I am creating an adapter for GFC V2/V2 Pro campers for the Dirtbox Chunk Quick Release Bracket (The Chunk Quick Release Bracket). This will make it so you can very quickly take an awning on and off, so you aren’t lugging around an awning constantly (improved gas mileage, less cabin noise, etc).
Anyways, I only intended making this for myself but if anyone else is interested in getting in for a sort of group buy let me know. The part will be made of T6061 aluminum and anodized black.
The chunk quick release bracket will bolt to the below adapter via (4) M8 x 1.25 bolts. The adapter will bolt to the GFC with 3 bolts per side for maximum load distribution on the extrusion. I will have this design fully vetted and a 270 awning mounted and ran through some desert beat down before I accept any buyers… so stay tuned for pictures in the coming weeks.
I would definitely be interested. My awning has been sitting in my garage since I got my GFC and I would love to be able to put it on for trips but take off during daily use.
Great advice! I will integrate that. The goal is that it won’t be able to hit, but it doesn’t hurt to add that feature just in case it did for some reason.
Your version looks way cooler, but these work pretty well for my ARB awning. Need a bit of drilling on the GFC mounts and it sticks out about an inch further that it would hard mounted. Loosen four nuts, lift and go.
Got the prototypes CNC’d and mounted. I am bead blasting the other piece that will mount to this so I can anodize it black. Going to look very nice once done… eta 1 week.
Looks good… I am curious how far the spacing becomes from the camper to the back of the awning with this setup…
I am also struggling with the cost of those QR brackets… but would be nice to easily shed the awning and protect it when not in use (mostly in winter for me), so I am following along with great interest.
The brackets are expensive for sure from DB. I’ve considered duplicating them, but they also did innovate these… so that felt like the wrong move.
For me, it’s worth the high price tag to not have an awning attached to my daily driver constantly. The awning should be very easy to remove and put on with this setup and not look out of place when the awning is off the vehicle.
This design could be easily adapted to other quick release mounts like the RacksBrax.
I am definitely interested as I have not found any option thus far I am in love with. Just picked up an OVS 270 and it’s just sitting until I sort out a solution.
Sorry, life delayed me a bit. Ended up just powder coating the dirtbox parts for now with my cheap harbor freight kit.
Installed the awning this morning, entirely by myself. I wouldn’t say it is easy by yourself lifting a 50lb awning up but I can repeatedly do it without issue. Time to install and remove the awning is about a minute.
Nice! I am going to order two chunks today if you’re willing to produce more for sale or share the source file for making the bracket (for sale or otherwise)
I’m realizing now, by looking at other awnings, that they are not all the same, and I wouldn’t be able to guarantee a fit unless it were the same awning I have (the back bracket can be very different awning to awning). I think if I were to do this again, I would use the racksbrax brackets since they are more adjustable (in terms of position on the awning). They are also cheaper. Based on that, I am not sure I will be offering this version of it, but I may change the design to accept a racksbrax xd bracket instead. I have a trip to Moab next week, so something I will likely pursue when I get back.
I agree the Racksbrax XD quick release is a sweet system from what I can tell – Australia Post has temporarily suspended parcel shipments to the US and Puerto Rico effective August 26, 2025, which in turn may go into effect for commercial goods as well.
That XD bracket is designed to work with their “XD RTT ADJUSTABLE AWNING BRACKET” (part #9108) which for some reason is not available except on the AU website…I wonder if GFC’s universal brackets would work fine?
Racksbracks’ brackets have almost double the load rating. At 20 kilos per bracket, 3 brackets for most 270 awnings would not be necessary, but with GFC’s universal brackets, two brackets may be pushing it…
Nice find. I looked into the differences between the HD and XD a little more. The XD bracket is longer than the upper portion of the camper. It will likely end up extending approximately 1” past the top of the camper due to the door hinge protruding enough to interfere with the bracket. Also, the adjustable awning bracket you’ve shown will likely end up with the awning being about ~2.85” away from the camper. They didn’t provide a depth measurement, so I took approximate dimensions of the M8 butthead screw they use and made an approximation. The solution I have is 2.25 inches away (and I think I went overboard on thickness now, so I can likely shave another 0.1 to 0.2 inches off it on my bracket side).
Additionally, you will only be able to insert two screws into each side of the bracket in the slotted portion of the XD bracket. The 33mm distance between the slot and the single screw hole in the XD awning bracket is too far for the GFC slots. The adjustability of it is excellent. I am surprised they are charging so much for bent sheet metal In short, I don’t think this offers any advantages over simply attaching the Racksbrax to the GFC universal awning bracket.
BTW, the GFC siding seems like the weak point. They aren’t attached terribly well, so you can see them flex with even hand force being applied to the brackets.
If GFC created a slim version of their current awning bracket, that would be all we need to have an easy adapter for the Racksbrax, which keeps the awning tucked close to the camper with adjustability. I would probably go that route if they sold that billet piece they included with the bracket separately.
Thanks for the info! Appreciate the heads up on channel spacing not matching up. Racksbrax seems to reserve their HD for smaller accessories and the XD for things like 270 awnings. Their payload is the same, but like you said, the channel system on the GFC is the weak point.
I was looking at the XD because it appears the mounting points are a direct fit for my OVS 270 LT awning. I don’t think the same could be said about the HD, although I do like the smaller form factor.
At any rate, I’d be interested to hear what you have to say about your custom chunk setup after Moab.
Also, those Racksbrax awning brackets are $180 AUD which roughly translates to $118 USD, so slightly less than the universal brackets from GFC – overpriced nonetheless.
I looked at the awning compatibility guide for Rackbrax and saw that they recommend the HD bracket for several 270 awnings. I think the XD advantage is that it is long enough to fit any 270 whereas the HD can still be used, just not on all of them. Since they hold the same amount of weight, it’s really just about compatibility with the track spacing of your awning. They also make this to be able to adapt the HD to the bigger 270 awnings: https://racksbraxusa.com/hd-racksbrax/awning-adaptor-plates/
In short, I don’t think this offers any advantages over simply attaching the Racksbrax to the GFC universal awning bracket.