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If you're not to sure if you'll be picking up on any structuaral ribs..then make sure that you use decent sized "spreader plates" on the inside and if you do miss anything that feels structural (or what you drill through,just feels hollow),then I'd be "tubing" the bolts,so that you don't just squash the inner and outer skins together...

Also,get the end brackets as close as possible to where the manufacturer states..I think Fiamma put a couple of stickers on the rear of the awning assembly(..behind the support bracket pivots).As when we had one fitted to our previous Duetto,the dealer/workshop mounted then too far in,which meant that the awning "case" twisted when you unwound it.

On the subject of driveaway awnings..we had a Movelite(..which we sold because we weren't using it),maybe keep a look out for something secondhand,in the ads on here.. 

Thank you pepe63

The spreader plates supplied are about 3inches x 1.5inches not very big at all so I will heed your advice and maybe get some made a bit bigger. 'Tubing' is an excellent idea if I find some hollow when I drill. Yes you are right. Fiamma have stickers on the awning bow so I will space the brackets out accordingly. That of course rules out any search for structual ribs.

Personally,I would've thought that if it meant that you could pick up on something solid,deviating by just a couple of inches would be okay...

The outer brackets on our previous van had been fitted about 18iches in from either end..and as there were only two,this meant that as the support arms opened,they pushed back towards the van and twisted and flexed the whole awning body..!