Folding awning for a car trailer with your own hands. How to make an awning for a car trailer with your own hands

Modern materials from which awnings are made today are highly durable and, if properly maintained, they will last for several years. However, nothing is durable, so sooner or later the awning on the trailer of a passenger car still wears out and loses its properties.

Of course, there are companies that sell awnings, but, in truth, it is very difficult to choose a finished coating for a specific trailer frame. The fabric must be in close contact with the metal rods and the elements of the main frame in order to create a high density of contact.

Without preliminary measurements, the manufacturer simply will not be able to create the perfect awning for certain trailers for. In such cases, it is easiest to sew it yourself yourself.

Stages of making an awning

trailer frame measurements

Any tailoring of awnings for car trailers should always begin with frame measurements. It is important to obtain all the necessary dimensions in order to transfer them to the material. What do you need to get measurements? First of all, you need to set the length and width of the trailer.

After that, the length of the frame arc is measured. The length of the arc should be measured from the center of the bead to its peak point. Next, you should measure the length from the edge of the side arc to the bend, and also do not forget to take measurements from the bend to the center. To make a do-it-yourself tent, three parts will be used. The first part for the back, the second for the front and the house-shaped part for the roof. Measurements received. Now they can begin to transfer to the material.

cutting

Place the fabric on a large table or select a large area on the floor. First you need to draw the front and back of the future cover. We begin to draw the width, here it is worth leaving no more than 3 cm for seam allowances. Set the center point on the drawn width and transfer the measurements of the center of the arc to the tarpaulin material on the trailer in such a way that you get a figure similar to the measurements made. Remember to leave free material for other seams.

Cutting material for the awning

Transferring the figure to the material is a few centimeters below its width so that the awning can overlap the sides of the trailer. It is worth dropping an additional 5 cm below for turning the material in order to strengthen future eyelets. After receiving the shape of the walls, it is necessary to measure the main part of the canopy along the arc, which will be sewn from the material. It remains only to transfer the length of the trailer, add a few centimeters for the seams, transfer everything to the fabric and proceed to sewing.

Sewing

It should be noted right away that an ordinary machine is not suitable for sewing. It is best to use the Singer or similar machines that can easily cope with such tasks. It is also necessary to select a reinforced thread and you can start making an awning for a trailer. It is necessary to sew 2 sides to the main part of the material and draw a finishing line along the largest piece. After that, make folds and sew the fabric from the inside.

Sewing an awning from pre-cut blanks

The awning is almost ready, it remains only to put it on and leave marks for the location of the eyelets. Eyelets are best to choose stainless. Installing them yourself is not very easy, so you can use the help of clothing repair, where using special tools they are quickly riveted to the marked places. That's all, the tent is almost ready. Slide the expander with a snake through the eyelets and put it on the trailer. Don't forget to brag about your work to your friends.

Material selection and installation

PVC fabric

Relatively recently, tarpaulin was mainly used for awnings. Today, almost all awnings for passenger cars are made from materials based on polyester or polyester fabric coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Both a plain PVC fabric and a fabric with a synthetic inner lining can be used. Nowadays, you can still find tarpaulin awnings, but this is a rather rare occurrence.

To make an awning for a trailer from PVC fabric means to protect your cargo from the effects of a variety of natural factors. Such matter can be of any thickness and consist of several layers. Obviously, the more layers and the thicker the material, the greater the strength of the coating. Generally, two technologies are used to connect PVC fabric layers. In the first case, the layers of fabric are glued together, and in the second, they are welded.

It is worth noting that today it is used relatively rarely. Basically, the manufacture of an awning for a trailer is carried out using welding technology. For this, a hot air jet and technology are used when PVC sheets are passed through hot rollers.

Advantages of PVC fabric

There are several factors by which PVC fabric should be chosen:

Such fabric can be given almost any color.
The material completely repels liquid. The tarpaulin also does not allow moisture to pass through, but has the ability to absorb it, which gives additional weight.
Connecting seams are not broken under the influence of high temperatures.
PVC performs well at low temperatures, but elasticity suffers a little. There is a misconception that such a fabric breaks in the cold. We can safely say that PVC fabric calmly tolerates even the most.

Installation of an awning on a trailer

You can attach an awning to a trailer using the following methods:

using metal rings that are attached around the perimeter of the trailer;
with the help of eyelets located along the edges of the fabricated awning;
with the help of a cable, which fixes through the upper part of the awning.

Installed eyelets on the awning

When installing eyelets or rings, the distance between them should not exceed 180 mm. Such rings are installed using special fasteners. For fastening all the elements, thin or sisal rope, which is covered with an elastic sheath, is perfect.

It is important that the rope or cable is solid and consists of one piece with metal tips on both ends. As a result, the cable or rope is pulled through the eyelets or rings, after which it is tightly tightened so that the material fits snugly on the frame.

Conclusion

Summing up, I would like to note that making an awning for a trailer is not as difficult as it seems. It is enough to spend some time searching for high-quality material, show patience and care when sewing, and also follow the rest of the rules in the manufacture.

If you have been planning to sew an awning for a long time, then you should no longer postpone this process for later. The main thing is to believe in yourself, and you will succeed.

Having a trailer for a car has many advantages, which we discussed in.

Of course, such an improvised tool greatly facilitates the solution of many household, household and work problems. But more often than not, buying a trailer alone is not enough. Why?

Imagine a situation: you are transporting furniture or building materials in your trailer. When suddenly it starts to rain. What will happen? That's right, the entire contents of the trailer will be flooded with water and your things may simply deteriorate. The same danger awaits in winter during a snowfall. Or, for example, you can transport wooden beams, boards, scrap metal, bulk materials. Even if you somehow fix them inside the trailer, there is no guarantee that all this “good” will not fall out along the way on the next bump of Russian roads known for their “quality”. And besides, not everyone likes it when strangers see the contents of the trailer. Especially considering not the most favorable criminal situation.

To protect yourself from all these misfortunes at once, you just need to make your trailer covered - that is, buy an awning for it.

To date, there are many varieties of awnings. As a rule, car awnings are classified according to the following parameters:

Shelter area;

Compliance with standard sizes;

Design;

Mounting method on the sheltered vehicle;

Material;

Preparation method;

Availability of special inserts.

Tailoring of awnings is usually carried out in two main versions: under an onboard body or under an awning frame.

Most often, awnings are attached to the trailer using metal holes - eyelets or loops made of durable synthetic tape. Sometimes buckles, Velcro or even buttons can be used.

As a material, serious manufacturers use a special awning fabric. The strength and durability of your tent depends on the material.

It is very important that the covering area of the tarpaulin exactly matches the edges of your trailer - in this case, the tarpaulin will perform its direct functions more reliably and last longer.

Many motorists prefer to make tents for their trailers to order. And it makes sense: you don't have to painstakingly measure every centimeter of a trailer or settle for typical sizes and colors. Everything will be done for you by professional tailors who will take into account all the features of your trailer and your cargo.

In Volgodonsk, you can easily order such tents from Mak-Don LLC. Professional masters of "McDon" have extensive experience in the manufacture of various types of awnings from high-quality awning fabrics for almost all types of vehicles.

Greetings, dear friends! For many car owners, a trailer is an integral part of their daily driving life. Someone uses them for work, for some household issues or earnings. Depending on what you are transporting, a trailer cover may be required.

How to get an awning

Agree that many of you have decided to buy an inexpensive, but high-quality design for transporting goods by car. As a result, you have at your disposal something like this:

Laker 300;
KMZ 8136;
MZSA 817711;
Laker 400;
Krepysh, etc.

I do not argue, the trailers are good, made of quality materials and can serve faithfully for many years. Because their sale is so active to this day. Although it's not really about that right now.

In fact, open types of trailers have a significant drawback - they are not able to protect the cargo being transported from dust, dirt, snow, rain and other external factors.

There are three ways to solve the problem:

initially purchase a more expensive trailer that has an awning from the factory;
take an awning to order, having issued an individual tailoring of the product;
independently make a canvas for yourself and install it on the frame of a car trailer.

Since you already have a trailer, as if here it is, standing in your garage, the first option automatically disappears. Or you have nowhere to put your extra money and you are ready to buy a second one. But this is unlikely.

The second option is a good way out for those who are willing to spend a little more money, but save their own time. Buying the right awning under the order is not difficult. It all depends on what size cargo trailers are, whether they have a frame and what material you want to make it from.

Everything is elementary here. You find a workshop that sews awnings to order, leave them a request, and they do what you need. In Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities, there will be no problems finding such workshops. But in small towns it is not a fact that such services exist.

If the first two options do not interest you, I suggest reading the article further. I will tell you how you can save money and sew an element with your own hands.

Material selection

It all starts with careful consideration of your decision. I will not say that making an awning is something easy and fast. No, it will take a lot of time and effort.

The simplest design is a web of material and a mount for it on the trailer itself. The problem is that such an awning will withstand strong air currents, it can be blown away by a headwind. Yes, and such a design limits the carrying capacity. In short, not comme il faut.

I advise you to use a more relevant and effective option - mounting on a frame, as they do on Kurgan trailers of some models, for example.

And here the main issue will be the choice of material. Where to buy suitable source material is not a difficult question. There are many stores selling similar fabrics.

For a trailer for a car, two types of materials are used.

PVC. It's polyvinyl chloride. A good heat-insulating material (it retains heat under it when tightly fastened), perfectly protects against moisture. If PVC suits you, choose a material with a density of 630-650 units. In the absence of markings, it is not difficult to check the density. We just put it on the scale. One square meter at a density of 650 should weigh approximately 650 grams. The material lasts a long time, so you don’t have to change the canvas every season. With good density and high quality PVC tarpaulin, it will last for 8-10 years.

Tarpaulin. Compared to its PVC counterpart, tarpaulin awnings weigh about 100 grams less per square meter. Does not protect as well from moisture and lasts less. But affordable.

On what to stop your choice, decide for yourself.

Do it yourself

In addition to the material for the future awning, you will need to collect additional elements for the future design:

metal rings for eyelets;
strong rope;
reliable harness made of rubber;
hooks.

Do not rush to buy material. Before sewing your trailer cover, calculate how much fabric you will need. Make a frame if you are going to install an awning on it, and not just cover your trailer from above.

Dimensions are calculated based on the following parameters:

the length and width of the trailer itself;
parameters of the vertical racks of the frame;
the distance between the upper point of the frame (the so-called ridge) and the side.

Do not forget to provide seam allowances on the drawings and pattern. They are 2-4 centimeters.

For tailoring you need to take:

sewing machine;
a powerful needle that will easily pass through a tarpaulin or PVC;
thread, preferably reinforced or made of polyester.

Don't forget to use a strong double seam and seal the bottom to fit the rings in.

All this will look something like this:

You make a pattern, calculating the amount of material to cover the entire trailer and fastening with rings and hooks;
Cut out the material according to the drawing, hem it, but not completely;
The draft version is thrown onto the trailer in order to understand how the created awning corresponds in size and location of the seams;
Make marks of places for the manufacture of eyelets. They will have to be sewn in in a special workshop, since a special machine will be required to install the rings in tarpaulin or PVC material. You can find it in shoe shops. The service is not particularly expensive, so in any case it will come out cheaper than tailoring an awning to order;
Before the final installation, insert a rubber band into the rings (eyelets);
To connect the trailer to the awning, use strong ropes or cables, as well as special hooks. Here, you may have to make a few additional holes on the trailer. Do not forget to treat them with anti-corrosion compounds so as not to start the process of rust formation.

That's all. From now on, you know how to make a full-fledged tent with your own hands. This is a useful experience and skills that can be useful at any time in life.

Now, if you plan repairs in your country house or at home, you will need to transport building materials or something else that is afraid of rain and snow, you can load them and cover them with your own awning.

We'll say goodbye. But not for long. See you soon and we will prepare new, interesting materials for you. You can subscribe, leave comments, ask questions and be sure to invite your friends who do not yet know about our site to discussions!

Some people constantly lack the volume of their car. Naturally, they come to the conclusion that they need to additionally purchase . The most advantageous option for the price will be open structures.

But they have one serious drawback - they are unable to protect goods from climatic precipitation and dust when the vehicle is moving. There are three possible solutions to the problem:

Initial purchase of a trailer with an awning.
The subsequent production of an awning on the trailer under the order.
Independent production of the desired protective coating.

It would be quite logical to assume that the last of the proposed options will always be more cost-effective, since, at a minimum, you will not have to pay extra for the work of the masters. But before proceeding with its implementation with your own hands, you should think it over several times.

Application and selection of awning

The purpose of an awning for a light trailer is quite clear - to protect the transported cargo from pollution and precipitation. But before you start choosing the material for the awning, you should think about how it will be used. The easiest option is to buy material of a suitable size and make fasteners on it. But a more effective and relevant type of protection is installed on the frame. Therefore, a little more material is required.

Car trailers typically use one of two types of material:

Polyvinyl chloride or PVC. Its advantages: retains heat well, if all openings are well closed, copes well with moisture. It is recommended to select a fabric with a density from 63 to 650. If there is no appropriate marking on the proposed product, then such a product can be easily checked using scales - one square meter of fabric should weigh approximately 650 grams. One of the advantages of this material is a long service life - their PVC awning can safely perform its function for ten years.
Tarpaulin. The product weighs one hundred grams less per square meter of surface than its PVC counterpart. It is characterized by less protection against wetness and a reduced service life.

Naturally, in the implementation of the plan, you will also need to pick up metal rings, a strong rope, a rubber band and hooks - that is, fasteners and fixation elements.

Do-it-yourself trailer awning

In order not to purchase excess material, you should know the exact size of the tent being created. Initially, for this it is necessary to prepare a frame, of course, if the motorist has planned this particular option. The most popular type of frame system for car trailers is the so-called "house". It is quite simple to make it - if a person has welding skills - three elements are usually installed: in the center and on the front / rear side of the trailer.

The next step is sizing. This will require:

Measure the length and width of the trailer;
Find out the dimensions of the vertical racks in the frame;
Find out the distance from the highest point of the metal frame (ridge zone) to the side.

After that, using the simplest mathematical calculations, known from the standard school course, the area of \u200b\u200bthe entire tent and the dimensions of each part of it are calculated. Naturally, it is advisable to use paper for the pattern, which will allow you to calmly make changes and initially wait with the purchase of the material itself - for its further savings.

When creating a cutting, it is also very important not to forget to make seam allowances:

On the lower part of the future awning for a light trailer - four centimeters each - a specially compacted place for installing metal rings;
On other seams - two centimeters are enough.

For direct tailoring, you must have:

Actually, a sewing machine;
Strong needle (120-130);
Strong thread. It is advisable to take reinforced options or polyester.

It is recommended to attach the front and back of the "house" to the main surface of the tent with a double seam. Be sure not to forget to compact the bottom of the material for the subsequent installation of the rings.

Before the next stage, the awning is temporarily put on the frame so that it is possible to accurately mark the places for the eyelets. To install these elements, you will need a special machine, which can be found in any good shoe shop - you will have to carry the material there, and, unfortunately, pay a certain amount of money.

Before the final installation of the finished awning in its place of further operation, a previously purchased rubber band is inserted into the eyelets. Fixing the product to the trailer itself is best done with a strong (at least eight millimeters) rope or cable (about three millimeters) made of metal.

Everything is ready - you can use the results of your own work!

The Moscow Specialized Vehicles Plant produces light trailers for a variety of needs. Models designed for transporting motor vehicles - motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, etc. are very popular. In order for the transportation of such expensive and fragile equipment to be as safe as possible, it is necessary that the trailer be equipped with a frame and covered with an awning. This design perfectly protects against dust, stones from oncoming and passing cars, atmospheric precipitation.

MZSA offers to order frames and awnings as additional equipment. However, topics are actively discussed on the forums on the network - “is it worth buying a factory frame or making it yourself”? Without insisting on any of the options, we note the advantages of each of them:

Factory frame: no time required, all dimensions are perfectly matched to the dimensions of the trailer, the structure is covered with protective materials.
Homemade frame: it will cost at least 2 times cheaper, it is possible to make it according to individual sizes.

Often, it is the desire to save money that prompts people to make a frame for an awning on their own. And given that this is a very simple matter, this option has every chance of life.

Before starting work

Before you get down to business, you need to decide - will the frame be collapsible or welded? The convenience and practicality of a collapsible design is difficult to overestimate - if necessary, it can be removed and neatly folded in the garage, where it will take up a minimum of space. The welded frame can only be removed from the trailer. It is technologically more difficult to make a collapsible frame, it will take more time. Therefore, if you are sure that the frame with an awning will be permanently installed on the trailer, we recommend that you take a closer look at the welded structure.

The second thing that is important to think about in advance is the presence or absence of a bevel, as well as the height of the structure. Aerodynamic bevel allows you to achieve a reduction in windage, and, accordingly, fuel consumption. In this case, the capacity of the trailer suffers. The height of the frame should also not be excessive.

How to make a do-it-yourself trailer frame

A closed-type profile pipe with a cross section of 20 * 20 mm is an ideal solution for assembling a frame. Such a profile fits tightly into the technical holes of the racks of the MZSA trailer sides.

First of all, you need to measure the length and width of the trailer. When making an awning without an aerodynamic bevel, 4 measurements should be obtained - not always the parallel sides of the trailer have the same dimensions. Mark the measurements obtained on the profile pipe and, using a grinder, cut the profile to the desired dimensions. The four resulting pieces will be the base of the frame and its top.

Similarly, measure and saw off 6 pieces of the profile pipe - they will serve as racks that are inserted into the grooves of the trailer itself. If the trailer is small and has 4 side posts, saw off 4 pieces of the profile pipe.

When the material is sawn, it's time to start welding (in the event that it was customary to assemble a welded structure). Insert 4 or 6 pieces of profile pipe, which will act as frame racks, into the rack profile of the trailer sides. The profile should rest against the bottom of the side post. Weld sawn off pieces of profile pipes to the upper end of the racks. If necessary, the 4 corner joints can be reinforced with metal plates.

As a rule, the resulting design will not have a sufficient margin of safety. That is why it is better to further strengthen the structure with profile pipes. The number of pipes reinforcing the frame will depend on the size of the trailer and the conditions in which it will be operated. The top of the frame should be battened so that when it rains, water does not collect and pull the awning off the frame.

After the structure is fully welded, it must be primed and painted. This will significantly increase the life of the frame.

Does it make sense to "cheat"?

The MZSA plant produces a number of trailer models, which can be additionally equipped with factory frames and awnings. For example, here are some of these models:

Photo	Model	dimensions	purpose	load capacity	Price