Shade makes or breaks a camp in the Australian summer. The XTM Car Awning 2m x 2.5m bolts to the roof rack of our Prado and rolls out into a shaded living space in a few minutes, whether that’s a beach day, a roadside lunch stop or a camp at Coorongooba Campground in Capertee National Park. It cost us $120.
What’s in the box
A 2 × 2.5 m awning in 170 gsm ripstop polyester with a PU coating and UPF50+, on an aluminium frame with twist-lock legs and reinforced nylon corner knuckles. It rolls up into a heavy-duty PVC bag that stays on the roof rack, with steel L-brackets to mount it, plus guy ropes and pegs. Packed, it’s 213 cm long and weighs just over 10 kg.
What we like
- 2 × 2.5 m of shade
- UPF50+ sun protection
- Tough 170 gsm ripstop polyester
- Twist-lock aluminium legs
- Reinforced corner knuckles
- Heavy-duty PVC bag
What we don’t
- Heavy: just over 10 kg
- Needs guy ropes in wind
- Basic mounting brackets
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | XTM |
| Material | 170 gsm ripstop polyesterPU coatedAluminium frame |
| Colour options | BeigeBlackbag |
| Weight | 10.11 kg |
| Size | 2 × 2.5 m |
| Packed size | 213 × 15 × 13 cm |
| Mounting | Steel L-bracketsincluded |
| Included | PVC bag |
| Features | UPF50+Twist-lock legsGuy ropes and pegs |
At Coorongooba
At Coorongooba Campground, under the sandstone cliffs of Capertee National Park, we rolled it out from the side of the Prado. There, the 2 × 2.5 m of shade covers the camp table, the stove and a couple of chairs, which is all we need for cooking and eating outside. The UPF50+ fabric makes a real difference on a hot day, cutting the glare and the heat.
Legs and corners
Setting it up is straightforward: unzip the bag, roll the awning out and extend the legs. The aluminium legs are twist-lock, so they adjust smoothly, even with one hand, and hold firm once locked, which makes setup quicker than older clip legs. At the corners, reinforced nylon knuckles join the legs to the front bar, which is where many cheaper awnings fail, and the guy ropes tie off there too.
Mounting
The awning comes with simple steel L-brackets that bolt to a roof platform or cross bars. They do the job on our rack, but they’re basic, and with a different rack you might want something sturdier. At 213 cm long the bag takes up a fair bit of the rack, but its slim profile means it doesn’t look out of place. The weight, just over 10 kg, makes it an awning you mount and leave on, not one to take on and off.
Wind and rain
In wind, it needs proper pegging and guy ropes: without them, the fabric catches the wind quickly. Once it’s tied down, it feels steady. In light rain the PU-coated fabric kept everything underneath dry; in a heavy downpour, set one side lower so the water runs off instead of pooling. It isn’t made for storms or strong wind.
Lights under the awning
After dark it’s easy to light up the space underneath. The Kings LED strip light slides into the awning by its sail-track edge, and the Smiling Shark magnetic work light lights up the camp kitchen underneath.
Conclusion: XTM Car Awning 2m x 2.5mConclusion
The XTM Car Awning 2m x 2.5m is solid value for shade and shelter on the side of the car: 2 × 2.5 m of UPF50+ ripstop polyester, twist-lock legs, reinforced corners and a heavy-duty bag. It weighs just over 10 kg, needs guy ropes in wind and the brackets are basic, but at $120 it turned our camp at Coorongooba into a proper outdoor living space.
A good-value 2 × 2.5 m awning that one person can set up quickly.
The materials are durable and the shade is solid. It's not made for extreme conditions, but for weekend touring it's reliable and easy to stow.
- Weekend trips
- 4WD tourers
- Couples
Yes. For its price you get 2 × 2.5 m of UPF50+ shade, tough ripstop and smooth twist-lock poles. The brackets are basic and it needs guy ropes in wind, so it’s best for fair-weather touring.
