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Portable Garage

RWorth

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Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
592
Location
Cape Cod , Mass.
Because my 26x 40 garage is now door to door tools with no room for cars or projects of any kind, and I do not have the land to expand my shop, I have opted to erect a 13x28 Tent.
This is what I ordered yesterday:

https://www.portablegaragedepot.com/index.cfm?sku=90243&catid=176
I ordered the 21.5oz cover, hopefully it will last for awhile.

I've been working 6, 12 hr days a week for over 2 months now so progress has been slow but I finally got the area cleaned up, a couple of trees downed and pulled the stumps. Hopefully I'll get ground broke for the slab tomorrow.

The plan is a 5" thick fibre reinforced concrete pad and approach from my existing driveway so I can roll my large tools in and out easily.

It should be large enough to hold all my large tools, some stock, and my CJ, giving me room to revisit my '65 F-100 restoration.
 
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Kaizen

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Jan 9, 2015
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New England
You can't expand your shop but you can pour a pad that size?
I have had two of these but just the 350 dollar ones from tractor supply. 12x20 I think. Pain to assemble and have the ends cover perfectly. No matter what thickness they all wear out from constant movement. This last one I put cheap pool noodles around the three angle areas. Basically gave some foam give. When the wind starts blowing if it's not well secured it will take off. Put some bolts on around your pour so you can bolt 4x4s to like a sill


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vette66bob

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Jun 3, 2009
Messages
168
Location
North Jersey
I had a very similar unit for the past 6-7 years it has held up well. I made a floor from pallets with ply wood on top and it to has held up well. Good storage. I see many improvements and upgrades with the new units you are looking at.
 

Jazz1

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Jan 3, 2016
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4,184
Location
Thunder Bay On.
I put two 6" posts in ground and hung swinging doors to protect portable from prevailing north wind which was beating the hell out of fabric.

 

alien

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Joined
Nov 18, 2015
Messages
379
Because my 26x 40 garage is now door to door tools with no room for cars or projects of any kind, and I do not have the land to expand my shop, I have opted to erect a 13x28 Tent.
This is what I ordered yesterday:

https://www.portablegaragedepot.com/index.cfm?sku=90243&catid=176
I ordered the 21.5oz cover, hopefully it will last for awhile.

I've been working 6, 12 hr days a week for over 2 months now so progress has been slow but I finally got the area cleaned up, a couple of trees downed and pulled the stumps. Hopefully I'll get ground broke for the slab tomorrow.

The plan is a 5" thick fibre reinforced concrete pad and approach from my existing driveway so I can roll my large tools in and out easily.

It should be large enough to hold all my large tools, some stock, and my CJ, giving me room to revisit my '65 F-100 restoration.

I am also from MA and have had a shelter logic heavy weight gambrel shaped 12 X 20 for over ten years. Two things help with longevity. Being very square, plumb, and straight helps a lot. Being on a slab should help with most of that. And second is getting the cover tight. I used ratchet straps from the middle and worked my way to the ends. You can't get your fingers between the fabric and posts. Many near me didn't make it through all that heavy snow a few years ago, mine is still standing. Probably have to replace the roll up door in the next few years.

Good luck with yours.
 
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RWorth

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Aug 29, 2016
Messages
592
Location
Cape Cod , Mass.
thanks for the advise guys,oh and It is legal in my town.
I was going to wait til I set it up to decide what to do about padding, but I agree it should help. Also good to know about keeping it tight, makes sense.
 

Stuart in MN

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Sep 8, 2005
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Location
Minneapolis
There's a machinist named Keith Fenner, he's on Cape Cod and he has one of those temporary garages in his back yard. He has a Youtube channel with a zillion videos, mostly about various machining tasks, but I've seen a couple where he did some maintenance on the temporary garage so it would hold up to the weather you get here. Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/user/KEF791 You'll have to page through and see if you can find the right videos.
 
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RWorth

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Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
592
Location
Cape Cod , Mass.
There's a machinist named Keith Fenner, he's on Cape Cod and he has one of those temporary garages in his back yard. He has a Youtube channel with a zillion videos, mostly about various machining tasks, but I've seen a couple where he did some maintenance on the temporary garage so it would hold up to the weather you get here. Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/user/KEF791 You'll have to page through and see if you can find the right videos.

I know Keith, his shop is in Dennis, he did a lot of the machine work on the Schooner Larinda years ago, nice Guy and a good machinist.
 
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RWorth

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Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
592
Location
Cape Cod , Mass.
You can't expand your shop but you can pour a pad that size?
I have had two of these but just the 350 dollar ones from tractor supply. 12x20 I think. Pain to assemble and have the ends cover perfectly. No matter what thickness they all wear out from constant movement. This last one I put cheap pool noodles around the three angle areas. Basically gave some foam give. When the wind starts blowing if it's not well secured it will take off. Put some bolts on around your pour so you can bolt 4x4s to like a sill


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Kaizen, I had planned on a 2x6 PT sill, why did you suggest a 4x4 ? Specific reason or just what you decided to use?

Oh and thanx for the pool noodle suggestion, they are half the price of pipe insulation, and they come in pretty colors :D
 
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alien

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Nov 18, 2015
Messages
379
2X6 sill is what I did. I used ratchet straps around that sill and the bottom tube that goes through the sleeve in the material. Going back and forth from side to side I was able to get the material very tight.
 

Kaizen

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Jan 9, 2015
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New England
Kaizen, I had planned on a 2x6 PT sill, why did you suggest a 4x4 ? Specific reason or just what you decided to use?



Oh and thanx for the pool noodle suggestion, they are half the price of pipe insulation, and they come in pretty colors :D



I used 4x so I could use longer lag screws to attach the feet.


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theoldwizard1

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Feb 22, 2011
Messages
43,114
Location
SE MI
There's a machinist named Keith Fenner, he's on Cape Cod and he has one of those temporary garages in his back yard.
Very cool guy. Amazing with a torch or TIG in addition to his machining.

He bought a Shelter Logic, probably the best one on the market.

If you can find them, using some 6x6 or better yet 8x8, timbers on the perimeter keeps the edges up out of the dirt/mud/snow.
 
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RWorth

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Aug 29, 2016
Messages
592
Location
Cape Cod , Mass.
Very cool guy. Amazing with a torch or TIG in addition to his machining.

He bought a Shelter Logic, probably the best one on the market.

If you can find them, using some 6x6 or better yet 8x8, timbers on the perimeter keeps the edges up out of the dirt/mud/snow.

It's going on a 5" concrete slab. And I did the grading today and brought in about a yard of fill, the land tapers off a few inches in the rear so I'm goiing to form it for about a 12" thick x8" footing across the back, I'll feel better going to virgin soil.
 
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Jazz1

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Jan 3, 2016
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Thunder Bay On.
i have 10 3' steel stakes pounded into the ground to hold wigwam in place. The stakes the shelter came were only 18". Too short for serious wind.
 
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RWorth

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Cape Cod , Mass.
Well I'm formed up, just waiting for my mason, I managed to get ready intime for him to buy a house and move, so I may have to wait a week or so to get my pour. Here's hoping the weather holds out, 62 out there this morning.:D
 
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RWorth

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Aug 29, 2016
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Location
Cape Cod , Mass.
All is well, poured this morning, I'm going with a double 2x6 sill, didn't trust the mason to hit a 2x4 with the anchor bolts:D
 
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ragdoll

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May 14, 2009
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45
Seems like such a waste putting up a garage shelter on a nice professional pad.

You should have considered a shipping container?
 
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RWorth

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592
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Cape Cod , Mass.
my father had one for 10 years that my son took down and erected at his house a month ago after my father died, and it's still in realy nice shape, I bought the best one they made, and I'm 63 years old, so I'm guessing I'll be dead or at least not capable of building any more cars before the tent dies.

Oh and I thought about the shipping container but my wife would never go for it.:D
 

duwem

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Aug 28, 2013
Messages
451
Location
Eastern WI
I bought a 6x12' Shed in a box last fall to put my snowblowing tractor in. Spent $300 for a "decent one" Also bought the long anchors as the ones in the kit say for temp use, buy long ones, great.

Took half a flippin day to put together. Then a week later the wind tore the doors apart. Doors stopped several inches off the ground so would have never kept the snow out.

Whole time I was paranoid the $300 $HIT in a box was going to crash into my expensive tractor....

So the car sat in the elements and the tractor in the attached garage.

What waste of my time and pile of ****. Took it all back appart and got my money back.
 
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RWorth

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Cape Cod , Mass.
Just for reference I priced the smallest good tent they have at portable garage depot where I bought mine, it is 8x12, and it prices out at 641.99 for the tent and the 21oz cover that I ordered.

So I'm guessing a 300 tent is a cheapy.
 

Jazz1

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Jan 3, 2016
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Location
Thunder Bay On.
Just for reference I priced the smallest good tent they have at portable garage depot where I bought mine, it is 8x12, and it prices out at 641.99 for the tent and the 21oz cover that I ordered.

So I'm guessing a 300 tent is a cheapy.

My wigwam is 3 years old. The top of cover has started to rip down the centre. I did a temporary repair with pieces of rubber mat and seam sealer. Its a Shelterlogic brand. Maybe get the rest of season,,maybe not
They offer 3 grades of coverings,,9oz being the lightest/cheapest which is what i have.
 

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Kaizen

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New England
My wigwam is 3 years old. The top of cover has started to rip down the centre. I did a temporary repair with pieces of rubber mat and seam sealer. Its a Shelterlogic brand.



I bought a tarp like 20x20 I think from an online place. Tool seller can't think of the name. They had green to match pretty close. Put it over and used bungees to tie to bottom of sides and a few on top at ends. It was like a hundred bucks. Going on two years now and it's doing great. Worth the money instead of getting a new one


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timbuk2

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Joined
Oct 20, 2016
Messages
15
HF 10'x17' $179 good for 2-3 years. It is the cover material that doesn't stand up. Putting it together correctly and keeping the tarp tight is key. They are great for the price for 2 years.
I'm keeping the frames and think about doubling or tripling up the frames and covering it with metal roofing material or corrugated poly/plastic.
 

Jazz1

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Jan 3, 2016
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Location
Thunder Bay On.
HF 10'x17' $179 good for 2-3 years. It is the cover material that doesn't stand up. Putting it together correctly and keeping the tarp tight is key. They are great for the price for 2 years.
I'm keeping the frames and think about doubling or tripling up the frames and covering it with metal roofing material or corrugated poly/plastic.

My brother covered his with some reclaimed tin once the cover fell apart.

 
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RWorth

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Messages
592
Location
Cape Cod , Mass.
The tent appears to be a Shelter Logic Tent, I have it at home now, hoping to start assembling it tomorrow. Oh and Merry Christmas everyone...........
 

padroo

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Nov 25, 2011
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564
Location
Chesterton, In.
If they wouldn't let you build or add onto your garage, would they let you have a lawn shed? There are some around here for sale big enough to put two cars deep?
 
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RWorth

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592
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Cape Cod , Mass.
If they wouldn't let you build or add onto your garage, would they let you have a lawn shed? There are some around here for sale big enough to put two cars deep?

No wood building, it's considered permanent. The tent is considered to be a temporary building. I think the theory, however lame, is that if there is a legal issue with neighbours, the tent is easily removed. Just my theory. In reality it's probably just a bunch of bureaucrats that feel better about themselves if they can make us peons miserable in any way.

For what I’m spending on the tent I could have built a wood structure cheaper, and not worried about how long it would last. Although @63 years old there is a good chance the tent is gonna win.:)
 

thickhead

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Apr 4, 2014
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817
Location
Connecticut
I put one up for a family friend 20 years ago to store his bass boat. I was shocked when I drove past the place this year and it was still there since our weather is similar to yours. He's gone, but the wife still had the bass boat inside. I think it was a Shelter Logic as the name rings a bell.
 
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RWorth

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592
Location
Cape Cod , Mass.
Well I don't have any pix as It was a long day with 12,000 trips up and down the ladder but it is up and secure and at the moment getting it's first wind test,(blowing like a hurricane out there right now.

Wasn't happy with the instructions, the packing, or the design, but it is up. I will look it over in the next couple of days and do some mods to make it better, and I need to build a gable end with a garage door for ease of entry. But the quality seems to be there, all in all I'm happy with it sofar. We'll see when the sun comes up and it's still standing:beer:
 
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