Shelter from the storm

[medora]

Hi again all,

Now that Oliver is home, we are wondering how to protect her. We plan to use her as a guest cabin/remote office (our home's wifi extends nicely out to her) and portable post-gardening party pad (who wants to run inside for beer when you have a fridge right next to the raspberry bed??). For these reasons, a plastic cover is not an option. As we understand it, leaving her out in the sun will lead to powdery gunk and possible breakdown of her plastic parts -- and is thus not a great option -- correct??

We have considered a fabric shelter, but are concerned about spending money on something likely to break down relatively quickly. We also have thought about the metal ones, but we fear that the metal shelter would dominate our smallish rural setting (we have two acres, but because of the lay of our land the shelter would be in a very prominent place ... and they aren't always the prettiest things).

So we are looking at something like this, adjusted accordingly for her height:

http://carport-kits.com/gabled-wood-10x20/
http://carport-kits.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/carportfullview.jpg

Do all you veteran owners think this would be a good investment? Would it protect her SIDES adequately? I noted some of the metal RV shelters have wings that come down from the roof to offer a little extra protection ... obviously this would not.

We would NOT want to put a concrete pad out -- so we would be pulling her over grass into this spot. It's somewhat wet at this point so we'd probably raise up with a little fill before constructing ...

Thanks muchly,

~e

(Yes, our Oliver is a she, named after the poet Mary Oliver for all you nature/poetry geeks)

 

[gocamp-ESC]

The bow roof shed is another DIY one. Some have used sheet metal for the exterior.
http://www.microcruising.com/shed.htm

 

[sjnuss]

We just recently had one of these metal carports installed. You can go to carports.com to look at the various offerings. Ours is 12w x 26l x 9h (with about a 2-3 ft rise to the very top). Price includes installation and shipping. So far it really looks to provide very good protection although at some point I may add additional side panels for a little better protection.

Steve

 

[Bruce Wray]

And here I thought you named the trailer Oliver -- as a first name, with the full name being Oliver DePlace.

Bruce

 

[gbaglo]

How about a good coat of quality wax twice a year?

A lot cheaper and it works for boats and cars.

baglo

 

[medora]

Baglo, I read a thread from about 18 months ago on this (in which I participated) and it seemed like peeps were really divided on this. Some were absolute in saying sun=evil, you'll regret it, your plastic parts will turn to dust and and spend hours cleaning before you ever get to waxing. Others, not so much. I do wonder with diligent care if this is necessary, but I don't want to be in a position where our resale value drops and we're constantly battling birds/deteriorating parts/fading decals (we have some extra detail on Oliver), etc.

It seemed like the "your trailer will become dust in the wind" contingent won out in that thread, thus our investigating the carport plans, but I am always open to reinterpretation.

 

[sjnuss]

I intend to wash/wax a couple of times a year even with the carport. I firmly believe that you will "eventually" have chalking issues after a few years w/o a cover. I fought this with our Casita-kept it clean and waxed but still chalked up.
My vote: carport.

Steve

 

[gbaglo]

Opinions vary, for sure.

My Escape is almost four years old and lives under a cedar tree. Sap is a pain to deal with, and it probably doesn't get a lot of sun ( especially here on the wet coast ).

I'm not worried about it turning to dust.

baglo

 

[medora]

Baglo, would you feel differently if you were living somewhere sunny and hot? The location our trailer would be in would receive full sunlight from morning until dusk ... no shade whatsoever.

 

[gbaglo]

Baglo, would you feel differently if you were living somewhere sunny and hot?
[/quote]

Ya. I'd be warm.

baglo

 

[gocamp-ESC]

sjnuss,
how was yours anchored into the ground for storm winds? Thanks.

 

[sjnuss]

Fortunately our trailer pad is in a fairly secluded area. But during installed the crew uses rebar spikes about 18" long to anchor into the ground. If the carport was put on a concrete pad they would have used concrete anchors. If your location is in an open field with the potential for serious wind this may be something to consider.

Steve

 

[medora]

Steve, curious what gauge you went with? And I'm also looking for opinions from others on the carport plans I posted ...? Would it do the job, and is wood frame a good way to go? If you believe their estimates materials for that are about $1,000 US, though I suspect we'd have to adapt to accomodate the height of our Escape. Plus labor, of course.

The metal carports are pricing between $1,200 and $1,900, depending on gauge and roof shape.

 

[medora]

BTW -- is 10" clearance adequate? We're having trouble measuring Oliver (w/AC and solar up top) for an idea of the necessary height.

 

[Bruce Wray]

I needed a large snow-load shed (65lbs/sq.ft.), so I want with 28 gauge steel (I can walk on it). Also, I got 9.5 ft. of height to the interior crossbars. The trailer should be about 8.5 ft. high max, unless you have the high-lift axle.

Bruce

 

[sjnuss]

Medora: ours is 14 gauge. 10ft is plenty. The vertical legs on mine are 9ft. Just be careful on the support bars. Looking at Bruce's photo ours appear to be the same units but with different structural elements due to the load differences. If you are in snow country you may want something different than mine. Also at the center mine is a little taller but it does give me plenty of room to work on top of the trailer if needed. I thought of building my own from wood but decided against it. It was just easier to buy one and have it installed. But a nicely built wood one would be great.

Steve