OT Carport

super99 · Nov 22, 2012

This question is for anyone who owns a carport. I'm planning on buying a 24x21x6. It will be on a gravel base. I live in NW Illinois, no trees or natural windbreaks nearby. They say for a 90mph wind warranty I need to buy mobile home anchors from them for an extra $200. Is it worth it?? I haven't checked with my insurance company yet about coverage. Just wondered what anyone else did and how you get along with the carport. Chris

SweetFeet · Nov 22, 2012

super99,
If you get wind there, as strong as we get here...I think you will want to anchor it real well.

We have almost no windbreaks here (the frugal pioneers snugged the building site so tight into the corner that there is not room to plant groves)... anyway, the wind is BAD! Wind has flipped our sliding machine shed doors up on its roof more than once (they are very large, very heavy-made from two layers of solid wood). I would think the wind would take a carport easily, if not well anchored.

Stephen Newell · Nov 22, 2012

I believe if you set 3" tubular steel in concrete for the posts you wouldn't need any additional anchors. A mobile home anchor is just a screw into the ground that works like a tent stake that you attach a cable to. It would look pretty ugly.

petermiddletn · Nov 22, 2012

i purchased a 20 x 20 x 8 ft height. I anchored it with 3/4 inch rebar. I drilled a whole through one end of the rebar, pounded the rebar into the ground 4 ft, and then wrapped high tensile steel wire around the base of the carport and through the rebar. I placed 4 of these on each side. So far so good. live north of nashville tn.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 22, 2012

use the mobile hone anchors or it will be gone with the wind one on every truss pole and bolt trough the eye of the anchor. a little work now will save a lot of clean up latter

Dick2 · Nov 22, 2012

If you ever want to sell the place, FHA will not fund a structure like that if it does not have anchors (nor the house that goes with it). The same rules apply to mobile homes.

It's easier to put them in now than after the structure is up.

LJD · Nov 22, 2012

They were sort of the rage here in central NY for maybe a year. I bought two that are 28 feet wide. The based model was only $995 or something like that. The Mexicans that installed them drove 3' long chunks of rerod into the bases at an angle. A month later I came home and found one port missing with my two trucks still sitting there without a scratch on them. I later found the port 1/4 mile away, upside down in a field.

I lay planks across sideways now and park tractors or cars on the planks. Yes, I could anchor better but I don't think it's worth the bother. The ports have been banned in my area since they do not meet the 60-80 PSI snow-load requirements. Mine have almost caved in several times. I put wooden props inside every winter for support.

The dealer near me had a "demonstrater" port in front of his place. Last winter it completely collapsed from snow with his brand new truck still parked under it. It was the most HD model they offered.

Angle Iron · Nov 22, 2012

Do a ggogle search, I found them for around $18.00 each and up and also in sets of 4 for as little as $50.00 Ask them what makes theirs better than the rest.

Hobo,NC · Nov 22, 2012

(quoted from post at 14:33:02 11/22/12) This question is for anyone who owns a carport. I'm planning on buying a 24x21x6. It will be on a gravel base. I live in NW Illinois, no trees or natural windbreaks nearby. They say for a 90mph wind warranty I need to buy mobile home anchors from them for an extra $200. Is it worth it?? I haven't checked with my insurance company yet about coverage. Just wondered what anyone else did and how you get along with the carport. Chris

Normally all you need is two @ $50 A piece installed... If like you say yes tie it down... Mine are not (only the rebar) and lived thru Hurricanes surround by trees...

Are you can make your own MH tie down I don't know what they cost. What they have is a MH one cut short and weld a saddle (square U) on it for the base of the frame to sit in... They mark off were the shed will set and screw'em in the ground in the middle on each side then set the frame on and screw in the side of the saddle that's it nuttin to it @$50 its a quick kill... Any accessory you add to the base price is gravy to'em...

Traditional Farmer · Nov 22, 2012

I have several 18X21 carports for animal shelters and one 18X40 to store garden tractors all of them
survived 84 MPH winds this past Summer (measured by my neighbor that used to work for the FAA with his equipment)also they withstood 28" of snow 2 years ago with no problems.Getting the pad flat and solid to start with is the key.Don't have the trailer tiedowns either

Ken Macfarlane · Nov 22, 2012

Anchor it down, those thing will sail. You go out in a hurricane and try to hold onto a piece of sheet metal.

Goose · Nov 22, 2012

Haven't had a carport, but I have a 12 x 20 fabric covered temporary garage. It lasted two years before the wind got the fabric and left the frame standing. For $240 I put new fabric on it because I didn't have time to do anything else.

Next time I'll put steel on the frame instead of fabric.

old · Nov 22, 2012

I have a couple of friends who have them and yes anchor it down even if all you use is a few fence post the T type and drive them in about 2-3 foot and then hose clamp etc to them. One friend had me make a 4 foot extension so that his would be 4 foot taller and I set the base up so it had re-bar holes so you drove in re-bar to hold it in place

charlie n · Nov 22, 2012

A friend had one put up a few years ago.They used a hokey anchor pin drove thru the frame to hold it down.We took tile spades and dug a hole at each one.I had some 7/8x 18 anchor bolts left over from a job.We put the anchor bolts up thru the frame and put a washer and nut on and then filled the holes with concrete.Once the concrete cured we shimmed between the pier on the frame then tighten them up.The layout could have been done before the setup but this system worked out. Been thru wind and snow and still stands today.Good Luck.

PJH · Nov 22, 2012

I helped our preacher put up one of those free standing carports. The instructions clearly stated that anchors were needed, but we couldn't convince him to use them. Instead, he tied the frame to the top rail of his nearby chain link fence, using 1/4" rope to make the tie. Smartest man on the planet, if you know what I mean. There's nothing that you can do for people like that. Anyhow - the carport was nice, and lasted about a week before the wind destroyed it and part of the fence too. You mentioned mobile home anchors for $200 - don't know how many or what kind you'd get for $200, but most farm stores sell earth anchors, and they're easy to screw in if your soil isn't too rocky. But - the warranty probably won't be honored if you don't buy from your supplier. As far as anchors - you know how it works - put in one too many anchors and no one will know, but one not enough and the whole neighborhood will know. Might even get your picture in the paper. . .

Good luck
Earth anchor

David G · Nov 22, 2012

Money well spent.

OT Carport

super99

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SweetFeet

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Stephen Newell

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petermiddletn

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Anonymous-0

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Dick2

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LJD

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Angle Iron

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Hobo,NC

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Traditional Farmer

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Ken Macfarlane

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Goose

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old

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charlie n

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PJH

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David G

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