It was not so long ago that an awning consisted of just tarps and ropes tied to the side of your 4WD. Today, quality awnings are made from ripstop fabric blends with anodised aluminium alloy twist-lock poles. The only thing you need to think about when purchasing an awning for your vehicle is the size you want and any add-on accessories such as sidewalls to stop you getting sandblasted, or a mesh room to keep the mozzies out. At BCF, we've got a cracker range of 4WD awnings such as XTM awnings and Darche awnings that are easy to set up (taking only a couple of minutes to erect and deploy) along with poles and the universal L brackets.

Waterproof and ripstop fabric (particularly canvas) are the most highly recommended materials for a quality 4WD awning. Built to withstand the diverse Australian climate, the heavy-duty ripstop fabrics are woven using a special reinforcing technique that means you can take your awning to the beach or the outback and not worry about it breaking!

If you want to step up the playing field a little and indulge in some luxury, an additional feature you can look for includes a UV resistance rating of 30+ to reduce the hazards of UV light. At BCF, our 4WD awnings have a rating of 50+.

Choosing the right style 4WD awning for your adventure is vital. From instant awnings to side awnings, there's plenty of products on the market to find what you need and what best suits your vehicle. Whether you're an avid traveller looking to pop something up during a roadside pit stop or you love bush bashing and camping, you can always find a car awning suitable for shade and shelter.

At BCF, we stock the ever-popular side awnings. An extremely versatile addition to your vehicle, 4WD side awnings are installed to the longest side of your vehicle giving you the advantage of larger coverage, parking your vehicle as a windbreak and a more secure mount. They are quick and easy to set up and take down, packing securely into a heavy-duty PVC bag for easy transportation and storage.

Mounted with just a couple of brackets to your roof racks or cage, 4WD awnings are easy to install. Simply take your time to measure before drilling any holes, and you should be good to pop it on with a few bolts. The awning, its framework, and the PVC storage bag are all attached to the base, so there's no need to worry about fitting all those parts together – just ensure you don't mount the awning upside down! Any awning you purchase from BCF uses and includes the universal L-shaped bracket system.

If you're wondering which side of your vehicle to mount the awning, both sides have their advantages, but the passenger side does seem to be more popular.