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ARB Touring 2500×2500 Awning review
The awning is a must-have for every overlander! It is a great accessory that will multiply your living space in a matter of seconds. Before we owned the Defender 110, we drove a Land Rover Series 3 Ambulance with an awning that slid into a special rail along the side of the car. It was a great piece of kit that was very lightweight with multifunctional legs, but also very clumsy to set up. So, when we bought the Defender things needed to be different. That’s where the ARB Touring comes in!
The ARB Touring is an all-in-one solution that can be mounted to the side of the roof rack. There’s also a smaller option for the rear side of the car if you like that. The all-in-one solution is neatly stored in a heavy-duty zipped bag that is attached to the aluminum support frame at the back. Everything is in there, so there’s no need to stow away any parts inside the vehicle, thus saving space and keeping everything clean inside your house.
We chose the ARB Touring 2500×2500 awning, which we will tell you all about! It’s a great fit alongside the Defender 110 and extends out pretty far, giving plenty of living space. Also, the possibility of buying accessories like a sidewall or a complete room makes this awning a great choice for overlanders.
What is the ARB Touring Awning?
The ARB Touring Awning not only shelters us, but also creates a homey feeling. It’s a great place to hang out and chill. Setting up our chairs and table underneath the awning creates a great vibe. You’re right at home. We honestly think people underestimate the power it has on the overall camp feeling. If not for the shelter it’s almost worth buying it just for this alone. When traveling through hot countries like Croatia, Albania, Greece, and Turkey an awning is a great piece of kit to take with you. When the sun is out and the temperature reaches a staggering 40 °C it’s nice to take some cover from the direct sunlight. The awning provides us with shade and makes sure a breeze can still pass through, cooling us down.
Then when the weather turns for the worse it protects us from rain. It has proven to be capable of providing shelter when the rain sustains for a longer time. We’ve had two days of heavy continuous rain, even flooding the entire campsite, whilst we were still relatively dry. If you expect to be in heavy rain a lot we would recommend buying at least one sidewall. It’s a nice feature to have when the rain comes in at an angle. The effective dry space you can use becomes quite a lot bigger and it also keeps the breeze out.
Specifications
- ARB Touring 2500 (250 x 250 cm)
- Poly-cotton ripstop canvas
- 300 gr/m2 fabric, heavy-duty quality
- UVP50+ rated sun protection
- Coated with water repellent and fire extinguishing impregnation
- Durable nylon reinforced PVC cover
- Telescopic poles included in the design
Pros
- Relatively low weight
- Quick to set up (30 seconds)
- Great natural color
- Coated canvas (water repellent and fire extinguishing)
- Rip-stop material to prevent tearing
- Durable cover
- Possible to replace the twist-locks in the field (cheap and small to carry)
- Includes guy-ropes and pegs
Cons
- Need to really tighten the poles, or else they will slide in when under stress (windy conditions). Just keep it in mind and tighten them up well.
- Fiddly to set up and store away on your own. It’s possible, but with two people it’s a piece of cake.
- The velcro that attaches the canvas to the poles isn’t the best on the market. They are difficult to replace, but luckily not essential for usage.
- The velcro straps that hold the awning in place when folded up with also wear quite fast and are super expensive to replace.
We put it to the (field-)test!
Our ARB awning has been fighting the harshest of elements quite a few times! During seven years of use, we’ve only stowed it away about five times due to the elements. These times the wind picked up well over 100 km/h and we didn’t want to risk losing it. During one of these storms, we saw dozens of awnings collapse all around the campsite, so we decided to stow it away safely. If you keep it up in heavy winds you have to make sure to tighten up the twist-locks really well. We’ve had the twist-locks come undone a few times when the wind was beating against the canvas. It’s just a matter of doing them up tight enough, as you don’t want to get out of bed during the night because your awning collapsed. Another thing to keep an eye on is the velcro straps. When the wind is beating against the canvas and it’s flapping they often come undone as well. Additionally (after many years of use) they have now become useless and won’t stick anymore.
Another time, in the summer of 2018, we were experiencing heavy downpours in Southern France. Heavy rain was expected, but not this much! The entire Ardeche region was experiencing mighty rainfall and rivers doubled (or tripled) in volume and flooded the region. Our campsite was affected as well. Luckily for us, our roof tent kept us dry and warm (even let us watch a movie whilst riding out the storm) and the awning held on really well. So, we were able to have a dry breakfast whilst other people were looking for a place to take shelter (they stayed in the reception area, no worries).
Overall it has protected us against fierce sunlight, normal rain, and a few storms really well. We couldn’t have done without it, that’s for sure!
Would we buy it again?
Yes, we would buy it again, or a different brand… The awning itself has proven its worth numerous times, in rain and sun. Besides that, it really creates the cozy camping atmosphere we like. We would definitely advise an awning, but should it be the ARB Touring, we’re not sure.
Whilst we’re happy now, we have to admit we were off to a bumpy start with the awning. The first model we bought had some problems with the canvas coating which was coated in lanes instead of continuously. This resulted in a tricky situation when it rained for longer periods. ARB replaced it free of charge, which was a very mentionable service! Although the new awning has a perfect coating, it is still not perfect in our opinion as the sides – which are supposed to line up with the outward extensions – curve inwards and therefore don’t line up properly. However, it hasn’t caused many problems so far.
In Europe, we mostly used our awning on legal campsites, as we wanted to be more discreet when camping in the wild. Nevertheless, it’s easy to set up and really makes us feel at home. If you’re an avid ‘wild camper’ like us you have to ask yourself the question if you want to stand out more. This question often comes to mind when wild camping isn’t allowed or just barely condoned. But hey, most of us ‘wild campers’ are visiting campsites now and then, if only to do the laundry! It’s worth your money even then! Oh, and our most recent experiences in Africa show that the sun makes you melt without an awning, so camping or no camping, we use the awning very often now.
Due to the bad start we had with the awning, we would recommend testing it well before you set off. Set it up and hose it down well, for at least 20 minutes. Or care about the environment and just wait for a rainy day to check if any water leaks through or if you can see any coating problems in the fabric. If not, great! Now, let it dry and set off! Enjoy!
Our approach for gear reviews
As long-term overlanders we fully understand the need for high-quality and reliable gear. We know that if gear isn’t up to standard it can hinder your adventures, resulting in discomfort or a dangerous situation.
We write our reviews after extensive testing and with you – an adventurous overlander – in mind. We hope you appreciate our information, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
ARB Update
Our (second) awning is now a good five years old and has done its task. We are happy with it. ARB did promise to improve on the coating and the quality, so there’s a fair chance the quality has improved since we got ours.
Besides that, they have also launched a hardshell version and a version with a LED strip included. The latter is an awesome addition if you ask us, well worth the consideration.
Check out these product shots
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