You do not need a 270 awning with walls for shade on a calm day, but walls earn their place when you face low sun, wind on one side, bugs, rain or a need for privacy. The right walls are ones made for your exact awning model, in solid canvas, mesh, or a full room that closes the awning in.
One thing up front: RIGDUP does not sell walls for its 270° awning. If walls are a must for how you camp, choose an awning that has walls made for it, and check the fit before you buy. This guide covers the types of 270 awning walls, when they help, how they fit, what they do in wind and what they cost.
Do You Need Walls on a 270 Awning?
Most people do not need walls for day trips and short stops, because a 270 awning already wraps shade around the side and rear of the vehicle. Walls start to matter when you stay longer in one spot, or camp where sun, wind or bugs get under the edge.
Here is a simple test. You probably want walls if two or more of these sound like your trips:
- You camp for several nights in one spot and live under the awning
- Late afternoon sun comes in low under the edge and cooks your camp kitchen
- You camp in the tropics or near mangroves, where mozzies and sandflies come out at dusk
- You want a private spot to change or shower at a busy campground
- Rain drives in sideways under the awning
- You camp in the cooler months and want a sheltered space after dark
If you mostly pull up, cook, eat and move on, the awning by itself does the job. Many people buy the awning first, use it for a season, and only then decide whether walls are worth it.
What Types of 270 Awning Walls Are There?
There are four main types: solid walls, mesh walls, walls with windows, and full rooms that close the awning in on every side. You can also buy a single panel. Each suits different conditions, and some sets mix them, with solid panels and zip-out mesh sections.
| Wall type | What it is | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid wall | Canvas or blockout panels with no openings | Low sun, wind from one side, privacy, rain | Blocks the breeze and the view, catches wind |
| Mesh wall | Insect screen panels | Bugs at dusk, hot nights, coastal and tropical camps | Little shade or rain cover, no privacy at night with a light on |
| Wall with windows | Canvas panels with mesh windows or roll-up flaps | Mixed weather, when you want to switch between closed and open | Heavier and bulkier to pack than mesh |
| Full room | A set of walls covering the open sides and the vehicle side, making a closed space | Longer stays, cold nights, a sheltered living area | Most to carry and fit, most wind load, often needs extra poles |
| Single panel | One wall on the side the sun or wind comes from | Quick sun or wind block without a full set | Covers one side only |
A floor is a separate item. Most wall sets do not include one, so if you want a floor in a full room, check whether the maker sells one for that set.
When Do Awning Walls Actually Help?
Walls help most in four situations: low sun, steady wind from one side, insects, and privacy. Outside those, they are often more work to put up than they are worth.
Low sun. In the late afternoon, the sun drops under the edge of the awning, and a 270 awning leaves you exposed on the open sides. One solid panel on the western side can make camp liveable again.
Steady wind. A wall on the windward side can block a light, steady breeze off the water or across a plain. This only works in mild wind. In strong wind, walls become a problem, covered below.
Bugs. In the north and around mangroves, a mesh wall lets you sit out after dark without being eaten. Mesh keeps the airflow, which matters on humid nights.
Privacy. A solid wall turns part of the awning into a change room or a spot for a camp shower, which is handy at busy campgrounds and on family trips.
If none of these come up on your trips, put the money towards something you will use every day.
Are Awning Walls Safe in Wind?
Walls make any awning catch far more wind, so they are only safe in light, steady wind with the awning properly pegged and guyed. A bare awning lets wind pass under it. Add walls and you turn it into a sail attached to the side of your vehicle.
Some simple rules:
- Use every leg, peg and guy rope the awning came with whenever there is any wind, walls or not
- Take the windward wall off, or open its windows, as soon as the wind picks up
- Take the walls down before bed if the forecast shows wind overnight
- Pack the awning away in strong wind, walls and all, rather than trying to hold it down
Check the forecast before you set up walls, and look at the gusts, not just the average. The Bureau of Meteorology notes that wind forecasts are averages and gusts can be 40 per cent stronger, and stronger again in thunderstorms.
The RIGDUP 270° Awning is freestanding, but that does not make it windproof. Once there is wind, put the legs down and peg out the guy ropes.
How Do 270 Awning Walls Attach?
Most 270 awning walls hang from the outer edge of the awning by zips, hook and loop strips, or a track, then peg down at the bottom. Full rooms also zip or clip along the vehicle side, and some need extra poles for the corners or doors.
A typical fit goes like this:
- Open the awning fully and set the legs and guy ropes first
- Attach each wall panel along the edge of the awning, starting at the vehicle end
- Zip the panels together at the corners
- Peg the bottom of each panel, keeping it snug but not tight enough to pull the awning down
- Fit any door poles, then open the windows or doors you want
The gap between the awning and the vehicle is the hard part. A 270 awning wraps around the rear corner, so a full room has to seal along the side and back of the vehicle as well. This is where walls made for a different awning tend to leave gaps. Some sets list poles as a separate purchase. The Darche Hardshell 270 wall set, for example, lists poles as sold separately, so read what comes in the bag.
Will Any Wall Fit Any 270 Awning?
No. Walls need to match your awning's radius, height, attachment method and side, so a set made for one brand or model often will not fit another. Always check that the walls are made for your exact awning model before you buy.
Here is what changes between awnings:
- Radius: a 2 m awning and a 2.5 m awning have different edge lengths, so the panels are different widths
- Height: the edge height depends on your vehicle and the awning's legs, which sets the wall drop
- Attachment: zips, hook and loop, and tracks are not interchangeable
- Side: walls for a left (passenger) side awning are shaped differently from walls for a right side awning
- Arm layout: the number and spacing of arms changes where panels join
Makers say this themselves. Darche describes its Hardshell 270 wall set as creating a room under its Hardshell 270 Awning. OZtrail says its 270 wall kits are designed for its own 270 awnings, and to check compatibility for other brands. Generic walls sold as universal may fit, but they rarely seal as well around the rear corner.
Does RIGDUP Sell Walls for Its 270° Awning?
No. RIGDUP does not sell walls, a room or an annex for its 270° Awning, and we do not make any walls that fit it. We would rather tell you that now than have you find out after you buy.
The RIGDUP 270° Awning is built as a shade awning. Here is what it is:
- 270° of shade from a left (passenger) side mount
- 2.5 m radius on the 2.5M (27 kg), or 2 m on the 2M (22 kg)
- Up in about 2 minutes
- Freestanding (still use the legs and guy ropes once there is wind)
- Aluminium frame and 280gsm ripstop rated PU3000mm
- 3 LED lights
- 2 year warranty
If you camp for long stretches and want a closed room every night, an awning with walls made for it will suit you better, and that is fine. If you want quick, wide shade at every stop, the awning on its own covers that. Our guide to the best car awnings for Australians compares a range of brands, including ones that sell walls.
How Much Do 270 Awning Walls Cost?
Prices vary a lot by brand, type and how many panels are in the set, from a single panel up to a full room. If walls matter to you, price them in when you compare awnings.
As one example, the Darche Hardshell 270 wall set was listed at $999 on Darche's own site, shown as sold out and on pre-order (checked 20 Oct 2026). Single panels and mesh walls usually cost less than a full room. Check the maker's own page for today's price, and confirm what is included: panels, poles, pegs, a floor and a bag.
FAQs
Can I add walls to any 270 awning?
Only if walls are made for that model. Check the awning maker's accessories before you buy the awning if walls matter to you.
Does the RIGDUP 270° Awning come with walls?
No. RIGDUP does not sell walls for it, and none are made by RIGDUP to fit it.
Should I use mesh or solid walls?
Mesh for bugs and hot, humid nights. Solid for sun, privacy, rain and light wind. Windowed walls let you switch between the two.
Can I leave awning walls up overnight?
Only in calm conditions, with the awning fully pegged and guyed. If wind is forecast, take the walls down before bed.
Is a 270 awning freestanding?
Some are and some are not, so check the maker's details. The RIGDUP 270° Awning is freestanding, but you should still use the legs and guy ropes once there is wind.
Is the RIGDUP 270° Awning Right for You?
It is if you want wide shade on three sides, up in about 2 minutes, and you do not need walls. See the specs, photos and what comes in the box on the RIGDUP 270° Awning 2.5M page. Free shipping Australia-wide, 30 day returns and a 2 year warranty.
