The Bush Company 270 XT Awning Mk2 – Right Hand Side Fitment

270 XT Mk2: freestanding 270° awning that fits short racks and sets up in 30 seconds

The 270 XT Mk2 wraps 8m² of shade around the side and rear of your vehicle with no poles. It runs a single pivot, so opening it is one continuous movement rather than a sequence: unzip the bag, swing the arm out, then secure the tension strap on the outer arm to the vehicle to tension the canvas. You’re in the shade in under 30 seconds. A single pivot also means fewer moving parts and less to line up in the dark at the end of a long day.

Which of our awnings suits you?

The 270 XT Mk2 needs only 1.1m between mounting points, so it fits short dual cab racks, canopy racks and load bars that can’t accommodate the 1.8m distance between the front and rear brackets that our larger awnings need. At 27.8kg it’s 5.7kg lighter than the 270 XT MAX, making it the lightest awning in our 270° range.

• 270 XT Mk2: 8m² round the side and rear, 1.1m minimum rack, lightest of our 270s.
• 270 XT MAX Mk2: 12.2m², more front and side coverage than the 270 XT Mk2 for families and bigger groups; needs 1.8m between brackets, 33.5kg.
• 180 XT MAX: 8.53m² straight down the side, keeps barn doors and tailgates clear; needs 1.8m.

For solo or duo touring, or on a shorter rack, the 270 XT Mk2 is the better buy, not a compromise. If you want more shade along the front and side for a family or bigger group, and have 1.8m of rack length, step up to the MAX.

Freestanding, rated to 50km/h

There are no poles under it: nothing to sink into wet sand, trip over at night or rattle loose on corrugations. The B-Tech^® Alloy main arms are fully gusseted for maximum strength: gusseting adds torsional stiffness at the joints, so the frame holds its shape and the canvas stays tensioned with nothing on the ground. The rear arm has a honeycomb cross-section along its full length for torsional strength without extra weight.

It’s rated to 50km/h freestanding and to over 90km/h when poled, guyed and pegged down securely. Guy ropes and pegs are included: in windy conditions, use them on the non-trussed arm to prevent upward movement.

Packing away is the same movement in reverse, into an oversized 450gsm PVC bag that takes the canvas back easily even when it’s wet or dusty.

Stainless steel headstock: where the strength starts

The whole awning pivots on a stainless steel heavy-duty headstock that retains the stainless steel hinge pin shafts for the arms. It carries the full load of the open awning into the vehicle mount, so this is where an awning’s strength is won or lost. Stainless steel resists corrosion from salt spray, keeps the arms swinging freely through dust and corrugations, and holds its shape under load, and the rear L bracket mounts straight to it.

One seam. Fewer leaks.

Every stitch line across an awning is a place water can get in. The 270 XT Mk2 is made from 315gsm acrylic-treated polyester ripstop canvas cut from an ultra-wide roll, so the whole 270° awning has a single seam. It’s tested to a waterhead of more than 1000mm (ISO 811:1981), treated for UV, mould and mildew, and has triple-stitched sleeves and reinforced attachment points at every load-bearing corner. Wet it down before its first trip so the core-spun thread swells and seals the stitch holes.

Two brackets, 1.1m, done

Two height adjustable heavy-duty stainless steel L brackets are included in the price. One must be mounted to the stainless steel headstock at the rear of the awning, and the second no less than 1.1m from the rear bracket. Add a third (not supplied) in the centre if you want extra support on a long rack, but two is all the awning needs. Packed, it’s 2300mm long × 210mm high, with a frame 170mm wide, and sits inside a standard roof line without overhang.

Running a Bush Company rooftop tent? The optional Awning-to-Tent bracket mounts it straight to the tent for a low, tidy touring profile.

Add walls when the weather turns

A 50mm triple-stitched strip of genuine Velcro^® loop runs the entire length of the valance around the outside edge of the awning. It’s rated to hold 3kg per 50mm length, so it’s ideal for securing awning walls. Using Velcro rather than a zip along the awning also means there’s no zip to rub against the canvas when the awning is packed tightly away in transit. Run a single canvas wall or mesh wall as a windbreak on the exposed side, or add the 270 XT Wall Kit to close it in completely and turn 8m² of shade into a private room. The single walls have full-length YKK spiral zips on both sides, so you can zip canvas and mesh walls together to increase coverage as required.

Usage guidance

• In windy conditions, use the supplied guy ropes and pegs on the non-trussed arm to prevent upward movement.
• In heavy rain, run guy ropes off 1-tonne webbing straps between the arms to shed water and reduce the risk of pooling.
• Lubricate the hinge pins in the headstock regularly to keep the arms moving freely, especially if you use the awning often in salty coastal conditions.
• Don’t leave it up in snow: the weight stretches the canvas.
• Wet the canvas down thoroughly before first use.
• See the awning installation instructions (PDF).