Flying shade canopy! learning the hard way

[CEE DOG]

Flying shade canopy! learning the hard way


I setup my shade canopy and was washing frankenstein today. When I wash Sky or other cars I always pin the canopy down with the spikes. Well today there wasn't much wind and I didn't. Just as I was about done and was flooding the paint a sudden a crazy huge updraft came. Never seen anything like it.

The canopy lifted literally straight up off the ground. I grabbed the leg that I was near. The canopy was literally floating with the bottom of all 4 legs at the same elevation. The base of all 4 legs was about 8 FT off the ground. would have been higher if I hadn't grabbed that leg.

Then just seconds later the canopy started going up again. It's a 12x12 and I swear it almost wanted to take off with me. Since I was holding that leg the canopy started twisting. 1 leg went abouve the roof of my house. Then as the wind subsided slightly that leg landed on the roof of my house. I was holding the leg digonal and the other 2 legs and frame were being twisted and contorted.

Bad news as I spent 200+ on the canopy.

Anyway as the wind slowed I wrestled it towards the side of my house. Due to the wind and the twisting frame there was know way I was going to land it on it's legs. I was able to bring it down upside down on the roof. I then ran around to all 4 corners pulling the pens so it could fold back up. I finally got it all together.

Anyway the most amazing thing- it is not ruined! It folded right back up. Anyway that's what I get. I wish I had a video of this happening. It was like a cartoon! The way it went straight up in the air. I'm lucky I grabbed that leg when I did or who knows where and how it would have landed. I suspect it would have flown over my house and landed in the pool.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

I've used canopies in a lot of windy situations and one way to anchor a canopy down is to use 5 gallon buckets filled with water, since water is 8 pounds a gallon these will weigh roughly 40 pounds and then attach them to the horizontal polls using Bungee Cords. Don't make the Bungee connection too tight as you want some stretch for a strong gust or it will just tip your buckets over.

Then after the job you can empty the buckets, place them inside one another and if you're a mobile detail, pack up and go home.


Not a perfect solution but it does work...

 

[kronos]

Don't mean to come across as a jerk, but I was chuckling as I read your post. It reminded of exactly what you described, a scene from a cartoon. If I would have been your neighbor and a witness to your misfortune, I would have bolted over to help you while simultaneously laughing all the way. Good story.

 

[corolla619]

i can relate. i have a canopy but dumb me thought i would leave it up in the winter. well i was out of town on work, had a huge freak snow storm and wham, it collapsed....on my car, damaging the roof. my poor wife was out there at 5am digging the snow off, cutting the tarp to releive pressure. and you know what, the little lady did an awesome job, got it out without hurting the rest of the car. my a frame turned into a v frame. never again will that happen lol.

 

[SolMan50]

Home Depot - 4 cinder blocks (I have to set mine up on pavement) Worked great for me.

 

[Harleyguy]

Don't feel to bad Corey it happens to all of us.My corvette club has two tents we setup at car shows.There has been plenty of times our canopies try to take off you should see the people faces at the car show when they see them flying.When you spend six hours out in the sun at shows the canopies are a life saver.I like the water jug idea that Mike made.

 

[CEE DOG]

I've used canopies in a lot of windy situations and one way to anchor a canopy down is to use 5 gallon buckets filled with water, since water is 8 pounds a gallon these will weigh roughly 40 pounds and then attach them to the horizontal polls using Bungee Cords. Don't make the Bungee connection too tight as you want some stretch for a strong gust or it will just tip your buckets over.

Then after the job you can empty the buckets, place them inside one another and if you're a mobile detail, pack up and go home.

Not a perfect solution but it does work...

Mike, I've seen you post that method in the past. The first... well the second thing that came to mind was your article on this. lol

Don't mean to come across as a jerk, but I was chuckling as I read your post. It reminded of exactly what you described, a scene from a cartoon. If I would have been your neighbor and a witness to your misfortune, I would have bolted over to help you while simultaneously laughing all the way. Good story.

Glad you got a kick out of it. I did too after the canopy looked to be ok and I got the car dry.

i can relate. i have a canopy but dumb me thought i would leave it up in the winter. well i was out of town on work, had a huge freak snow storm and wham, it collapsed....on my car, damaging the roof. my poor wife was out there at 5am digging the snow off, cutting the tarp to releive pressure. and you know what, the little lady did an awesome job, got it out without hurting the rest of the car. my a frame turned into a v frame. never again will that happen lol.

Man, that sucks big time! You've got a good wife.

Home Depot - 4 cinder blocks (I have to set mine up on pavement) Worked great for me.

Thanks Loren, I only have a single width driveway so I am able to straddle it and use the S.S. stakes. I guess I just wanted to save the 30 seconds that would have taken so I could instead waste 10 minutes, lots of stress, and a car cooking in the sun just as I was about to dry it. LOL

Don't feel to bad Corey it happens to all of us.My corvette club has two tents we setup at car shows.There has been plenty of times our canopies try to take off you should see the people faces at the car show when they see them flying.When you spend six hours out in the sun at shows the canopies are a life saver.I like the water jug idea that Mike made.

Thanks Adam, I bet... , We would have had a situation if Sky had been parked under that canopy when it happened. In fact now that this image crosses my mind maybe I should go a little further then the SS rods. (might have to employ the MP method) The SS rods have never failed me but I imagine if I'd been using them it may not have mattered much as the gust pulled it straight up. You would have thought I was living on the side of a mountain. Not in flat florida.

 

[ScottB]

I found some weights designed for canopies at Sports Authority. They slip over legs and offer some support. Came in a box of 4 under 30.00.

 

[CEE DOG]

Thats funny, I bought that canopy at sports authority

 

[oldmodman]

I use the water filled bucket too. I always have a few empty containers from filling the cat box. So I don't worry about damaging them.

 

[kids_gone]

I would say Cee Dog you were very luck not to get caught in any power lines. If that was our driveway I would have to let it fly, power lines very close to driveway/road one of the same. Thanks for the lesson, weights all the time.

 

[jpegs13]

Corey,
That's how it all started with Dorothy and Toto. First a flying canopy then flying monkeys. You're not in Kansas anymore.

 

[Bunky]

You were lucky it did not get away and do some damage. I am glad it worked out in the end and cheap lesson.

 

[A4 1.8tqm]

Wow quite the story Corey, good thing you bought the good canopy, lesser ones would have been toast. I have a nice canopy I use for outdoor video shoots like soccer games, had to have players/parents holding it down so it doesn't fly away and rain on my camera... Always stake it down now :xyxthumbs:

 

[CEE DOG]

I would say Cee Dog you were very luck not to get caught in any power lines. If that was our driveway I would have to let it fly, power lines very close to driveway/road one of the same. Thanks for the lesson, weights all the time.

<---- How I'd look if I'd been pulling it out of power lines.

Corey,
That's how it all started with Dorothy and Toto. First a flying canopy then flying monkeys. You're not in Kansas anymore.

:laughing: LOL John, not in Deltona anymore was either my first or third thought. Not sure which.

You were lucky it did not get away and do some damage. I am glad it worked out in the end and cheap lesson.

Very lucky, thank you!

Wow quite the story Corey, good thing you bought the good canopy, lesser ones would have been toast. I have a nice canopy I use for outdoor video shoots like soccer games, had to have players/parents holding it down so it doesn't fly away and rain on my camera... Always stake it down now :xyxthumbs:

David, I was shocked it all slid right back together. It was really twisted when that one leg was on the roof.