I've never mounted the hardware on the side of
my van.  I just swing the legs down and stake them
into the ground.

Downside is camping over rocky areas, etc: but
havent encountered that anywhere but in Joshua
Tree NM where it was too windy to deploy the awning
in the first place.

I have the longer one, it hangs over the front door
by a bit (installed even with the back roughly)

If I had it to do all over again, I'd go for the shorter
one, maybe even a shady boy.  It's a lot of weight
hanging off the rain gutter on the van IMHO, even
with the mounting brackets bolted into the body.

hope this helps

picture of the awning deployed..
http://tinyurl.com/2oqrqj

another fiamma awning on a syncro
http://tinyurl.com/2n8pp9

 -tim

90 syncro westy
gilbert, az
www.timschneider.org