Side Tent - Anybody make your own? Care to share plans?

[aggie79]

What is house wrap?

It is a rolled product that is placed between the sheathing and final finish material. Tyvek is a brand from DuPont. Tyvek is water vapor permeable but moisture resistant. It is very strong. They also make envelopes and disposable work clothes out it (for working around hazardous materials).

[WhitneyK]

Tyvek (name brand by Dupont) house wrap: http://www2.dupont.com/Tyvek_Weatherization/en_US/products/residential/resi_homewrap.html

[Photoman33770]

So there I was thinking. ( A dangerous thing only slightly safer than a nuclear melt down )
Your drop is a nice sheet metal modern look. SOOOOOOOO Several snaps 6" out or so surrounding the door. Then a canvas or even a silver sided heavy plastic tarp cut ( and hemed ) with snaps added to snap an upside down horseshoe shape around the door. ( HMM can be same profile shape as the door as I think on it a second more. Then the material comes out perpendicular from the trailer whatever distance you like ( using 5 feet as a number ) then a piece across the horseshoe tube at the end with a zipper in the middle to close it off. As you have a straight lines trailer, the tube could be squared off as well using PVC with elbow joints.
Geez now you want supports. OK think hula hoops cut in half to a semi-circle to form an arch ( heated and bent PVC would work ) then straight poles to the ground. Loops with velcro or snaps on the inside at 3 or five points to secure the support hoops on the inside of the 'tunnel'. Anchor loops on the out side to tie cords to ground stakes as you like.
OKAY now you wanna store it, ain't you just so greedy and needy.
Two pvc tubes under the trailer to slide the supports into. If you 'tunnel' is about 3' wide or so and if your wheels are mounted towards the rear then the tube could go under the back end. if the tubes are set back a bit then the curve sections could even stay on. Just slide the poles into the tubes. If you did square with pvc and elbows then just pull the support pipes out of the elbows and easy to slide em all in a few tubes under trailer.
Good grief , do you not stop?
OKAY so your trailer is not square or round. Then use 45 degree pvc elbows and go for a gambral roof support look but with only 2 sets of elbows not 4. Kinda of the barn roof look.
What now you are worried about rain at the door dripping on your head as you exit to do what ever you do in the tunnel? I swear some people just want EVERYTHING! Okay so you make sure your tunnel snaps are under the rain deflector over the door.
What you are 7 feet tall and hate to duck? Just make the sections of supports get taller as it gets away from the trailer.
Heck say at one foot out you could do a sudden straight up as high as you want but have to sew in a vertical panel to go up to meet the new height.
Yes you can use a can of spray stuff from the sporting goods store to waterproof the light canvas. If you are using a silver sided tarp, most of the heat will be reflected off. I would still plan on some built in air slots, perhaps with bug screen sewn in. Because it is not a ridged solid structure, an uneven ground won't matter. Just make sure you plug or put caps on the ends of the pipes to keep mud and dirt out. Put in what ever you were using before outside the trailer to keep mud out and you will be good to go. Even artificial turf rug will do.
Ok that's it, a wrap people. Take lunch.

[Oldragbaggers]

Photoman, you just settled it for me.

One of these



And one of these



Done

[Photoman33770]

Shucks, I thought that was a good plan !

[linuxmanxxx]

Photo make some prototypes for us to visualize and we might be converted.

[Photoman33770]

Not gonna happen. I am not coordinated that way.

[WhitneyK]

Photoman, Thank You!!!!
Some very good thoughts to ponder on. That's why I started this post with hopes more people would help come up with ideas. I'm sure there's people that would like to have a simple way to make a "custom" looking side tent.
How far away from me do you live and what weekend do you have free to come down and start on the tent?

Found this while looking at the build journals, "Robbie's Benroy Build"

Robbie was unaware that these pics got my little gears ta turnin'
I know he just rigged these tarps up temporary (or at least I think he did) because of the rain, but maybe straying from the thought of snaps to attach the tent to the camper, why not some kind of a strap used like where he has ropes? In his case, the hatch can't be raised, but what about some kind of bracket above the hatch hinge to hook a ratchet type strap to, have a hem in the tent that the strap goes through, then the end with the ratchet and hook can be fastened under the front lip of the trailer frame. Should hold it snug to the top of the camper? Could even use a motor cycle "cinch" strap. Doesn't have to be ultra tight, just snug. May need to put something "soft" sewn under the hem to keep the tent material from "chaffing" the finish on the top of the camper?

Just some more thought's I thought I'd throw out there, didn't say they were good ones.?.

[Robbie]

I'm glad my pics could spark some thoughts to this effect! The tarps were meant to be temporary but even in dry weather they would add good shade from the sun so they will probably be a regular occurrence. One thing I will change about my setup is adding some cinch points above my tailgate so the ropes are not inhibiting me opening the tailgate while the tarps are up. It's kind of hard to see in the pics but the front ropes are attached with a Figure 9 unit that allows you to pull the rope tight and it then cinches up in a toothed v-shaped area to hold the rope tight. In the future I am going to add a small carabiner to the end of the back roap and use a Figure 9 at the front for easy setup, instead of tying knots each time. I am also going to upgrade to a bigger tarp size in the future for more of a covered patio area.

Figure 9...



I also later changed my setup to 2 poles instead of the one pole. It worked out much better.

[Photoman33770]

Florida is a tad too far.

[WhitneyK]

Florida is a tad too far.

Where's your sense of adventure? That WAS what brought you to this website in the first place?

Robbie, another good idea! or possibly some of these rope gripper zig zag thingy's, I use them on my boat to hold the anchor rope: http://www.basspro.com/Marine-Rope-Grippers/product/854/72197

[Lgboro]

I just bought a 6 ' scrap of awning track from the local RV dealer for 5 dollars. Like everything else it had to be altered to make it work but should work really good. Ordered a triangular tarp that I plan to fit to my tear next week if the storms around here permit. The stainless snaps cost a fortune -- I wasn't able to find them except at a boat dealer around here.

[Oldragbaggers]

You can order all the stainless snaps, grommets, twist fasteners and anything else you want for making awnings and such (Including fabric) from Sailrite.

[daniel2382]

my grandpa uses an ice fishing tent, it has 2 opposit doors and it sets up in seconds.
Shappell Ice House 6000 Pop-Up Ice Fishing Shelter

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/produ ... 92.4414800

[LDK]

How bout a rear tent like this. I don't know how that would work for a weekender but I guess you can make one work.
I'm still waiting for my side tent to be made. The upholster on my route must be really busy.