what about a car tent (instead of garage)???

[MeanGreen]

Hi there, I didn't know where else to post this thread. I did a search and it seems no one has asked this before so...

My house doesn't have a garage. There is a very large, messy tree in the back yard and lots of birds. Not to mention pollen, tree sap (and cotton), and cats, and the sun.

I have heard about these car tents, kind of like garages. You can buy them at Canadian Tire (cheap kind) or order them online. They range in price from 500 to 2,000$ CDN.

I would really like to buy one, to help protect my car and give me a place to detail, but I am worried about it's performance in rain or windy conditions or heavy Canadian snow. The last thing I want is to buy one, only to have it come toppling down on top of my car in a storm!

Does anyone on this forum use a car tent/portable garage, if so, would you recommend it for daily use. and how strong is it in the elements?

Thank you.

[Konowl]

I'm in the exact same boat as you, due to the horrible cats (I gotta be careful I dont' bring up cats, my threads get shutdown whenever I mention cats). I've been thinking about trying one of these things too.

[audio1der]

I've been contemplating the same thing!
Something more temporary though; strictly up for detailing.
I'm looking into one of their backyard shade-tents, large enought to drive into. It should still fold down relatively small.
My tarp garage I use now gets laughed at...

[MeanGreen]

I did a search and it seems no one has asked this before so...

My house doesn't have a garage. There is a very large, messy tree in the back yard and lots of birds. Not to mention pollen, tree sap (and cotton), and cats, and the sun.

I have heard about these car tents, kind of like garages. You can buy them at Canadian Tire (cheap kind) or order them online. They range in price from 500 to 2,000$ CDN.

I would really like to buy one, to help protect my car and give me a place to detail, but I am worried about it's performance in rain or windy conditions or heavy Canadian snow. The last thing I want is to buy one, only to have it come toppling down on top of my car in a storm!

Does anyone on this forum use a car tent/portable garage, if so, would you recommend it for daily use. and how strong is it in the elements?

Thank you.

[Green Monster]

Hey cousin, (MeanGreen - GreenMonster) we must be related!!

I have had one for the last 8 years or so. It is a Cover-It garage and I paid about $500us. Its in Connecticut and has held up very well under the New England winters. The roof is radius so the snow does not build up. I even have lights in mine. 2-3 guys and a half a day to put it up. I have detail in it before but not alot of room.

Here is the link Cover It

[MeanGreen]

Hi fellow Green!

That is exactly what I was talking about, I have found many sites selling these but don't know anyone who has one.

2 questions about ownership: Do you keep your car in it, or use it just once in a while?

Also, do you have to install it on grass? My driveway is surrounded by a fence so I would either have to set it up on the driveway (preferred) or rip out the fence (not preferred, I have a dog). All of the photos on that website feature the tents set up on the grass.

Any chance of the sides of the tent hitting the vehicle in strong wind?

Thanks! I would love to get one of these tents for my car!

[4DSC]

Add me to the list too!

I have a carport, but I'd really like something with some darn WALLS at least! Unfortunately there's no cash and no place to put it without being an eyesore.....

[Green Monster]

Mine is set up on a gravel driveway and there is no way the sides would hit the car unless your car is 10 feet wide. The tent material is pulled so tight there is no movement at all. They have ancors to hold down the garage. They even make special ancors for paved driveways.

I had 93 Ford F150 Lightning (thats a full size pickup) parked in it for years and never had a problem. There is a car or trailer parked in it all the time. Good luck.

[bet993]

I don't know exactly what you are talking about, but if it is truly a tent I don't think I would trust it during a storm and definetly not during peroids of heavy snow. I would think a carport would be in a similar price range of less than $2k (have seen them advertised for $599) and would offer about the same protect and be much more sturdy. However, zoning requirements may not permit this. Have you priced a detached 1 car garage? Friends of mine recently built a detached three car garage (and they had to get all the concrete poured) for under $9k. I bet you you could get a single car detached garage built for under $5k. It would be a much better investment, for one you could recoup much of the cost when ever you sell your house.

[jonw440]

Here is what I have. It's 12' wide x 20' long. 8'high.
Mine is the one with the sloped roof not the round one. Thats where my Roadrunner lives . The only problem is the condensation that build up. Cold at night warm during the day makes bare metal parts rust. (Like my Factory manifolds,tie rod ends, etc. BUT it is better than nothing.
I paid $750 for front and rear roll up doors. Ive had it for 5 years and not a single problem. It's gone thought 3' snow storms, 80MPH winds and its still standing.

http://coveritshelters.com/residential/res_1car.html

[MeanGreen]

My car is a daily driver, so it wouldn't be in there 100% of the time, hopefully that would cut down on rusting? One question do you have it set up on the grass?

[MeanGreen]

Thanks!!