Rhino-Rack BatWing Write Up & Review

[On Point]

After purchasing my Rhino Rack Pioneer Platform and Backbone system, I became hooked on the quality of their products. I found out they were releasing a new awning called the Batwing and that has led us to where we are now. The Batwing Awning arrived in a long box, 100” to be exact. Initial impressions were high. Upon opening the box the PVC plastic cover for the awning felt solid and durable.

Arrival and unboxing:

Instructions are very clear, so follow closely.

Brackets assembled with the needed bolts and nuts.

Brackets slide in the channels on the backside of the awning.

The bottom part of the bracket that extends out 90* slides in the channel of the Pioneer Platform. Mounting to other roof racks will vary installation steps. Ensure you have the awning mounted forward enough as to not interfere with opening the hatch.

As you open and close the awning it is secured by magnets. These are the small attention to details that I love about Rhino Rack!

Storage pouch is sewn on to the awning cover and keeps all tie downs and stakes contained within the unit. Again, details!!

Fully deployed.

Conclusion: I absolutely LOVE this awning. There is one draw back that I have encountered and that is the inability to open the hatch completely when the awning is deployed. However, because the Batwing awning is so easy to open & close, it takes 10 seconds to move the awning out of the way to open the hatch fully. I am fine with this tradeoff, because I love the large footprint of coverage that the awning provides. Also, you still have access to the cargo area by rolling your back window down. I hope this write up & review helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[jamoc]

Another great write up! Thank you!!

 

[Titanpat57]

Been thinking about selling the Foxwing and moving up to a Batwing...love the thought of integrated poles.

Thanks for the write up...nice job.

 

[NicheVintage]

Looks great! Does it have an annex option?

 

[JKLNHYD]

Are the poles height adjustable? It looks like rain would drain right to the center of the awning.

 

[Lujess]

Thanks for a great write-up and pics!

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Wow, that thing is huge! Do you have to have the roof rack to mount this product or could it mount to the stock roof rails?

Also, is there no way to open the hatch and still have this deployed? Because for tailgating it wouldn't be very convenient to not have the hatch open lol

 

[quick AG surfer]

Looks like it’s ready for Alaska

 

[On Point]

Looks great! Does it have an annex option?

Yes. It has zippers all around the parameter so that you can attach side walls. They also have a tent that can be attached to it. It's like the "Leatherman" of awnings! haha

 

[On Point]

Are the poles height adjustable? It looks like rain would drain right to the center of the awning.

Yes, the poles are height adjustable and there are multiple points for Guy Lines and to stake it down. You can direct rainwater any direction you want.

The picture you see was a quick picture I took after installing it. I will post pictures of it in "use" as soon as I can get some free time!

 

[On Point]

Wow, that thing is huge! Do you have to have the roof rack to mount this product or could it mount to the stock roof rails?

Also, is there no way to open the hatch and still have this deployed? Because for tailgating it wouldn't be very convenient to not have the hatch open lol

Truthfully, I'm not sure how it would mount to the stock roof rails. Certainly some ingenuity. You do not have to have the Rhino Rack roof rack, but other brand roof racks would probably have their own adapter that you would fit to the awning.


I have not found a way to open the hatch fully with the awning open. I do have the Gobi ladder that makes contact with the awning, so without the ladder, you should have more clearance. Truthfully closing the awning is so easy that the 15 seconds it would take to move the awning to access the hatch is worth it to me. I love the amount of coverage this provides!

 

[On Point]

Looks like it’s ready for Alaska

Can't wait brother!

 

[itschuck]

The fact the hatch interferes with these types of awnings is such a bummer. I'd love to see someone design a system that works in combination. I know people have raised the mounting of the awning higher on the rack to clear, but there are some downsides to that for sure.

 

[itschuck]

oh, and does anyone know offhand the price difference between this one and the alu-cab version?

 

[sn_85]

oh, and does anyone know offhand the price difference between this one and the alu-cab version?

The alu-cab is about double the price.

 

[itschuck]

cool, thanks for the info. a bit of a $ hit to not need supports.

 

[On Point]

cool, thanks for the info. a bit of a $ hit to not need supports.

yah, for less than half the price i think the rhino rack is a no brainer. :cheers:

 

[Bishop98]

Love this awning. Does anyone know if it'll work with the SSO rack?

 

[Pathfinder!]

How is this thing in any sort of wind?

 

[leftyguns21]

thanks for the review, I am in the market for an awning so its nice to see all the options.
as a GX owner not being able to open the hatch is a non-issue.
the price though is pretty steep, nearly $700. you do get quite a bit of shade with it though. something I will consider if I don't get the front runner tent (since I have the front runner rack)