ez-ups re-educations and poll

[pete42]

Couple of things first Slow cowboy I want a cargo trailer I'm to old and I don't bend well enough to get into and out of a TD.

second I loaned my ez-up to a friend who said it was anything but ez to put up.

When I showed him how I do it (modifed way Al Fink does) he said now you show me.

He said that in the morning the morning-dew would collect under the canopy and drip onto the table.

While I have never experienced this I now wonder if any of yours does the dew-drop thing?

when I do get my Cargo trailer I will have an awning installed but I'll keep the ez-up just incase.

pete

[the other side]

Seems like the Sams club one and the BJs one is probably the same ez-up (mine even has the banner thing). What is confusing me is I haven't had ANY dripping or ANYTHING but... how the heck would water be able to pool/puddle on the roof? Mine is so taught when it is up (with no sagging what-so-ever) I can't imagine how water could stay up there. When I was in the campground that my site flooded there was rain up to the floor of my tear (which means there was a lot of rain). I didn't have any problems with the ez up and water on the roof. Only problems I had were dragging the ezup through the water and around the tear, bending the leg and cracking one cross beam.

"Do It Right" and I have to have the same ez up. Can you put the top of the other tent on the ez up frame? Then you'd have the best of both worlds.

[Ratkity]

Technically, the Coleman slant leg shelter is only a sun shelter. I used Scotch Guard type product to spray the top and inside to make it more water resistant.

My shelter top is very taunt as well and I have never had water pool on it, even at the legendary Tearjerker event now dubbed "Drench Creek" (French Creek gathering where we had high winds, tstorms and 3 inches of rain).

Hugs,
Ratkity

[Dusty82]

A lot of folks over on the pop-up website I frequent swear by 303 High-Tech Fabric Guard for their awnings, EZ-Ups, and such. It's also the manufacturers recommended waterproofing treatment for Sunbrella fabrics. It's a bit pricy, and I've not used it myself, but it is available at West Marine and Camping World - I would imagine it's available in other stores as well.

[rowerwet]

we have an easy up we got from my uncle when he moved to FL, I mostly use it to stake out our spot on York Beach, ME for the week we are there. The normal drill is get up at 6Am at the latest, drive down, set up the awning and stuff that wont walk away, (beach chairs, toys, etc.) tie the awning to the stuff, and drive back.
Some time around eleven we walk down about a mile or two with the food and other stuff. So far the awning hasn't blown away and only once or twice have I had to add rocks to the stuff to hold it down in all tyhe years since '99.

[clkelley564]

I have two 10x20 EZ-Up type shelters that I use for my T@B Clamshell. I can set them up by myself.

I do take the covers off.

I do soak the covers with a Camp-Dry product about every 6 months.

I stake them down with the 6-inch spikes and I also have weights. I also use the ropes at the corners.

I also have a standard T@B awning that goes in the awning track, and I use that for shorter trips, but there is no protection for the kitchen with that awning.

I was planning on just bringing the T@B awning for Crossroads of America, but I may bring the big shelters for the "show & tell" factor.

[David S]

I was going to do a Shelter Logic mounted to the side of my tear but when we tried it out last 4th of July on our picnic table it collapsed after a light shower.One of the cheap plastic connectors failied at the peak connection.After several attemts to contact the company to see if I could buy a new peice,with no reply I gave up.Shelter Logic FAIL!

[proformance]

Alffink,
I concur with the wind speed issue. I grew up in Riverside and now live in south Orange County, actually the foothills of Saddleback Mountain. I live on one of the ridge tops and we consistently see winds like you experience in Rialto. In fact, it is not uncommon to have gusts in excess of 100mph (confirmed by weather station located at the end of our block.)

RE, Keeping EZ-Ups from flying away:
I’ve been using EZ-Ups for 20+ years. Methods I use to retain my EZ-Up include using ty-downs attached to the trailer, to ice-chests, tool boxes, Generators and any and everything that is quite heavy. Also, if you are on soft soil, use a Dog Leash Stake that screws into the ground. They will withstand a significant greater pulling force over a simple straight stake.

Another trick is, as Alfink mentioned, lower the leading edge of the Ez-Up (the edge that faces into the wind) several feet in comparison to the trailing edge. This will help keep the unit from lifting off through aerodynamic forces. Also, another trick I use is to leave the material loose from the frame. I have had times where the winds were severe enough the winds would try to carry away my EZ-Up and everything it was attached to. But with the loose top, the top would fly off instead and save the frame from going with it.

Slow,
You commented on the difficulty of moving your EZ-Up without assistance. What may be easier is to retract the 4-legs, walk underneath the EZ-up and lift from the center, then walk the EZ-UP to where you wish to place it. Once in place, re-extend the legs.

All,
Here is a link to another thread where persons were discussing the difficulties with EZ-Ups. In this thread I explained a method I use when setting up without assistance. It may aid others, have a look. http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=43608&highlight=

Also, utilizing the methods that incorporate the “Open Hereâ€

[the other side]

For those of you who leave the top on for storage, does it go back into its bag with the top on?

[David S]

David it depends on who you get at shelter logic. I deal with bill huff and he is good! i am getting my parts this weekend to fix my shelter logic.

some times it just pays to be presitance. my wreck with my shelter logic was a wind storm and I was not tied down enough. this year will be diffrent. I think I got it cured.

I have had no problem dealing with shelter logic and buying cheap replacemnt parts and they are not pricy on the new parts at all.

sure the first time they blew me off but I just raise a little cain. you know how I can come unglued on here.

but presto! it worked I got bill huff and he deals great. answers my emails works with me to get my right parts and ships them out imetally nothing was over 5 dollars for my replacemnet parts and nothing over 9 dollars on shipping and freight!

I am not dead on my shelter logic. I don't normaly deal with rain in wyoming while camping either.

my problem is wind.

and I think some ropes on it or rachet straps with some stakes will make it just as good as a ez-up tied down.

I own both of them shelter logic and ez-up and have my opions on them.

but I plan to keep and use both of them. thanks to bob henrys photos I will be diging out my straps from my tool box on my goosekneck trailer and strapping the ez-up down two.

nothings going to fly off to nebraska this year! no sir!

SLowcowboy.

Cowboy , How did you get in contact with this Mr Huff?

[Pottercounty]

Ropes & stakes...

[Nobody]

This subject gets 're-hashed' with some regularity & most folks have strong opinions of whether/how to use the EZ-Up type shelters. First one I bought was a 'slant-leg' KwikShade 10x10' (nominal dimensions, actual canopy was 8x8') for around $65 at Academy Sports. It was/is less than satisfactory & has been relegated to use for shade only, around home for short periods. I then purchased (in 2006) an unbranded First-Up online for about $56 including shipping; it worked great for several years & the only reason it ain't being used now is I left it unattended at deer camp during a severe ice storm where it partially collapsed under weight of more'n an inch of ice. At that only 2 sections of the scissor frame bent/broke & 1 leg twisted. Has been stored awaiting another broken frame to cannibalize . We used it once for 6 days at Sand Draw, WY (you should know that area Slow) with nearly constant winds of 25-35mph with frequent gusts to 50mph. Had the large 'nail' pegs thru the feet, the guy ropes extended & pegged down with 18" pegs made of re-bar, & additional 1/4" guys on the windward side. The wind actually lifted/vibrated the fabric so much during the week that it abraded most of the silvery coating off the underside (still doesn't leak tho ). That's the fabric that was on during the ice storm collapse & it's still usable. Our son gifted us with a red fabric cover that we've used ever since.

I had my first 'disasterous collapse' this past weekend in Missouri. During a severe night time T'Storm a limb was blown off the tree under which we were parked. The limb hit the guy rope (on the windward side naturally) & loosened it enough that the very strong straight-line winds twisted & colllapsed one side of the First-Up, breaking 1 scissor frame member & 1 of the corner diagonal 'rafter' pieces (guess I finally have a use for the parts from the other damaged frame ). Not sure but I think the limb may have actually hit the canopy first & damaged the frame before loosening the guy??

I always leave the fabric on the frame for storage & have never had any pinholes or abrasion other than from the wind gusts referenced above. I always take a couple of extra minutes & 'push' the fabric between the scissor members back into the center of the frame. This also makes it easier to 'fold' the frame fully & get the entire thing back into the bag, even alone.

As for putting the shelter up/down, I've done it alone many times & with help from my wife or another person, also many times. I can do it alone almost as fast as with help using pretty near the same method narrated above by alfink. Don't think it's ever taken me more'n 10 min, usually less.

We have three (two now I guess ) of the First-Up shelters & none of 'em have ever 'pooled' water on the fabric. I think that one reason is we try to make sure the legs are near exactly vertical. I've seen some folks that try to 'stabilize' the shelter by tugging outward a little on the feet. If you look carefully you'll see that may cause a slight depression of the corner diagonal pieces whereas if you push the feet back in to achieve a 'plumb' vertical leg, the corner diagonals will 'bow' upward slightly. That is the case with mine anyway & results in a taut fabric that don't pool. During very high humidity we sometimes experience condensation on the underside of the fabric or on the metal frame but that doesn't happen often enough to even be a bother.

My very first trip with the TD - this was after a 'deluge' in which the slant-leg KwikShade pooled badly


Our typical camp set-up


The First-Up typically covers this much of the TD


This was camp at Sand Draw, WY where we had constant strong winds - The little 'camo' potty shelter actually 'laid down' several times in the winds


My shelter last Sunday morning

[pete42]

Darn Harvey that is to bad were you able to salvage any of the ez-up?

nice combo trailer, truck, outhouse and ez-up what more do you need?

pete

[razorback]

I got my cover from a sporting goods company called Gander Mountain.
Was a little more expensive but the size of the poles and metal were thicker and more substantial than those at Wal Mart. It also came with four sides of mosquito netting and three solid sides. I went back to the store to order another solid side and they said it was from overseas and they could not get parts. I asked her what they were going to do with the solid sides from their demo unit and she went to the back and brought me all three and said I could have them. They also had what they called an auto canopy to go over the hatches of large SUV's. It has a stretch side that goes over my galley with sides the go to the ground. It is 10 feet long and the top velcros to the top of the 10 x 10 shelter. This gives me a 10 foot wide by 20 foot shelter with solid sides for cold weather and large gatherings.
I take four 5 gallon buckets and fill them with water and tie off each leg of the shelter to a bucket. Gives me over 20 gallons of water in case of a camp fire mishap while giving me 4 containers of water to quickly rinse off dishes. Pour out the water when you go home and stack the buckets together. A lot less weight to haul home but over 40 lbs of support per leg when filled with water.
Larry

[Nobody]

Darn Harvey that is to bad were you able to salvage any of the ez-up?

nice combo trailer, truck, outhouse and ez-up what more do you need?

pete

Yeah Pete, no problem repairing the First-Up. The damage wasn't nearly as bad as it appears in the pic. Only had 1 broken scissor piece & 1 end of a diagonal brace damaged. Took pieces off the old frame that got bent in the ice storm & replaced the damage from Sunday morning. Did that today, put the red fabric back in place & tightened a few connections that sorta loosened up from the twist/collapse. Thing appears as good as new & I expect it'll go another year or three. Still have 3 good legs & most of 3 side scissor assemblies on the old frame (just in case of another mishap)