Kelty Sideroads Awning

My two cents on the Backroads... with pictures:

I waited for frozen ground so I wouldn't make a mess of things. I was able to put it up myself NP in windless conditions. Any sort of breeze and I would definitely want some help.

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There's lots of head room. I'm 6'4" and wasn't confined to a small area. The footprint is 6' wide at the trailer, 7 1/2' at the back and about 7' deep. So... plenty for two to make a meal, with a heater going, and places to sit, with maybe a folding table or the CI rear table set up. I didn't try it but the table extension would likely still work.

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It staked out well and was fairly intuitive to set up. Once installed, it seemed like it was designed for the CI.

There were some gaps in the side that needed closing up to make it truly weather-proof and retain as much of the heat as possible:

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I was able to accomplish this, drawing the two pole ends together with some of the copious amounts of webbing that came with it:

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These are the short sections of webbing at the pole ends. Because of the way they are stitched, if you use these short ones for holding down the corner to the fender (rather than across the hatch hinge), it will likely rip out over time. I hope this demonstrates what I'm cautioning against:

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The pole ends can be secured to the far side of the fenders, much the same way the CI vestibule is secured:

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There's a ton of extra webbing that I eventually will be dispensing with in favour of a simpler, quicker and less messy set-up.

The only thing that screams "not made specifically for the CI" is where the canopy contacts the corners of the hatch. These require some protection lest you wear a hole in the nylon:

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I am looking for a "sand mat" or something that can fold up and be held vertical at the bumper. This will hopefully minimize drafts from entering the area from beneath the trailer and make it truly a warm, weatherproof cocoon.

This will also make a great shower/change room, since most of those tents are pretty small to begin with.

I didn't attempt any configuration using collapsible poles at either the front or the back to create a traditional sun/rain shade/shelter, or tried to attach it to the side door, since I was most concerned about being able to work out the bugs for a tight, cold-weather shelter. Those other configurations should also be fairly simple to figure out in time. Using poles at the front would likely also eliminate the problematic contact points at the corners of the hatch.

Now that I'm thinking of it... I didn't test the structure's stability with the hatch down. Maybe someone who has done it can comment on that, and if there are any modifications or precautions that need to be taken. I do know that with the hatch up and secured the way I had it, it isn't going anywhere.
 
Steve and Karen said:
…The only thing that screams "not made specifically for the CI" is where the canopy contacts the corners of the hatch. These require some protection lest you wear a hole in the nylon:
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…
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Thanks for these detailed setup tips! I’m unlikely to have it up before our next trip, will add some s-hooks to our bits & bobs bag, along with the second awning pole that usually stays in the garage.

Good catch on the sharp hatch corners! It looks like a single windy night could do some damage to the canopy.

From the armchair… I might:
  1. Radius and smooth them with an angle grinder. Just a touch!
  2. Coat them in Plasti-Dip.
  3. Pad them as you have done… with something TBD.
To be clear, I am thinking to do all three…
 
Once I got out of the armchair and into the garage some other ideas began percolating… perhaps it was the coffee kicking in at last.
full

Pool noodles are just the ticket! These are the swim toys for kids that have many uses… so there were a couple pieces kicking around the garage. These are 2” OD, 1” ID, about 8” long. I made a quick and dirty slice along each, leaving about 1” uncut. Slide it on the corner - done in 8 minutes, and they fit in the Backroads sack!
 
Those should stay put.

Odds would be (for me) that a strong wind would lift the canopy and my foam discs (that I would have sworn couldn’t possibly go anywhere) would simply fall out. And I’d be doing a patch job on the canopy. If it was even patchable.
 
Pool noodles - what a wonderful universal tool :D

The only thing I see as a 'problem' is that the AC vent would be blocked, but that's a problem with almost every tent I've used as well. This would definitely extend the camping into less that perfect weather :)

Great post!

Whats the bumper mod? I'm curious what solution that solved...
 
I’m sure you could. If you went up to a 5” tube, you’d have another 5 gallons. And a bumper. I love double-duty things.

Mine certainly wasn’t meant to be watertight and is only for long skinny stuff like tarp poles and fishing rods.

Figuring out how to fill it and connecting to the CI tank could be your winter project. The basics of connecting it the trailer are pretty easy, with CI’s parts.
 
Steve and Karen said:
I’m sure you could. If you went up to a 5” tube, you’d have another 5 gallons. And a bumper. I love double-duty things.

Mine certainly wasn’t meant to be watertight and is only for long skinny stuff like tarp poles and fishing rods.

Figuring out how to fill it and connecting to the CI tank could be your winter project. The basics of connecting it the trailer are pretty easy, with CI’s parts.
Click to expand...

I did my calculation on 3.5 inches --- its difficult to get the size in a picture. It may be a little long, my shins are telling me shorter by a few inches might be good :D
 
Mine is 4” dia and despite the appearances i have never come close to banging my shins on it.

For it to work effectively as a protective bumper it needs to be somewhat proud of the rear-most part of the trailer. I think i have the height and extension dialled in fairly well. No “test collisions” yet though. Short of installing a 3-foot high bumper you’re never going to protect against all manner of impacts.
 
Steve and Karen said:
Mine is 4” dia and despite the appearances i have never come close to banging my shins on it.

For it to work effectively as a protective bumper it needs to be somewhat proud of the rear-most part of the trailer. I think i have the height and extension dialled in fairly well. No “test collisions” yet though. Short of installing a 3-foot high bumper you’re never going to protect against all manner of impacts.
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I always think of the bumper more as a protection against backing it up into a picnic table or some relatively light item at low, low backing/maneuvering speeds. I don't assume a 10mph bumper. Which I intentionally keep very slow to minimize the kenetic energy. So far, the biggest thing I've impacted was a rubber made tote while backing into my garage.

I would think the storage solution would be less stout because the cylindrical shape is very weak from the angles it may impact. But, its storage, not protection. I wouldn't want to even guess at how it compares to the factory bumper. BUT...extra storage is always good.
 
For picnic tables, fire pits, that tree that escaped all of your pre-setup site reconnaissance and which your partner feels that you are obviously aware of so (s)he doesn't alert you...

Yes... and certainly not for driving away from a highway-speed rear end collision.

The tube is 0.10" wall (fairly thick) so there's a good chance the brackets and/or frame connection may give way before it does. Depending, of course, on point of impact, angle etc...

CI likely has far more data on real-life impacts, damage, and how far the damage to the CI bumper transfers into the trailer (or gets absorbed by the deformation of the bumper) than I hopefully will ever have with mine. But my connection at the trailer is exactly as it is with CI bumper.
 
Steve and Karen said:
For picnic tables, fire pits, that tree that escaped all of your pre-setup site reconnaissance and which your partner feels that you are obviously aware of so (s)he doesn't alert you...

Yes... and certainly not for driving away from a highway-speed rear end collision.

The tube is 0.10" wall (fairly thick) so there's a good chance the brackets and/or frame connection may give way before it does. Depending, of course, on point of impact, angle etc...

CI likely has far more data on real-life impacts, damage, and how far the damage to the CI bumper transfers into the trailer (or gets absorbed by the deformation of the bumper) than I hopefully will ever have with mine. But my connection at the trailer is exactly as it is with CI bumper.
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I'm the driver --- I make a HORRIBLE passenger. In our towing experience, we have a few rules. Combined as the "GOAL" and "I'm an idiot" rules.

Advice I always give is:

look as you approach, I'm not 100% sure use the "P" and I "Get Out And Look." The spotter needs to use clear hand signals, and remember if they can't see the driver --- the driver can't see them. Mirrors are small. In that case, the "P" should be used.

This last suggestion has often ended in the wearing of a Tshirt that says "I'm sorry for what I said when backing up."

I've seen more than once 5'th wheels --- the BIG buys in big 5'th wheels just smash through trees, breaking limbs. What a stupid way to really do a lot of damage. Was that the tree or the table you didn't see. You can't tell when you're controlling a 400 horsepower engine. I dragged a Toyota Camry (on a tow dolly) about 500 feet before I even began to realize the parking brake was set and the wheels were locked.

"Send it" is not the attitude the driver should have...but too often, I know we've all seen it.
 
Sweeney said:
I Sure am, having a few more gallons of water would be nice and I was thinking that might have been its use.
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That much weight at the end of the lever arm is gonna affect yaw and tongue weight...adversely.

Like the tent pole, fishing pole idea, best.

Maybe Get a RoadShower7 on your roof rack?
I got one (that rides on TV roof rack)
but as fast as the water warms in sun
Is how it cools after sundown...
So take your hot shower when you can...
but its great for downloading extra water to the sideport fill on CI water tanks.
 
Kevin said:
That much weight at the end of the lever arm is gonna affect yaw and tongue weight...adversely.

Like the tent pole, fishing pole idea, best.

Maybe Get a RoadShower7 on your roof rack?
I got one (that rides on TV roof rack)
but as fast as the water warms in sun
Is how it cools after sundown...
So take your hot shower when you can...
but its great for downloading extra water to the sideport fill on CI water tanks.
Click to expand...

Good point.
 
Back to the Kelty Backroads Awning, below is a pic in its awning configuration with poles stabilized with lines to nearby trees. I like to avoid people tripping over guylines whenever possible. It’s a keeper in the rainy/drizzly PNW!
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However. I bought it to use in tent mode as @Steve and Karen showed above, for a trip to Utah parks in April 2024, along with a Big Buddy propane heater to keep my sweetheart’s tootsies warm. Total fail! The open-to-gale-force-winds site at Devil’s Garden Campground in Arches NP wouldn’t let us keep our trailer-mounted ARB awning up, much less the big sail of the Backroads.

But for the more protected and wetter Oregon/Washington camping that is our mainstay the Backroads will serve us well.
 
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