Do-it-yourself folding awning for a light trailer. How to make an awning on a car trailer with your own hands

Modern materials from which awnings are made today are distinguished by high strength and, if they are used correctly, they will serve for several years. However, nothing is durable, so sooner or later the awning on a car trailer will still wear out and lose its properties.

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

Without preliminary measurements, the manufacturer simply cannot create the perfect awning for certain trailers. In such cases, the easiest way is to sew it yourself yourself.

Stages of making an awning

Trailer frame measurements

Any sewing of tents for trailers of cars should always start with measurements of the frame. It is important to obtain all the required dimensions in order to transfer them to the material. What is needed to obtain measurements? The first step is to set the length and width of the trailer.

After that, the length of the frame arc is measured. The arc length should be measured from the center of the bead to its peak point. Next, it is worth measuring the length from the edge of the lateral arc to the bend, and also do not forget to take measurements from the bend to the center. Three parts will be used to make an awning with your own hands. The first part is for the back, the second is for the front and a house-shaped part for the roof. Measurements received. Now you can start transferring them to the material.

Cut

Place the fabric on a large table or create 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 the 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 so that you get a figure similar to the measurements taken. Remember to leave loose material for other seams.

Cutting material for awning

To transfer 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 lowering an additional 5 cm below to fold 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 sewing machine is not suitable for sewing. It is best to use a "Singer" or similar machines that can easily cope with such tasks. You also need to pick up 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 arrange the finishing line along the largest piece. After that, make the folds and sew the fabric from the inside.

Sewing an awning from pre-cut blanks

The awning is almost ready, you just have to put it on and leave marks for the location of the eyelets. It is best to choose stainless steel eyelets. It is not very easy to install them yourself, so you can use the help of clothing repair, where with the help of special tools they are quickly riveted into the marked places. That's all, the awning is almost ready. Pass the expander through the eyelets with a snake and put it on the trailer. Do not forget to brag about the result of your work in front of your friends.

Material selection and installation

PVC fabric

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

To make an awning for a trailer made of PVC fabric means to protect your cargo from the effects of various 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. Usually, two technologies are used to join layers of PVC fabric. In the first case, the layers of fabric are glued together, and in the second, they are welded.

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

Benefits of PVC fabric

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

1. This fabric can be given almost any color.
2. The material completely repels liquid. The tarpaulin also does not allow moisture to pass through, but tends to absorb it, which adds additional weight.
3. Connecting seams are not damaged by high temperatures.
4. PVC shows itself well at low temperatures, but elasticity suffers a little. There is a misconception that such fabric breaks in the cold. We can safely say that PVC fabric easily tolerates even the most.

Installing the awning on the trailer

You can attach the awning to the 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 made awning;
• with the help of a cable, which is fixed through the upper part of the awning.

Installed eyelets on awning

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

It is important that the rope or cable is solid and in one piece with metal ends at 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 looking for high-quality material, be patient and attentive when sewing, and also follow the rest of the rules during manufacturing.

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

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

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

Imagine a situation: you are transporting furniture or building materials in your trailer. Suddenly a heavy downpour begins. 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 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 on 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 environment.

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

Today there are many types of awnings. Typically, car awnings are classified according to the following parameters:

Shelter area;

Compliance with typical sizes;

Design;

Method of attachment to the covered vehicle;

Material;

Preparation method;

The presence of special inserts.

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

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

Serious manufacturers use a special awning fabric as a material. The strength and durability of your awning depends on the material.

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

Many car enthusiasts prefer to make custom tarpaulins for their trailers. And this makes sense: you do not have to painstakingly measure out every centimeter of the trailer or be content with standard sizes and colors. Everything for you will be done by professional seamstresses who will take into account all the features of your trailer and your cargo.

In Volgodonsk, you can easily order such tents from the Mak-Don company. Professional craftsmen of "MacDon" have extensive experience in the manufacture of various types of tents 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 car life. Someone uses them for work, for some household issues or earnings. Depending on what you are carrying, a trailer tarpaulin may be required.

How to get an awning

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

• Laker 300;
• KMZ 8136;
• MZSA 817711;
• Laker 400;
• Strong, etc.

I do not argue that the trailers are good, made of high quality materials and can serve faithfully for many years. Therefore, their sale is so active to this day. Although now not quite about that.

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

There are three ways to fix the problem:

• initially buy yourself a more expensive trailer, which has an awning from the factory;
• take an awning to order, having issued individual tailoring of the product;
• make your own canvas and install it on the frame of a car trailer.

Since you already have a trailer, as if 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 of the situation for those who are ready to spend a little more money, but save their own time. It will not be difficult to buy the required awning under the order. It all depends on what size the 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 custom-made awnings, 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 are available.

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 item with your own hands.

Material selection

It all starts with thinking carefully about 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 fastening 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. And such a design limits the cargo capacity. In short, not comme il faut.

I advise you to use a more relevant and effective option - installation on a frame, as they do on some models of Kurgan trailers, 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 shops selling similar fabrics.

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

• PVC. He's polyvinyl chloride. Good heat-insulating material (heat is retained under it with tight fastening), 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 with a density of 650 should weigh approximately 650 grams. The material lasts a long time, so you won't have to change the canvas every season. With good density and high quality PVC awning, it will last for 8-10 years.

• Tarpaulin. Compared with the analogue made of polyvinyl chloride, tarpaulin awnings weigh about 100 grams less per square meter. Not so good at protecting against moisture and serving less. But affordable for the price.

What to opt for, decide for yourself.

Do it yourself

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

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

Don't rush to buy stuff. Before you sew your trailer blanket, calculate how much fabric you need. Make a frame if you are going to put 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 top point of the frame (the so-called ridge) and the board.

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

For sewing, you need to take:

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

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

It will all look something like this:

• You make a pattern by 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;
• A draft version is thrown over the trailer in order to understand how the created awning matches the size and location of the seams;
• Mark the places for making eyelets. They will have to be sewn in a special workshop, since a special machine will be required to install the rings in tarpaulin or PVC material. You will find it in shoe shops. The service is not very expensive, so it will come out in any case cheaper than tailoring an awning to order;
• Before final installation, insert a rubber harness into the rings (eyelets);
• Use strong ropes or cables and special hooks to connect the trailer to the tarpaulin. Here you may need to make some extra 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 awning with your own hands. These are useful experiences and skills that can come in handy at any time in life.

Now, if you are planning a renovation at your dacha 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.

Let's 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 purchase additionally. The most profitable option for the price will be open structures.

But they have one serious drawback - they are unable to protect cargo from climatic precipitation and dust when the vehicle is moving. The solution to the problem can be three options:

1. Initial purchase of an awning trailer.
2. Subsequent production of an awning for a trailer under the order.
3. Independent production of the required protective coating.

It would be quite logical to assume that the last of the proposed options will always be more cost-effective, since, at least, you will not have to pay extra for the work of the craftsmen. But before you start implementing it yourself, you should think it over several times.

Application and selection of awning

The purpose of the awning for a light trailer is quite clear - to protect the transported cargo from pollution and precipitation. But before proceeding with the choice of the material itself 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 mounts on it. But a more effective and relevant type of protection is installed on the frame. Therefore, a little more material will be required.

For car trailers, one of two types of material is commonly used:

1. Polyvinyl chloride or PVC. Its advantages: it retains heat well, if all openings are well closed, it copes well with moisture. It is recommended to select fabric with a density of 63 to 650. If there is no corresponding marking on the proposed product, then such a product can be easily checked using scales - one square meter of fabric should weigh about 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.
2. Tarpaulin. The product weighs a hundred grams less per square meter of surface than its analogue of their PVC. It is characterized by less protection against wetting and 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 fixing elements.

DIY trailer tent

In order not to acquire excess material, you should know the exact size of the awning 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 passenger car trailers is the so-called "house". It is quite simple to make it - if a person has the skills in welding - usually three elements are installed: in the center and on the front / rear side of the trailer.

The next step is taking measurements. This will require:

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

After that, with the help of the simplest mathematical calculations, known from the standard school course, the area of \u200b\u200bthe entire awning and the size of each part 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 - to further save it.

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

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

For direct sewing, you must have:

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

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

Before the next step, 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 for further operation, a previously purchased rubber band is inserted into the eyelets. It is best to fix the product to the trailer itself 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 Automobile Plant produces light trailers for a wide variety of needs. Models designed for transportation of motor vehicles - motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, etc. are very popular. 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 vehicles, precipitation.

MZSA offers to order frames and awnings as additional equipment. However, online forums are actively discussing topics - "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:

1. Factory frame: no time-consuming, all dimensions are ideally matched to the dimensions of the trailer, the structure is covered with protective materials.
2. 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 the awning on their own. And if you consider that this is a completely simple matter, this option has every chance of life.

Before starting work

Before getting down to business, you need to decide - will the frame be collapsible or welded? The convenience and practicality of the collapsible design is difficult to overestimate - if necessary, it can be removed and folded neatly 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 the 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. The aerodynamic slope allows for 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 frame for a trailer with your own hands

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

The first step is to measure the length and width of the trailer. When making an awning without an aerodynamic bevel, 4 dimensions should be obtained - not always parallel sides of the trailer have the same dimensions. Mark the measurements obtained on the profile pipe and use the grinder to cut the profile to the required dimensions. The four pieces obtained 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 uprights inserted into the slots of the trailer itself. If the trailer is small and has 4 side posts, cut off 4 pieces of the profile pipe.

When the material has been cut, 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 struts, into the rack profile of the sides of the trailer. The profile should rest against the bottom of the side post. Weld the 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 structure will not have a sufficient safety margin. That is why it is better to additionally strengthen the structure with shaped pipes. The number of tubes reinforcing the frame will depend on the size of the trailer and the conditions in which it will be used. The top of the frame should be lined to prevent water from collecting and pulling the awning off the frame during rain.

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

Does it make sense to "chew"?

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

Photo	Model	dimensions	Purpose	Lifting capacity	Price