For inexpensive you can buy 2 extendable tent poles from Wal-Mart for $6/ea
and use one of your existing tarps and a couple of bungies to tie it to the
roof.  Worked fine for me.  Finally bought a real case awning which it is
way more effort to setup, but ofcourse looks nicer and works better.

A neat DIY solution (that I heard about but haven't tried) is buy some
awning material and install it under the poptop's aluminum strip and tuck it
up under the poptop when not in use.  Again use some extendable tent poles
and reinforced eyelits for the outside edge and rope and stakes to hold it
tight.

Dave in Denver

>From: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
>Reply-To: The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Inexpensive awning solution?
>Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 09:03:48 -0500
>
> > Has anyone ever tried these standard bag-awnings?
> > http://www.enter.net/kart/kart.pl?cart=rvworkshop&action=categ
> > ory2&catid=52&pwidth=3
>
>
>We have one for much less money ($119) that's designed specifically for
>Vanagons, and doesn't require drilling holes in your van. Short of a
>makeshift blue tarp, this is your least expensive awning solution, and very
>functional. I use mine all the time.
>
>http://busdepot.com/details/awning.jsp
>
>- Ron Salmon
>   The Bus Depot, Inc.
>   www.busdepot.com
>   (215)  234-VWVW
>
>_____________________________________________
>Toll-Free for Orders by PART # :  1-866-BUS-DEPOT