When we bought our house there was a very small garage and a small Shelter Logic temporary structure- basically a metal framed tent. Plans for the future include a shop that is big enough for the SMB, but for the mean time we need somewhere to keep it out of the hail. Well, somewhere better than this:
Which was to say, putting the front under the porch and covering it with moving blankets over the cab. It works, but isn't exactly easy or good looking.
When I considered the time, and potential number of hail storms, between now and when we can build a shop, temporary storage became the obvious choice. Since I was so impressed with how my existing unit withstood the weather, I decided to go with ShelterLogic again, however getting the "Barn Style" in order to fit the SMB. It was surprisingly easy to build, with the help of the tractor where three to four people would have been necessary otherwise.
There was a damaged cross pole which they replaced as fast as UPS ground ships anything, and it didn't really matter because it turns out you have to put in and take out the bottom poles multiple times anyway.
The other damage, or should I say defect, turned up after putting the end canvas on- one of the glued strap pockets was not so glued. I have yet to contact them about this. Word to the wise, there is a warranty card included in the boxes which I didn't open for 100 days or so, which must be filled out within 30 days of purchase. Oops!
The cover took two people, and they need to be moderately sized. It slid right over and I can't think of an easier way to do it than having a friend help- up to that point it was possible to do everything by myself.
So of course I had to modify a few things. One annoyance with my existing Shelter Logic is there is no way to attach anything to the supports, not that I would do this as I'm sure it voids the warranty! Anyway, I bought some longer bolts and extra nuts and washers and put chain lengths all down the center and on two of the side poles in the back. If I ever do want to void my warranty, at least it will be easy!
The other modification was to tie the end cover straps to the end feet, in order to redirect some of the tension out of the front cover- meaning a lateral pull on the zippers. This was accomplished with some coated cable and clamps to make small loops.
Next I installed the eazy opening system, which is a bar in the pocket at the bottom of the flap and some ropes, a cleat, and special pully clips. The gist is the door goes up really easy on the nylon rope, and while I'd hoped to get an idea to copy for my original ShelterLogic, I actually got
two of the Pull-Eaze Rollup Door kits... did I mention the "barn" has a door on the rear panel as well? Since I won't be using that 99% of the time, the extra kit is going in my other ShelterLogic.
The door isn't quite high enough with the rollup kit, however it does push up over the van without needing to stop and get out. Incidentially I installed the kit
without cutting any holes in the canvas, despite what the instructions say.
And we're done:
This took about two weeks of spare time, my tractor, a friend, a hammer drill, two 3/8" masonry bits, 34 3/8" RedHead concrete bolts and some electrical tape (to cover bolt threads whereever they might rub).
For the next 3 to 5 years and the ease of removal or relocation when necessary, this is a great solution. I was really impressed with how the smaller ShelterLogic has weathered rain, snow and, of course, hail, however at an unknown age it is showing wear and tear. I recently ordered replacement fasteners for the door panels and plan to repair and replace the cover all around. The new barn style was ordered with the heavier duty canvas (although not the heaviest they offer), which should hold up better and is certainly quality stuff.
As far as fit goes, it's excellent- however not quite the grandiose amount of spare room I'd imagined- to keep the ends off the panels leaves enough room to open the rear doors and walk past the front with everything closed- not for shelves and extra storage as I'd imagined. Still, considering the larger driveway footprint and the fact that I can park and open all the doors (not completely mind you) it's an excellent compromise.