270 XT MAX Awning Mk2

270 XT MAX Mk2: the biggest freestanding 270° awning, 12.2m²

Think 12.2m² of shade over a 6067 × 3100mm footprint, wrapping the vehicle from the front door right round the rear, with no poles touching the ground. Roll into camp, swing the arms out and clip the tension straps on the outer arms to the vehicle to tighten the canvas. In under 30 seconds the whole camp is covered, which suits a crew coming back to camp at last light.

What sets the MAX apart

Both 270s in the Bush Company range stand free of the ground. The difference is in the pivots. The 270 XT Mk2 has a single pivot: quick, simple, 8m², and ideal for solo or duo touring on shorter racks. The 270 XT MAX Mk2 has two pivot points and a forward-folding front section. That second pivot pushes coverage out to 12.2m², giving more shade along the front and side of the vehicle than the 270 XT Mk2. Unlike the 180 XT MAX, it also wraps round the rear.

The MAX weighs 33.5kg (the 270 XT Mk2 is 27.8kg) and needs a 1.8m minimum mounting spread (the 270 XT Mk2 needs 1.1m). Running a wagon, troopy, van or canopied ute and want the entire camp covered? This is the one. On a shorter rack, the 270 XT Mk2 delivers the same freestanding 270° design in a more compact package.

Freestanding, rated to 50km/h

The B-Tech^® Alloy main arms are fully gusseted for maximum strength and carry the load themselves. The front and rear arms have a honeycomb cross-section for their full length, adding torsional strength without extra weight. The canvas stays tight with nothing on the ground, so there's nothing to trip over at night, sink into soft sand or rattle loose on corrugations. 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.

Packing down is the same movement in reverse. The oversized 450gsm PVC bag means you're not fighting wet canvas into a tight sleeve while the weather closes in.

One seam across 12.2m²

The awning is cut from an ultra-wide roll of 315gsm acrylic-treated polyester ripstop canvas, so all 12.2m² is built with a single seam. Fewer seams means fewer leak paths. It's tested to a waterhead of more than 1000mm (ISO 811:1981), treated for UV, mould and mildew, and finished with 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.

Stainless steel headstocks and B-Tech^® Alloy frame

Each end of the awning is built around a heavy-duty stainless steel headstock holding the stainless steel hinge pin shafts for the arms. The headstocks carry the full load of 12.2m² of open awning into the vehicle mounts, which is where an awning's strength is won or lost. Stainless steel shrugs off the salt that eats plated hardware on beach runs, lets the arms swing freely through dust and corrugations, and holds its shape under load.

The frame is The Bush Company's own B-Tech^® Alloy extrusion, powder coated. Extruded alloy resists the torsional flex that cracks welded frames on corrugations. The Bush Company is Australian owned and designed, with manufacturing in South Africa, in conditions as hard on gear as the outback.

Mounting to your rig

It ships with three height adjustable heavy-duty stainless steel L brackets. An L bracket must be mounted to the stainless steel headstock at each end of the awning. The third bracket is only for mounting to load bars or a roof rack (not a rooftop tent) and normally goes towards the centre of the awning. You need at least 1.8m between the two headstock brackets. Most full-length platform racks, load bars and canopy racks clear this, though some rack systems need extra hardware. Packed, it's 2300mm long × 230mm high with a 170mm wide frame, so it sits low, inside a standard roof line.

It suits dual cab utes, 79 Series and wagon platforms, Troop Carriers, van conversions, canopied utes and camper trailers: anywhere with 1.8m of mounting spread. Running a Bush Company rooftop tent? The optional Awning-to-Tent brackets fix the awning straight to the tent for a tidy, low-profile setup.

Quick check before you order

As with any roof-mounted gear, add up the awning (33.5kg), brackets, rack and everything else you carry up top, and make sure the total sits within your vehicle's dynamic roof load rating. Want something lighter? The 270 XT Mk2 (27.8kg) and the 180 XT MAX (26.5kg) use the same canvas and the same B-Tech^® Alloy frame.

Turn it into a room

A 50mm strip of genuine Velcro^® brand loop runs the full length of the valance around the outside edge. It's rated to hold 3kg per 50mm length, which makes it ideal for awning walls. Velcro also means no zip rubbing on the canvas while it's packed away tight in transit. Run one canvas wall or mesh wall as a windbreak on the exposed side, or add the 270 XT MAX Wall Kit (five walls plus a front arm wall) to turn 12.2m² of shade into a fully enclosed room. Single walls have full-length YKK spiral zips on both sides, so you can zip canvas and mesh walls together for more coverage.

Who it suits

Long-range tourers, families, hunting parties and overland crews running wagons, troopies, vans or canopied utes who want maximum shade around the whole rig.

Usage guidance

• In windy conditions, use the supplied guy ropes and pegs on the non-trussed arms 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 headstocks 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.

Shipped direct from The Bush Company.