma drip guard trim but I haven’t installed it. I was going to wait for a good rain in order to see how much water comes through that gap before I install it.
The one thing I do know is with the Fiamma awning now and no rubber trim I like that I can still stick my hand in the gap (wait. wut?) and tuck in the canvas under the pop top. I’m afraid if I install some trim to close that gap I won’t be able to do that anymore…
I tuck the canvas in from the inside… as you lower the top, just start rolling the canvas up at the front but then push the two outside corners of the roll forward and out and then roll the sides along with the front before the top comes down and pinches the canvas.. Would be easy to show in a video, but difficult to write about
Why doesn’t the bus depot m,ale this awning in a cheerful color. The grey is so subdued and the light blue trim doesn’t match any bus it is on. I bet they could sell many more if it were in a better color like bright yellow or red..or even royal blue.
I actually like the Grey and blue trim… It is very neutral and I think the silver color helps reflect the sunlight more versus a darker color that may soak up the heat more making it a little warmer underneath the awning. I for one really love the length of the PLUS version as it stretches from one end of the van to the other.