My shelter logic is now a tacoed piece of garbage in 30 secs

[teardrop_focus]

I am not at all surprised. You live in a wind-prone region. Any fabric drawn tight within any framework will act as a sail.

Next folding-type awning you create should have guy wires attached as soon as it is erected.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-guy-wire.htm

[SonofT@B]

Slow...sorry about your shelter but I think the comment above re: immediate stakedown is the answer.

I normally use a Caravan brand 10 x 10 shelter that I have found to be very sturdy. However, sometime ago I tied 2 guy-wire ropes to each corner and stake down the corners immediately after putting up the shelter. It's so much easier than trying to do it in a thunderstorm with high winds. It has been through some serious thunderstorms with no problems.



I also tried a Tail Gaiting shelter that Dick's Sporting Goods had on clearance last fall for $9.00. I used screw in snaps on the myPOD and staked it out at Lake Lanier this summer. In the middle of the night a thunderstorm came up over the lake with winds so hard the little myPOD shook like a babies cradle.

I thought everything would blow away, but the shelter held. The only problem was the center over the door did not drain well and when I opened the door in the morning I had a 3 foot bubble of water hanging down in the shelter stretching it to within a few feet of the ground. I finally had to take my knife and cut a hole in it for drainage but it held up all night. I probably won't be using it again as it had too many ropes holding it up, is a pain to put up by yourself and also blocks the view in front of the TD. A good idea that didn't pan out.




We don't normally have the kinds of wind you get out west but we do occasionally get some serious thunderstorms with high winds in the southeast especially on the lakes and at the coast. Don't give up on shelters. Just find the right one for the style of camping you do and prepare for the worst in advance.

Good luck!

[Nobody]

Have absolutely no experience with the Shelter Logic units so don't know how you'd hafta secure 'em. I have tho, done considerable camping in the west & the first thing I always do is 'guy' whatever shelter I'm using. Nearly all the time it is an inexpensive First-Up from Wal Mart (or a non-labeled First-Up that I bought online at a good discount). When it is first erected I secure the 'feet' with the large (12") spike type pegs, or even longer pegs I've made from 1/2" re-bar. I also guy each corner with the attached ropes/cords & heavy duty re-bar pegs. If we're expecting more than the near constant 15-20mph western 'breeze' I add an additional guy to the windward corners using 1/4" braided rope with homemade quick adjusters & re-bar pegs.

slowcowboy - We were set-up at this location near Sand Draw, WY for six days in June 2007. As you well know, a 'calm' day there is around 5-10mph breeze. That week we had up to 50mph gusts & near constant winds of around 30mph. The fabric on our First-Up flapped & vibrated so much in the wind that nearly all the 'silver' inside coating abraded off the fabric at the frame joints but the shelter stood everything Mother Nature threw at us all week with no problems even tho at times the top was as much as 18" off plumb with the feet . The 'pop-up' camo blind we used for my wife's potty shelter 'folded' several times in the wind but it was a simple job to get it back up. I know lotsa folks have little confidence in the Wal Mart shelters but they've performed well for me. Even tho that blue fabric has been replaced with red, I still have it & it is serviceable enough to use if needed The shelter did 'fold' up in an ice storm last winter but a couple of pieces replaced from a 'wrecked' frame & it's again good as new

Camp at Sand Draw

[Oasis Maker]

Been away and just now seeing this. Sorry for your misfortune Slowcowboy. All I can tell you is that has not been my experience with the ShelterLogic. I am still very pleased with it and it's been used heavily for over a couple of years now in very windy situations. There were also a lot of favorable reviews online as well. So people write what they experience - as you have now done.

I do camp regularly where there are strong Santa Ana winds as well as right off the ocean where again there are heavy winds, and have had no problems (while other shelters in the campground did). I have no way of knowing "exactly" what happened in your situation.

One thing that I have to look out for in setting this up is to double check that the tension (tent-like) support poles are actually inside each other. In setting up, I almost always pull them partially apart so they are not fully inserted inside each other and it can go unnoticed. That would certainly cause a catastrophic failure.

Whatever the cause, you had a bad experience and good luck with your next canopy.

Scott

[David S]

I lost my Shelter Logic at home fastened to my picnic table durring a moderate rain.The cheap plastic pc's gave way.I Emailed their customer support dept.and never got a response as to the availability of parts.I think I can make something from metal to replace the broken part ,but I will never buy anything from or recommend Shelter Logic because of their lack of customer service.

[Nathan N]

Slowcowboy,

You sure do have the worst luck. I've not camped in Colorado enduring a freak wind gusts, experienced any strong Santa Ana winds, or never have had the pleasure of ocean front winds with our setup.

In my experience I figured it was rather secure against winds. I mean as compared to an first-up type shelter. If the mounts are solid the nylon would flap but I would never have bet on the total destruction you are describing.

We did experience an issue with heavy rains at Spring Mill in Indiana last May. Here is a photo from Saturday morning - I almost didn't get the door open. I apologize for the poor photo as it was rather early and it is from my phone.



This just shows one side but both sides held about an equal amount of water. I would guess about five gallons on each side of the main support pole. That is a lot of weight. You can see the rods are bowed downward due to the weight. They never disintegrated nor did the plastic bits fly all apart.

I haven't come up with a solution to this problem yet - perhaps some fiberglass poles to get an arch upwards so the rain would drain over the horizontal rails.

One difference may be that on our trailer the supports are right at the ends of the shelter - 10 foot trailer with the supports about 4 inches from the ends.

Just the darnedest luck I tell you!

Nathan

[Oasis Maker]

Wow Nathan, that sucks... (no pun intended). We have a different set up, but I control the rain by just dropping the one side lower into the wind. I've only been in a few downpours, but with the canopy tilted down into the wind, it's impossible to collect water.

It looks like your canopy runs flush, almost resting on the top and full length of your trailer. I can see how water would collect like that. Do you have any more play in your brackets to raise one side higher?



Scott

[Oasis Maker]

I lost my Shelter Logic at home fastened to my picnic table durring a moderate rain.The cheap plastic pc's gave way.I Emailed their customer support dept.and never got a response as to the availability of parts.I think I can make something from metal to replace the broken part ,but I will never buy anything from or recommend Shelter Logic because of their lack of customer service.

Two things agreed on, those plastic end pieces are definitely cheap and should be metal. I dropped a pole setting up and broke one. I always keep duct tape with me and secured it tightly in place and haven't had a problem since. And yes, same thing. I called to get an extra part and their customer service is non-existent.

But as far as rain collecting (see above post) I don't have a problem because I lower one side of the canopy into the wind. With the push button hole adjustments, it takes 2 seconds. I've only been in a few very heavy downpours though and the rest have just been light steady rain. (Sunny AZ and California... What can I say? That's why I'm out here.)

Scott

[Nathan N]

Thanks Scott,
I replied on my rain issues back over on the your original thread.

Nathan

[CAJUN LADY]

Cowboy, sorry for your bad luck with your Shelter Logic shade. It seems the wind took you by surprise and made mince meat of your canopy.

Shelter Logic isn't junk...it's a good shade - it's the outdoor elements that can turn a happy camper into a crying baby in a minute.

It sounds like you haven't used a canopy before so maybe you didn't realize you needed to tie it down, stake it down or rachet it down. That was a hard lesson to learn, not to mention a costly one too.

I hope you can salvage what you have left and make yourself another canopy. Happy trails.