Caravan Awning Roof Rafters Guide

Awning roof rafters are a great way to help prevent potential damage to your awning caused by flapping in the wind or water pooling. The rafters are used to stop awnings from sagging by providing tension on the awning canopy.

Curved Rafters - Whats the difference?

There are several curved rafters available which feature different degrees of curvature. Generally you want to aim for a rafter which is curved enough to keep the canopy taught, but not so tight that it stretches the fabric too much. Older awnings that have already stretched and sagged over time would benefit from one of the larger curvatures whereas the slight curve would be ideal for newer awnings.

Curved rafters can cause your awning fabric to stretch over time but many caravanners agree that the benefits outweigh the potential risks.

Curvatures

The curvatures listed on our rafters are measured from the ground to the underside of the rafter at the most curved point when extended to 2440mm. These measurements are approximate as the curve on each rafter can vary slightly from manufacturing.

Below are all of our Curved Roof Rafters to suit rollout awnings listed from smallest to largest curve. Rafters for Fiamma Awnings can be found here

The smallest curve we offer is the Coast Curved Rafter which has a curve of approximately 15-25mm (almost flat). The Coast rafter is powdercoated white but has a square profile which can cause more wear on your awning than the curved profiles used on the Supex and Aussie Traveller rafters.

The next step up is the Supex Slight Curve Rafter which has an approximate curvature of 25-35mm. This rafter has the rounded profile to help protect your awning from wear against the rafter and would be a perfect option for newer awnings or those looking to add some support without stretching the fabric too much.

The Supex Acute Curved Rafter has a slightly larger curve of 65-75mm. This provides a bit more tension to the canopy for better protection against wind flap and water pooling. Again this Supex rafter features the rounded profile, is powder-coated and available in white or black to suit your awning.

Aussie Traveller rafters have the most solid construction of all the rafters and are available in 2 sizes - Mini and Maxi.

The mini rafter still has a larger curvature than most standard curved rafters at 90mm which will provide greater tension on the canopy but can also lead to stretching if used for long periods of time.

The Maxi rafter has the largest curvature of all our rafters at 120mm. This may be more than is needed for most awnings and only really necessary for older awnings where the fabric has loosened.

How many rafters do I need?

How many rafters you need will depend on the size of your awning, smaller awnings will only need 1 but larger awnings would benefit from 2 or more. A general guide for recommended rafters is shown below.

How to Install Awning Roof Rafters

These rafters are easy to install and once done can be set up and packed down in seconds.

The location will depend on how many rafters you are using. For single rafters install in the middle of the awning, for multiple space evenly across.

Once you have decided on the location, first attach bracket to van wall with 2 screws. Then extend the awning to fully opened position making sure the key way is facing down and drill a hole in awning tube at appropriate height. Make sure to de-burr hole to avoid damage to awning fabric on closing.

Fiamma Awning Rafters

Fiamma have their own range of specifically designed rafters to suit their awnings. For box awnings such as the F45 and F65 there are 2 styles available; straight or curved.

These rafters require no drilling and are designed to hook straight into the clips already on most Fiamma awnings. For older awnings without these clips, the rafter can still be used with the provided end caps.

Fiamma CaravanStore bag awnings require a different rafter, shown below. This rafter is only suitable for the CaravanStore bag awnings and is not suitable for Fiamma F45 awnings.

Awning Roof Rafter Comparison Chart

The comparison chart below gives a quick overview of the available rafters and their main features.