Powerful 4x4 Kalahari Awning Review
We’re a big fan of awnings (obviously) and one of the things we like so much is their versatility. Add a mozzie net or tent and you can turn your sun shade into a comfortable place to spend the night. You can probably guess we were pretty interested when we found that Powerful 4x4 are selling their Kalahari awning complete with a tent kit, and we decided to try one out.
The Kalahari awning is available in three sizes – there’s a 1.4 x 2 metre one that’s ideal for mounting at the rear of your 4wd, and a pair of side-mounted 2.5 x 2 metre ones, so you can have the longer dimension along your vehicle or extending out from it. Right now the 2.5 metre wide model is available with tent for the same price as the tent on its own usually sells for, so if you’re in the market for both this might interest you.
If you’re after something radically different the Kalahari isn’t for you. This is a conventional awning with no surprises. It’s a sturdy one though. The material is heavy duty ripstop canvas that seems pretty waterproof and the frame is the usual aluminium tubes. We didn’t have any complaints about the build quality or stitching, although it wasn’t quite as neat as some we’ve seen recently. The tent is a heavier version of the same fabric – apart from the floor, which looks like vinyl - and again is well made.
Setting up follows the usual pattern and can easily be done in a couple of minutes. The whole thing stows away in a heavy PVC bag, which you just unzip and swing out the side struts. Unroll the awning, fit the end bar over the struts and lower the legs – which as usual are adjustable for length - and you’re done. The tent can be clipped to the frame in about two minutes more. If you already have a 2.5 by 2 metre awning the tent will fit to that, too; it’s been designed to suit most awnings that size. It’s available separately from Powerful 4x4, but to be honest the complete package is a more attractive deal. Who says you can only have one awning anyway?
The Kalahari awning doesn’t have any special features that make it stand out, but it’s a good enough basic awning and the tent bundle is attractive. If you’re looking for a complete solution to give you a versatile setup it could be just what you’re looking for.
