Pop-up Canopy Tent

[Ripper238]

I camp out of my 4Runner and need coverage for when it rains besides my tarps. My biggest worry living out of my 4Runner camping is rainy days with no place to go where i can stand and do things. Its not fun having a serval hour rain storm and all you can do is crawl into your vehicle and wait. 

My set up now with tarps is fine, but i am thinking a Pop-up Canopy may be better. Eurmax seems to make some good ones, but i was wondering others thoughts? Key for me is waterproof and durability.

Glad i was able to edit before the 15 lock. lol

 

[B and C]

You'll probably want something with sides, screened and/or solid panels.

If you will be camping in the desert during the winter, strong winds can come up with no notice. Get something strong that you can tie down.

 

[Ripper238]

Thanks. The Eurmax has optional walls and doors, so that can be done. Thanks for the [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]desert wind warning, likely i will always stake down the canopy just to be safe. [/font]

 

[maki2]

Those popup canopies will not survive the winds around Quartzite. The metal structures get badly bent, the cover rips apart.

Get a gazelle tent. It is a sturdy popup.

 

[bullfrog]

If your mobile enough you can run from the rain most of the time but sudden wind is a bigger problem in the south west. We use spring bar type tent with large screen windows that has worked well. It is heavy and does take up space but was designed to withstand high winds without damage although you wouldn't want to try to stay in it while the wind is above 45 MPH. On those days we hit an AirBnb and drive away from the wind the next day.

 

[Ripper238]

Those popup canopies will not survive the winds around Quartzite.  The metal structures get badly bent, the cover rips apart.

Get a gazelle tent. It is a sturdy popup.

The G[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]azelle G5 looks like a perfect option. Doesn't seem as heavy construction as the Eurmax but definitely designed more like a tent that can take the wind better. 
[/font]

 

[Ripper238]

If your mobile enough you can run from the rain most of the time but sudden wind is a bigger problem in the south west. We use spring bar type tent with large screen windows that has worked well. It is heavy and does take up space but was designed to withstand high winds without damage although you wouldn't want to try to stay in it while the wind is above 45 MPH. On those days we hit an AirBnb and drive away from the wind the next day.

Good to know, i don't get any sudden wind gusts in the NE, but ill definitely will be expanding my travels so its good to know it can get windy randomly elsewhere. With my 4Runner i have been relying on being super mobile to move from bad weather, works pretty good but want a solid backup for staying in place.

 

[bullfrog]

The spring bar tents are made to flex with the wind as is I believe the newer style screen tents like maki2 is recommending but even those will be damaged where the spring bar will survive. the rigid pole shade canopies and awnings will bend and break the metal parts ripping the canopy. You might consider a small light weight cargo trailer. See tnttt.com for ideas.

 

[maki2]

The carbon fiber pole arrangement with the hub spoke system on the Gazelle is resistant to fracturing. Sometimes a side orbthe top might get pushed in by a sudden strong gust but it does not fracture the frame. When thethe Euremax gets shoved by a strong gust it bends the metal frame out of shape essentially destroying it. The key ingrediant is the flexibility of the structure fof the Gaxelle tents and their sdcreen rooms. For staking use a combination of short bungees at the ground that are then tied to strong cord as is typically used to stakebout tents. The bungees absorb the shock of the sudden strong gust without causing structural failure.

It is all just a bit different than the traditional thinking of how to secure tents in winds but it truly does work.

Quartzsite is a great town in which to find bungees of all kinds of lengths and diameters for good prices.

 

[Ripper238]

The carbon fiber pole arrangement with the hub spoke system on the Gazelle is resistant to fracturing. Sometimes a side orbthe top  might get pushed in by a sudden strong gust but it does not fracture the frame. When thethe Euremax gets shoved by a strong gust it bends the metal frame out of shape essentially destroying it.  The key ingrediant is the flexibility of the structure fof the Gaxelle tents and their sdcreen rooms.  For staking use a combination of short bungees at the ground that are then tied to strong cord as is typically used to stakebout tents. The bungees absorb the shock of the sudden strong gust without causing structural failure.

It is all just a bit different than the traditional thinking of how to secure tents in winds but it truly does work.

Quartzsite  is a great town in which to find bungees of all kinds of lengths and diameters  for good prices.

All sounds really good. Definitely understand the [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]flexibility of the structure being the plus here[/font], similar to a tent.  

Now the important question. How waterproof is it? They suggest its water resistant to a good degree.

 

[Ripper238]

The spring bar tents are made to flex with the wind as is I believe the newer style screen tents like maki2 is recommending but even those will be damaged where the spring bar will survive. the rigid pole shade canopies and awnings will bend and break the metal parts ripping the canopy. You might consider a small light weight cargo trailer. See tnttt.com for ideas.

I used some spring bar canvas tents back in Scouts, they were super sturdy, and old. lol

Ill look for more current s[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]pring bar tents that can be used as a canopy/shelter.  [/font]

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

I used some spring bar canvas tents back in Scouts, they were super sturdy, and old. lol

Ill look for more current s[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]pring bar tents that can be used as a canopy/shelter.  [/font]

Also look in to Kodiak Flex-bow tents. Best prices I've found are here : https://www.competitiveedgeproducts.com/Flex-Bow-Canvas-Tents_c_12.html

 

[Cammalu]

Ripper if you put the sides away from your rig down lower that your rig the water and leaves will be heading downhill away from your rig.

You aren’t alone! I’ve seen a whole lot of people making the same error.

 

[jacqueg]

My set up now with tarps is fine, but i am thinking a Pop-up Canopy may be better. Eurmax seems to make some good ones,

This popup will not withstand wind. AFAIK, no popup will.

I have a Clam Venture. I've watched it belly-dancing in the wind. It held up with only minor damage.

The side panels are extra - get them.

And don't bother with the very nice plastic stakes you will get with it. Buy some 8" SPAX bolts from Home Depot and a socket set, and screw those babies into the ground.

 

[Ripper238]

Thanks everyone!

Really great info. 

In the end i may end up doing a small light weight cargo trailer if i decide to do this long term, especially if i head out west. The flexibility and ease of movement with just my 4Runner and a good pop up for those multiple rainy days is so convenient right now. 

 

[DLTooley]

The clam style tents have lots of fans.

I’m in a similar situation, but fortunately I don’t need to do it often.

 

[Ravella and X]

Speaking of Clams, I'd just finished releasing my CLAM quick-set (huge 6-sided thing) from the stakes when my daughter called. The Gov provides me with a cordless landline phone, and it doesn't have a speaker option. So there I was, taking down my CLAM for the first time... with one hand! I happy to report that it took about 2 minutes and I didn't break a sweat. I love love love my CLAM.

 

[maki2]

Popping up and taking down takes next to no time. But what is hilarious in all those accounts and videos about how fast it is is tnat absolutely no one ever mentions the time for staking them out for a high wind situation. That takes a whole lot more time and requires a lot more bending too. I reinforced the way my screen shelter gets held down. It is now able to ge left up in strong wind gust. A friend with a hand held gauge clocked in one of the gusts storms in our campsite at 65mph. No damage at all to my popup screen room during that event. Of course I do not put out the wind panels in that intensity of wind. But I also added extra fasteners to them and they now do just fine in 35mph wind gust.

The made to a price point on those shelters for labor and mate rials does not allow for the extra labor and materials it took to reinforce the shelters for strong winds. As they are already assembled it took many hours of hand stitching in some wide webbing to reinforce and distribute the loads on the corners of the shelter. Not expensive to do for cost but it was very labor intensive.