| New home for the coach [message #275022] |
Sat, 04 April 2015 21:09  |
Darryl
Messages: 144
Registered: December 2011
Location: Northern California
Karma: 0
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When we bought the coach three years ago one of the first things I intended to do was build a shelter to keep it out of the sun. I found one at creativeshelters.com that would have been very sturdy and durable but it would have cost over $1,000 to build and other things kept getting in the way. First was a lot more time and expense than expected to catch up on the previous owner's deferred maintenance and then there was a new engine. This year I was determined to do it but I was still reluctant to spend the $1,000. So I figured I would get a lightweight 10X20 foot shelter from Costco for a little over $200 and raise it up and just extend the back with a blue tarp (well, maybe a brown one). But when I got down to Costco to buy it they had sold out and didn't know when they might have more. So, I went on-line and found this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/King-Canopy-10-x-27-Universal-Canopy/14622251
It's a 10X27 foot shelter that is actually almost 11 feet wide. The tubes are only 1 3/8 instead of the 1 5/8 I was going to use and the tarp is a little lighter but it should work fine. I had to lengthen the legs, of course, to get it high enough. It took a little trial and error to get the height right but beign able to use the coach as a schaffold is a big help. It's plenty wide and a foot longer than the coach so no blue tarp. To lengthen the legs I used 1 1/4 EMT from Home Depot which it turns out has an ID of just over 1 3/8. I haven't figured that out yet unless HD mis-labeled it but it worked. I dug post holes about a foot deep and then drove the pipe down another foot or so. I'll pour some concrete into the postholes. It's in a relatively sheltered area so it's not likely to go anywhere. No side walls but they are probably available directly from King Canopy.
If I did it right you should be able to see pics here: http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/g6767-shelter.html
Darryl Meyers
1978 Eleganza II
El Dorado Hills, CA
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| Re: New home for the coach [message #275159 is a reply to message #275022] |
Mon, 06 April 2015 10:39  |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Darryl wrote on Sat, 04 April 2015 19:09... So, I went on-line and found this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/King-Canopy-10-x-27-Universal-Canopy/14622251
It's a 10X27 foot shelter that is actually almost 11 feet wide. The tubes are only 1 3/8 instead ...
This reminds me of my GMC shelter.
I bought two 10x20 canopies, like the Wall-mart unit above, on sale, at a sporting good store that was going out of business. (I think it was $80 each.) They sell ones like it at Harbor Freight... normally for about $120, but currently $99 with a coupon. (More on the HF shelter at the end of this post.)
Placed end to end the two canopies gave me 40' covered space. I extended the legs with some Galvanized fence Top Rails. <http://www.homedepot.com/p/YARDGARD-1-3-8-in-x-10-ft-6-in-17-Gauge-Galvanized-Top-Rail-328913DPT/100322532>
These top rails have ends that will slip into the tubing of the cheap canopies. I took one top rail and one regular leg from the canopy making one very long leg. I then cut that in half. Using these I lifted the canopies up about 2 feet, giving enough clearance for my GMC's... pods and all. This took 6 top rails for the two canopies and I had 6 regular legs left over.
I later spaced the canopies about 9.5 feet apart. I then took three more top rails and connected the two canopies together fastening with six 1-3/8 in. Galvanized Panel Clamp Sets from home depot.
<http://www.homedepot.com/p/YARDGARD-1-3-8-in-Galvanized-Panel-Clamp-Set-328526C/204510253?N=5yc1vZc3n6>
I covered the gap with a 10x12 tarp. The resulting covered space is right at 50 foot long... just enough to fit two 23 foot coaches end to end. (Or one 26 foot plus toad.)
To keep the sun from damaging the tension tarps, I covered the whole thing with a quality "Hay Tarp" from a Ranch Supply store. These have heavy duty tie down loops designed to hold pipes (like the top rails used above) to keep everything held down and lined up. The hay tarp was the most expensive part of the whole thing, but really helps the durability.
Note this isn't very weather stable unless in a protected location... like my location, between the house and a solid 6 foot high fence. It also doesn't handle snow very well. I had one end collapse due to snow load. Not on a coach but on my Sidekick parts car. The end with a blocked up 23 foot coach had settled on the top of the coach.
About the Harbor Fright canopies. (I used one to replace the one that collapsed.) They are made with more shorter sections of tubing and the tension covering doesn't apply end to end tension as much as other designs, I figured the tubing needed a little more to stay together. I drilled each joint and fastened with stainless screws.
If someone asks, I'll see if I can find pictures.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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