Body Armor 4X4 Pike Awning Review

Have you ever taken a break on the trail or beach and found yourself stuck in the rain or blistering sun? Well, Body Armor 4X4 has the solution for you.

This 79″ x 79” (2006.6mm for all you comparing this to other brands shown in millimeters) awning is the perfect way to keep you and your friends out of the elements while ripping it up on your favorite trails.

Whether you are a Floridian, like me, who frequents the beach or a PNW trail hawk, an awning is a great addition to your rig and you’re missing out if you don’t have one.

This one is extremely easy to install, setup and break down and can be yours for a very reasonable price, making it an awesome option for any Tacoma build. Relative to other tents on the market, this one is very fairly priced.

Find It Online

• Body Armor 4X4 Sky Ridge Series Pike Awning: Check Price

Features: 

• Size (open): 79″ x 79” (2006.6mm)
• Size (closed): 79″ x 4″ x 4″
• Mounting: Easily mounts to roof racks or bed racks
• Materials (Cover): 4420d ripstop polyester oxford fabric + polyurethane coated
• Materials (Bag): UV resistant 680gsm/1200d PVC Coated Tarpaulin + heavy-duty zippers
• Footprint Coverage: 43 square feet
• Self-contained: Includes extruded aluminum telescopic legs/arms (with twist-lock)
• Stakes and tie-down straps are included

Overview

The Body Armor 4X4 Sky Ridge Series Pike Awning is made out of durable 4420D Rip-stop Polyester Oxford fabric that is polyurethane coated for waterproofing. As I mentioned earlier, it is 79” x 79” which provides about 43 square feet of cover to protect you from the rain, sun, or snow.

When it isn’t deployed, it is securely encased in a durable, UV resistant 680GSM/1200D PVC coated tarpaulin material. A heavy-duty zipper helps to keep the elements out and the two exterior straps keep everything in place.

The setup is quite easy and uses a solid set of aluminum twist-lock arms and legs that will protect you and your gear through every trip or trail you find yourself on.

When you first unbox everything, you will immediately see that it is a quality product made of durable materials that would rival its competition out on the market.

Installation

The install process will differ for every build.

Generally speaking, you will need some type of roof or bed rack to be able to install this awning. It comes with brackets and nuts/bolts so that you can mount it directly to your rack.

However, you may need to get some slightly different hardware depending on what rack you are running on your Tacoma.

Awning + Prinsu

I have the Prinsu Designs Cabrack and I needed to use different ¼” carriage bolts that would fit in its extruded aluminum crossbars.

I eventually plan to add this to my Body Armor 4X4 Overland Bed Rack, but for now, I’m using 4” carriage bolts that I previously used to secure my FieryRed traction boards to my Prinsu rack. If I end up keeping it installed on my roof rack, I will get some shorter carriage bolts and reinstall the traction boards in the middle of the Prinsu rack.

I would suggest mounting the brackets loosely to the back as your first step. I mounted the brackets to the roof rack first so I could test fit my bolts, but this made installing it a two-person job and increased the difficulty a bit.

Mount Brackets

To mount the brackets, slide the hex bolts into the slots on the base. Next, remove the nuts and slide the bolts into the holes in the brackets. Finally, loosely tighten down the bolts using the provided wrench.

Once the brackets are loosely attached, you can hold it up to your roof rack and bolt the brackets down using either the provided t-slot bolts or your bolts that work with your rack.

The install is as simple as that! As I mentioned, you may need different bolts or possibly even a different bracket depending on your rack setup, but install is generally straight-forward.

Set Up

Step 1. Undo Straps & Unzip Cover

Once you have the it installed and you are on the trail and ready to deploy it, the setup process is pretty quick and easy.

The first step is to undo the outer straps that help to secure the case. Next, you can fully unzip the cover and flip it back so you have access.

Step 2. Undo Straps & Unroll

You will then see two Velcro straps holding the awning in. Undo these straps and unroll.

Once it is slightly unrolled, you can access the side supports that are tucked into the base and attached using velcro.

Step 3. Set Side Supports

Pull these out 90 degrees while still holding it up and extend them a bit so you will be able to reach them when you fully unravel it.

Next, fully unravel and put the pins on the side supports into the holes in the front support.

At this point, you can pull out the legs, similar to how you pulled out the side supports. Extend these until they reach the ground, and twist the bottom part of the legs clockwise until they lock in place.

You should now have a structure that is set up and sturdy.

Step 4. Secure Awning

There are four velcro straps on the sides that allow you to secure the awning to the side supports. Simply undo these velcro straps, wrap them around the side supports, and reattach them.

Finally, stick the provided stakes into the ground and tie off the attached ropes at a roughly 45 degree to anchor it to the ground.

Now that it is set up, you can hang out and stay protected from the elements. To pack up, simply do the above steps in reverse and you’re good to go.

Review

This Body Armor 4X4 Sky Ridge Series Pike awning is a seriously good, quality product that I would consider a necessity for any overland Tacoma build. It is extremely simple to install, set up, and break down.

Body Armor 4X4 provides all of the hardware necessary for install, however, you may need to add your hardware depending on what setup you are using. I installed this on my Prinsu Designs Cabrack, but I will most likely move it to the Body Armor 4X4 Overland Bed Rack that I have installed on the bed of my truck so that it will fit with the Body Armor 4X4 rooftop tent I will be installing soon.

It also looks pretty awesome installed on the truck. When driving at highway speeds, it doesn’t budge at all and the wind noise is minimal.

Final Thoughts

While this tent is on the smaller side and designed for a truck, it still comfortably provides plenty of room for 2-4 people to stay protected.

If you are in the market for an awning for your Tacoma, I would highly suggest looking into the Body Armor. You will not be disappointed! The product is pretty affordable and from first glance, not much different from many other competitors on the market. For under $200, this is a really good option.