Sometimes, you need to throw a little shade. That’s especially true when you’re posted up at the trailhead on a hot day with the sun blazing overhead. If you happen to have driven to that spot, an awning for your roof rack can be an oasis from the heat – as long as it is quick to deploy and easy to stow. Something like the Yakima MajorShady 270.
I’ve used the MajorShady at trailheads after a bike ride while chilling and having some lunch. I use it a lot for lunch stops while out Jeepin’ around the deserts and mountains on day trips. But, mostly I use this awning for shelter from the elements while on camping trips.
Let’s get the tech details and retail out of the way before I get into how it performed.
The Yakima MajorShady 270
The MajorShady 270 is a freestanding 270-degree, roof-mounted awning. And, as far as awnings go, this one is pretty pricey at a retail of $949. At the time of this writing, it looks to be on sale for $759 on the Yakima site.
This awning comes in two flavors, left-hand swing and right-hand swing. Meaning, that you can have it open from the passenger side of your vehicle or the driver’s side. Because the Yakima tent that I was reviewing at the time of mounting the awning, opened to the driver’s side, I opted for the awning to open on the passenger side.
It uses heavy-duty support arms, which aid in a super easy deployment. The awning material is made of 420D poly-cotton fabric with PU coating. This means it’s not only durable and waterproof but very light. the vinyl travel cover is not too tight and makes it easy to slip on and off, as well as zip it closed and open.
One added thing that I love about the awning’s appearance is the topo pattern that is on the top and bottom. The MajorShady 270 also has two support legs that clip up out of the way when not needed.
Yakima claims that it provides 80 square feet of sun and weather protection. I never measured it, but it does a great job of protecting you from the elements.
MajorShady 270 Retail & Specs
Retail: $949 (on sale as of this article $759)
- Weight: 46.5 lbs
- Dimensions: L 90″ x W 8.5″ x H 10″
- Minimum crossbar spread: 26″
- Limited one-year warranty
Installation
I used the Yalima Rib Cage which allowed me to add roof racks to my Jeep’s fiberglass roof. The Rib Cage reinforces the removable roof and allows for the load bars to be attached, which means I can use a rooftop tent.
I used Yakima HD Load Bars to install the tent and awning. The awning came with “L” brackets which made it easy to install. The MajorShady 270 isn’t very heavy, but it is a little awkward to get into place. So, to make the installation easier, I used two people to slide it onto the top of the HD Load Bars. The install took about 15-20 minutes.
How it Performed
The MajorShady is so easy to deploy and break back down, which means that I use it more. Less than a minute to deploy, and a little over 2 minutes to close up. For me, the fact that it was so easy to deploy, made me want to deploy it all the time, which I did.
You would definitely need to use the two built-in support legs and guy lines when using the MajorShady in very windy conditions. I try to never camp in severe winds, so, I’ve never had to use the legs and line when using the awning.
Like most awnings that are attached to vehicles, using them is not always ideal. Sometimes the sun is in a spot that makes deploying traditional “straight” awnings a futile effort.
But, with the MajorShady and its 270 degrees of coverage, this happened hardly ever. There was rarely a time when deploying the MajorShady resulted in unuseable shade.
Another cool feature is the small pole on top of one of the braces. This lil’ bar can be left down when there is no rain or erected when there is rain. Deploying this lil’ pole helps the rain drain off the edge of the awning, preventing surprize puddles on the top of the awning.
With it mounted to the roof, it didn’t add a lot of additional wind noise in the Jeep when at highway speeds. And I didn’t notice a hit in MPG either.
In Conclusion
The Yakima MajorShady is great to have attached to the Jeep full-time. I use it more than I ever thought I would. One of the big reasons for that is the ease of opening and closing it.
It allows for quick deployment and easy breakdown. Sure, it’s a pricey addition to your vehicle, but it is a quality piece of gear that I suspect will last a lot of years.
My wife and I spend a lot of time in Southern California deserts, and I can’t imagine not having it when we stop for lunch under that desert sun. I have a tailgate table on the Jeep and use it to eat and prepare food.
When the MajorShady is deployed, the rear area of the Jeep is fully covered and protected from the elements. This allows us to prepare food and eat in comfort.
If you are serious about adventuring by vehicle, and are out and about venturing in remote areas, the MajorShady is a worthy investment to add to your gear. Even if you would like some shade while you kick back and share food and drink with your riding buddies, I would seriously consider purchasing the Yakima MajorShady 270 Awning. It’s been a game-changer for us.
Check out some more details on the MajorShady, as well as all of the accessories and goodies Yakima has to offer by hitting the link below.
