Inflatable and or Portable Garages - Tents

[kach22i]

Temporary in nature and with compromise, I've used what I had to when not able to get my Porsche into a garage or barn.

I've had less problems with moisture/mold with the tents than in my old garage to be honest.

The last tent from Harbor Freight looked good but could not take the wind, and my barn option dried up without notice this year.

I call it the $900 marshmallow, just set it up today, took forever to get here - Covid supply lines and all that.

All the way from China, remember when you had to go to Pier One Imports to get stuff from that exotic far away land?









Set-up was as easy as advertised, "In The Garage" is the brand name of this one via Amazon Prime.

I went to get an multi-prong electrical adapter out of the shed so I could hook up both the fan unit and trickle charger, when I got back the thing was totally inflated.

The fans are supposed to last three years of constant use, then you buy new ones.

I have mice around here being so close to the river, so I'm going to soak the perimeter with some mint/wintergreen/peppermint after I log off.

Mothballs, dryer sheets and RV style moisture absorbers already in the car.

Several layers of cardboard under the engine as usual when in storage.

Long term report will be coming, wait a few years.

Long term plans are to build both a carport and a garage, just takes more time and money.

[rfuerst911sc]

What supports the roof when you get 12" of snow ?

[svandamme]

i'de be worried about theft. because that thing says "somethign valuable in here"
but doesn't offer any protection to would be thief since a box cutter will go right through it in 2 minutes flat.

[tdw28210]

Been considering a used one of these for another location to stash a 911. Not cheap, but the 'vette guys like them. You park over bars to hold it down.

https://covercarconcepts.com/

[ckelly78z]

No chance that would hold up on my property with the wind we get out here in the boondocks. A good option for somebody with windblocks, or in town.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

What supports the roof when you get 12" of snow ?

A cushion of awesome. Everyone knows Porsche's float on a cushion of awesome...and everything they touch gets a cushion of awesome too!

[john70t]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

What supports the roof when you get 12" of snow ?

"With a 35 PSF snow load and 100 MPH wind speed rating, the Arrow Carport thrives even in rough weather conditions."

Side cover sold separately. About two grand i think for both in 12x20 size.
It is anchored with cable with no foundation, so is a temporary structure.
Not the most attractive but would do the job.

[svandamme]

isn't it just cheaper in the long run to build a frigging garage?
It'll be more solid,
it's not an eye sore
more room
way more practical
increases your property value rather then decreasing the entire neighborhood's property value because of the eye sore
won't loose value

[sc_rufctr]

I like your new car shelter George but I thought the inflatable ones like yours were meant for indoors. Anyway with that silver finish it looks like it will do the job. I'm guessing you could knock the snow off if it gets too heavy.

(From a Google search) Pretty cool for a DIY effort IMO.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by svandamme

isn't it just cheaper in the long run to build a frigging garage?

If you put in a permanent structure here, the property can be re-assessed for extra taxes.
(and that tax-it/they/them is extra hungry nowadays)

Everything is getting expensive. Even little garden shed kits are $500-1000 at box stores.
Building a full garage from scratch would be just as expensive even without the concrete.
Oh yeah. Permits. And inspection.

[OK-944]

That Arrow carport actually looks like it would do the trick...but it would be way better (and more salable I'm guessing) if there were some color options to help this blend into ones property. For me (lots of trees) the roof would be dark green, and the walls medium to dark brown. Just sayin'!

[slow&rusty]

Some neat and interesting options here.

Keep them rolling, it would be interesting to see some more.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by john70t

"With a 35 PSF snow load and 100 MPH wind speed rating, the Arrow Carport thrives even in rough weather conditions."

Side cover sold separately. About two grand i think for both in 12x20 size.
It is anchored with cable with no foundation, so is a temporary structure.
Not the most attractive but would do the job.

I looked into that, did not see a bottom to keep water/snow out. My slab slopes towards the large shed, ponding issue at built-in curb before water goes around to the side.

I need a variance to build a garage, riverfront property setback. Going to come in with the X-Ray of my wife's broken wrist when she fell trying to get to her car two years ago and fell on ice.

I've used a tent-like carport in the winter 2-3 times in the last 18 years, plus one year and part of this year double/triple car covers and tarps that come off when it's nice out. Rest of the time in a garage or for the last two years in a barn.

Somehow for what ever reason temporary structures come in handy, that's what this thread is for.

Woke up this morning to a little snow, photos taken through one of our windows.




There is a photo in the forum with a Porsche owner and his little boy with one of these, his boy is on top of the inflated structure with a big smile, so it's strong.

Oh, and in my area it's really safe, far different than the urban area we lived in for 27 years prior. I'm not worried about anything other than the wildlife.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

[/img]

That image is not too dissimilar to what I plan on doing.

I want a freestanding carport with electric car charging port, it's going to be sculptural and sexy. I have grid paper sketch drawings, and started a scale model to study stability. I might even incorporate solar PV.

The garage will have to be two-story because of the walk-out grade towards the river out back. Size wise it has to squeeze in between house, shed and septic tank, plus will not block off any exist house windows nor their views.

In short I'm incorporating a screened-in porch breezeway that acts like a bridge between the two structures. Not a large addition, but will be costly and required ZBA, oh and it too will be sexy as all heck and match our log sided house.

The inflatable marshmallow is not sexy, but will never harm the Porsche should it fail.

See Post #15 (Classic Car Damage Warning)
https://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/threads/harbor-freight-portable-garage.197015/

I have all the parts from my old temporary carport, the first one that did not self-destruct when it got windy. Going to use that to cover my riding mower and hovercraft that now sit under a couple of tarps.

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

No chance that would hold up on my property with the wind we get out here in the boondocks. A good option for somebody with windblocks, or in town.

The car sits on the lower portion of the two-part zipper together inflatable structure - not going to blow away. I used several layers of thick cardboard to protect the zipper as I drove over it - just in case a pebble got kicked in there by accident. There are built-in securing rings near the top, I'm not using them but a fellow making videos used his to secure to the underside of his carport making driving in and out of easier. It's not really suited for daily use, more of a storage bubble.

[sugarwood]

Do the neighbors complain, or do they also have garbage strewn all over their property also?

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Do the neighbors complain, or do they also have garbage strewn all over their property also?

Wow, what brought on all the crabbiness?

My wife's snow tires stacked up will soon be installed and gone.

The sandbags that were holding down the Porsche's tarp will be set away soon - large brown ice cubes as of late and nasty to move about. I had to use the blunt end of an axe to dislodge them.

Cardboard from the $900 marshmallow will be recycled this weekend.

As for the rest, it's mostly remnants of the ill-fated Harbor Freight carport that will get processed this spring.

My neighbors are cool, most of them have miscellaneous things adjacent to their sheds and garages, don't look past the first layer into the shadows and it will not bother you. Although it might bother you sugarwood, it does not bother me. Will be better sorted once I build that garage and carport, been here 2.5 years, still getting things sorted out.

Now if anyone has anything constructive to add to the topic of portable garages please speak up.

EDIT:

Always safer in a garage?

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/143623-frozen-pipes-garage.html

[Baz]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

A cushion of awesome. Everyone knows Porsche's float on a cushion of awesome...and everything they touch gets a cushion of awesome too!

[Seahawk]

Kach, is it varmint proof?

I will be storing my 997 convertible for my son...got the little stuff sorted and the electrical gremlins dealt with.

Next will be light body work and some paint.

I have room in an old tobacco barn but your set up is better than the stuff I have been looking at.

Thanks!

[unclebilly]

I am not a believer in these temporary storage buildings…

In the first winter on my farm, I didn’t have a shop (or a house for that matter). It was a BRUTAL winter. Lots of -40 and lots of snow. We had 2 monthly power bills over $1000 for heating our trailer.

I thought I was a smart guy and parked my beloved 911s in those temporary garages.

One morning, while out clearing snow with my backhoe, I made an odd observation… I could see my car. How is this possible? It’s parked in the shelter. Where the F is the shelter?

In a windstorm the night before, those base plates the hold the verticals to the boards that were attached to 2x12s that the car was parked on broke one by one. As each broke, the steel vertical support flapped back and forth in the wind and beat the 5hit out of my 911. It looked like a scorned exlover took a baseball bat to it.

On the upside the car did get a full repaint out of the deal. I left my 964 outside and it was better off for it.

I now park some of my cars in sea cans. You can get 3 cars into a 53’ seacan. You can fit 3 air cooled cars in a 45’ sea can.

The sea cans are rodent proof.

Learn from my expensive mistake - Get a sea can.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

Kach, is it varmint proof?

There are claims of it being varmint resistant but I have my doubts because the small dark chocolate colored mice around here used my last $80 tarp from Home Depot into nest bedding material in the first week of use this summer.

Just say'n; them critters love PVC coated fabric or something.

There are indoor models, the outdoor model I have says do NOT use indoors, not sure why.

I would say that these bubbles are a "first layer" of mouse resistance. You need many more layers if a known problem exists. Layer the outside with something from the mint family is my recommendation.