Pop Up Canopies

[bswombaugh]

Any of you mobile guys out there using portable canopies? If so; what make and model and some insight on its effectiveness.

[512detail]

good question. I was considering picking up one for the summer myself.

[mrclean81]

I`m treating myself to one this year myself. I can`t take another summer without one. I`ve been looking at the EZ UP 10x10, but I`d be interested to know what size others are using.

[512detail]

I`m thinking about hanging a few cheap fans from the inside of one. Gonna be a brutal central texas summer this year. Or maybe a mister! haha.. ya right.

[bswombaugh]

I`m thinking about hanging a few cheap fans from the inside of one. Gonna be a brutal central texas summer this year. Or maybe a mister! haha.. ya right.

I am already ahead of you on the fan idea. I got a high velocity portable 3 speed 20" industrial type fan made by PMX. It has stainless steel blades, blows like a hurricane and moves a ton of air for its size. Its going to be on the truck for all my future mobile details canopy or no canopy. I have used it in my garage at home and man does it make a world of difference.

It appears we are in for an overly hot summer in central NC. We have already had about 7 days in a row with temps in the 90`s and the heat index from 100-105.

[512detail]

I am already ahead of you on the fan idea. I got a high velocity portable 3 speed 20" industrial type fan made by PMX. It has stainless steel blades, blows like a hurricane and moves a ton of air for its size. Its going to be on the truck for all my future mobile details canopy or no canopy. I have used it in my garage at home and man does it make a world of difference.

It appears we are in for an overly hot summer in central NC. We have already had about 7 days in a row with temps in the 90`s and the heat index from 100-105.

that`s a great idea. now I just need to put it on wheels and train my dog how to follow me around the vehicles with it.

but I am eager to see what people are using pop up canopy wise...there seems to be a lot of choices around the 100 range and I am not sure if I should be looking into something `better` quality?

Definitely needs to be one man operated.

[Stokdgs]

I researched them a couple years ago when I thought I was going to go into business with a boat Detailer, but that fell through..

What I did figured out is that you need to be able to have enough room with the vehicle centered inside the canopy frame, to move around, bring things with you, like stepstools, platforms, etc., and not run into the legs of the Canopy..

Believe I figure out that a 10 x 10 was not going to be wide enough or for sure, not long enough to completely cover the biggest vehicle I might do which would be any of those honking long trucks with extended cabs and beds...

Some of these things have more material that hangs over and helps cut the sunlight a little longer depending on your orientation of it...

Some have stronger and more support than others..

Go out and measure out a spot in your driveway or garage that would cover everything length-wise and width-wise, giving yourself enough room to work under and around it and see what you get...

Hey, maybe if you are lucky, all you have to work with is MINI Coopers, VW, etc., so you might be able to fit it all in a 10 x 10,,,

If you are really serious about getting one, using it, setting it up and taking it down, portability, and finally, the ROI of it, if you calculate that stuff, then I would go for the best one I could get, so I wont be propping one leg or more on things, because they broke off...

Good luck with this !
Dan F

[bswombaugh]

I researched them a couple years ago when I thought I was going to go into business with a boat Detailer, but that fell through..

What I did figured out is that you need to be able to have enough room with the vehicle centered inside the canopy frame, to move around, bring things with you, like stepstools, platforms, etc., and not run into the legs of the Canopy..

Believe I figure out that a 10 x 10 was not going to be wide enough or for sure, not long enough to completely cover the biggest vehicle I might do which would be any of those honking long trucks with extended cabs and beds...

Some of these things have more material that hangs over and helps cut the sunlight a little longer depending on your orientation of it...

Some have stronger and more support than others..

Go out and measure out a spot in your driveway or garage that would cover everything length-wise and width-wise, giving yourself enough room to work under and around it and see what you get...

Hey, maybe if you are lucky, all you have to work with is MINI Coopers, VW, etc., so you might be able to fit it all in a 10 x 10,,,

If you are really serious about getting one, using it, setting it up and taking it down, portability, and finally, the ROI of it, if you calculate that stuff, then I would go for the best one I could get, so I wont be propping one leg or more on things, because they broke off...

Good luck with this !
Dan F

I know that a 10x10 won`t be big enough for me. Width wise it might be ok but length wise it won`t cut it. I have done a lot of vehicles in the 15 to 20 plus foot range. I was expecting to need something like a 10x20 to be able to meet most of my needs.

[tedj101]

I know that a 10x10 won`t be big enough for me. Width wise it might be ok but length wise it won`t cut it. I have done a lot of vehicles in the 15 to 20 plus foot range. I was expecting to need something like a 10x20 to be able to meet most of my needs.

Two 10X10`s are generally much cheaper than one 10X20 - and far easier for one man to set up...

[mrclean81]

Dan you answered every question I had. I work on some pretty big vehicles, some I know would never sensibly fit under a canopy unless it was huge. Lifted Excursions for example. But even something like my Tahoe would require a pretty big unit. The whole reason I haven`t sprang for one yet is because I don`t want to look like a fool fighting with a giant canopy in someone`s driveway for 30 minutes. I wish I could find an outdoor expo or somewhere that I could give one a test run and see for myself how everything would go. I don`t want to end up in some "Canopy Fail" video on YouTube.

[Todd@RUPES]

I have two 10x10 EZ-Ups.. and love them... They are great for detailing in the sun, as well as beach days.

[mrclean81]

How tall are they?

[bswombaugh]

I have two 10x10 EZ-Ups.. and love them... They are great for detailing in the sun, as well as beach days.

Are they pretty durable? How stable are they in the wind ?

[tedj101]

Are they pretty durable? How stable are they in the wind ?

Wind is a problem with any canopy. A canopy is basically a sail. There are multiple solutions available. Some people use tent stakes driven into the ground. I wasn`t impressed with that solution because the ground you are on makes a huge difference. It doesn`t work at all on rocks, cement or tarmac. Another solution (and the one that I use) is bags sold by EZ-UP which you fill with rocks or gravel. they clip to the legs of the canopy and are effective in any wind you would be willing to work in. At the track (I used to use these racing bikes). At the track, many people attached their spare gas cans to the legs of the canopy. That worked too.

YMMV

[Stokdgs]

Or something more flexible like those little black sandbags they have when there is about to be a flood in your neighborhood, etc....

I like sand because it is heavy, and flexible in the bag, cheap, and easy to fill up, stack, and just put wherever you want..
Dan F