Securing shade to vehicles

[Liz Zay]

Hi burner world! I have been to the playa a few times but this is my first time having to figure out my own shade and it's a struggle! I bought a Kodiak tent but I still want shade on top. I am planning to set up between two trucks and secure a shade structure to the trucks. I'm going to get a triangle shade sail.

My question is: do you have any tips for securing the sail to the vehicles in a way that won't damage them? One of the trucks is a rental so I definitely don't want to do any damage from the wind. What materials should I buy?

Thank you!!! )'(

[Token]

Triangle shade sails sure make a spot pretty but are less than useful for actual shade. They simply don’t cast a good shadow.

My wife loves them for “curb appeal” on the ranch so I got tons of them all over.

Ducks love it.

If you get your crew to park the trucks just right, you can just pitch your tent in the “shade” side of the trucks.

Otherwise, use the non-rental truck and take a shade cloth diagonally from the truck box to the ground. Aluminet is recommended as its light weight and let’s wind through.

As for attaching, hard to say without seeing the truck. Bring a bunch of pool noodles as they come in handy as shims for protecting corners and whatnot.

Good luck.

[DoctorIknow]

Bring a bunch of pool noodles as they come in handy as shims for protecting corners and whatnot.

I like the pipe insulation...cheap, pre-cut, the glue on it not the greatest, but it can stay stuck if under pressure. I bring extra as when packing up, it's great to have around.

pipe insulation 2.JPG

[Canoe]

I don't like the pipe-insulation for that. Too soft, compresses too much, doesn't maintain its clearance, tears too easily.

The pool noodles I get are significantly more robust than pipe-insulation: keep way more of their 'loft' under load, resist tearing (even when abused some). So far from the one's I've bought, no difference between the dollar store ones or regular store ones, except for available sizes, colours, shapes (extruded profiles). Cuts easily, up its length like pipe-insulation, and even in spirals to fit onto a pipe/leg of something that's already assembled.
Tape in place. Stucco Tape.

[DoctorIknow]

Thanks for the compression words.

I guess I just went cheap long ago as the pool noodles always seem too expensive. But, really, what is a few more bucks...the money spent after the ticket purchase is always much higher than the ticket...can't be helped!

[Ratty]

I buy the dollar store noodles and replace them every couple of years when they start to fall apart.

[Ratty]

So did you hear the one about me mooping noodles in the fast lane?

[dustandsnow]

Last year I used loops of rope tied to the undercarriage of the truck then connected them to ratchet straps to tighten the aluminet across the top, just hooking the ratchet straps to the gromets on the aluminet.
(girlfriend for scale)