An awning gives you something a van desperately lacks: outdoor living space. When it's raining, you can still cook outside. When it's blazing hot, you have shade. When you just want to sit outside and read, you've got a covered patio.
Living in a van means your interior space is tiny. An awning effectively doubles your usable living space by giving you a covered outdoor area. On a hot day, sitting under shade rather than inside your van can be a 15-20 degree temperature difference - that's the difference between miserable and manageable.
If you're mostly doing urban stealth camping and rarely staying at campgrounds or BLM land, you probably won't use an awning much. An awning makes the most sense if you tend to park somewhere and stay for a while.
I use a Vevor car side awning on my van, and I've been genuinely impressed with it. It's a manual roll-out that mounts to your roof rack, extends in about a minute, provides about 6.5' x 8' of shade coverage, and comes with a waterproof storage bag. The build quality is solid - PU3000mm waterproof rating, UV50+ protection, and height-adjustable legs.
At roughly $110, this does everything the $400-700 brand-name awnings do. Same basic mechanism, similar coverage area, solid materials. The premium brands will have slightly better fit and finish, but the functional difference is minimal. I've used mine extensively and it's held up great.
Link to the Vevor awning I use →This is one of those van build components where the expensive brands have built a reputation, but the actual product isn't complex enough to justify a 4-5x price premium. It's a piece of fabric on a spring-loaded roller with support legs. The Vevor does it well for a fraction of the price.
If you want to go a different route, here are the main alternatives:
The Fiamma F45s is the most popular van awning and a solid product. ARB is popular in the overlanding crowd. These are well-made, but you're paying significantly more for a marginally better product. If aesthetics or brand prestige matter to you, these are fine choices - but functionally, you're not getting much more than the Vevor.
A reflective tarp, some paracord, and telescoping tent poles attached to your roof rack. It works and costs almost nothing. Use a silver/reflective tarp - it reflects sunlight rather than absorbing it, keeping the shade noticeably cooler. Not pretty, but functional if budget is extremely tight.
A standalone canopy you set up next to the van. Covers a huge area and doesn't require mounting, but takes up cargo space, is slower to set up, and leaves a gap between the van and canopy that lets rain in. Good if you're not sure you want a permanent awning yet.
Most roll-out awnings mount to your roof rack with included brackets - no drilling into the van body. If you don't have a rack, you can mount directly with L-brackets, but seal everything with butyl tape to prevent leaks. Mount on the passenger side so the awning extends toward the curb, not into traffic.
A mounted awning adds 3-5 inches to your van's height. If you're already close to parking garage limits, keep this in mind. Also check that the housing doesn't shade your solar panels.
Bottom line
An awning is a nice-to-have, not a need-to-have. But if you camp in hot or rainy areas and tend to stay put for a day or more, it's one of the best quality-of-life upgrades you can add - especially at ~$110. If your budget is tight, prioritize insulation, ventilation, and your electrical system first. You can always add an awning later.