Event shelter

Hi Tim, hope this isn't a silly question, but does a kombi fit under the event shelter you bought?

I can't get Dizzy into my garage, and I can't put a car port up, and every time I try to go outside to do something the weather isn't great.

Ive looked at gazebo's, and they don't appear tall enough.

I think if you fixed the feet well, there's a good chance it would. You'd need to get the arches a little more curved than they might normally sit, but roof down, it would 'probably' work. Give me a few days and I'll try it. Playing Head Of Entertainment at the mo.

Thanks for that Tim, it might prove a godsend.

I used one of those 3 Meter x 6 Meter party tents to work on my T4 outside at home over christmas.

Were you able to drive into it Andy, or did you erect it over the top?

If you leave one end out you can drive in, as has gable ends... so is 3m to the ridge, 2m at the eaves, and once you have van in there can put the end in.

It looks just like this one on ebay

Cheers, thanks for the info Andy.

TimV wrote:

Give me a few days and I'll try it.

Thanks for the offer Tim, but I may have answered my own question.

On the Coleman site they put the height at 2.3 metres in the centre, and 1.9 metres centre of entrance, so having measured it, I reckon it will work. (May have to temporarily raise two of the legs while I drive it in).

The 4.5 metre square one will fit on my drive as it is only 6m long. With one side panel on should be perfect for what I need.

Pix when you're 'undercover' please Diz?

I'll be interested to see some photos as well, it seems like a good idea to me

TimV wrote:

Pix when you're 'undercover' please Diz?

Will do, but it may be a couple of weeks yet, at present messing around trying to design a removeable tow hook, don't know whether it will work yet.

I'd be interested in that too

A previous post suggested carrying "11mm bow shackle with a 4.8T load" that can be attached via the hole in the chassis at the front to provide a tow hook if/when needed.

https://brazilianvwbay.forumotion.com/t1911-tips-on-taking-brazbay-to-europe

I saw the post Tallulah, but I couldn't find the hole referred to. The only one I could find was in the box section of the chassis, with another on the other side of the box section set slightly back. To get a shackle that spans the chassis leg would need a mouth opening of 7cm, and also be about 15cm from the pin to the 'business end'.

I tried a couple of ships chandlers last week, but they couldn't help.

This is what I have come up with so far.

The top bar fits through the chassis, the middle bolt stops entire thing moving forward, by pressing on the bottom of the chassis, and the bottom bolt is for attaching the tow rope, hopefully low enough not to foul the front valance. Any way thats the plan. If it works, I'll upgrade the lower bolt to 16mm from 12mm.



As you can see the only problem is the angle the top pin goes through the chassis leg.






I know it looks a bit OTT, but this is going to be the prototype, and so far has cost me £3.50 for the top pin. I'll start drilling and cutting next week when I get home again, and see how it goes.

Update on the event shelter. It has just arrived, and when the weather is a bit better (ironically), it is blowy and wet at the moment, (may have to get some weights for the feet, as I can't peg into the drive) I'll give it a whirl and take some pics.

I have partly unpacked it, and there is an endless length of webbing about 14.8 metres long which doesn't seem to correspond with the base circumference of 18 metres, any ideas what its for Tim, only doesn't seem apparent from the instructions. Thanks.

I know what you mean dizzy. When we first unpacked the Club shelter we reckoned it was to go around the footprint of the unit. We didn't bother using it reckless individuals that we are!

Good to know I'm not the only one then, thanks Tim, if I find a use for it I'll let you know!

Just rung Coleman UK, its not part of the structure, apparently it is to use as a template to put on the ground, to see how much room you need, and to estimate where the poles go..... Don't ask!

Think I've cracked it now Tim, if you put a peg in the white ring, stretch out the webbing, and put another peg in a black ring, then stretch the other bit of webbing out at 90 degrees and put a peg in the other black ring, you end up with a right angled triangle with sides of 4.5 metres and diagonal of 6.5 metres.

Where the three pegs are is where three of the supports go, pull the white peg out, and swap it diagonally and thats where the fourth support goes.

Seems a bit convoluted, but if you look at diagram 1 you will see what they are getting at. If I hadn't rung them, I'd never have got it.

Perhaps I should have gone to specsavers.

Simple geometry really, it ensures you have right angled corners and therefore a square shelter rather than parralelagram.

The toughest part of putting up our awning is ensuring the cenral section is square as it makes the rest of it more difficult if it's not.

Next time it's up I will add piece of string or webbing or something across one of the diagonals so I just need to make sure it's tight to know all is square - simples!

Here are some pics as promised.

Dizzy is partially sticking out of the back, but I had put the shelter against the house temporarily and would fit if I moved the shelter back.

I only raised the two back legs so I could get underneath with the roof rack on, otherwise it would have been fine. I got a side panel so I can put it on whichever side I am working to keep the rain off my back. (total cost for both from Amazon £147 delivered, shelter on its own was £125)

Looks like a solution Dizzy - do the side walls zip in or tie in?

It clips on the poles Scooby. I did ask for a solid one, but they sent one with windows, and a zip down the middle. If I wanted to make it totally enclosed, I could get another three, but make sure they were the solid ones as they are cheaper.

Splendid. What must your neighbours think ??? ..... probably something similar to mine 'he's playing with that van again!'

Neighbour on left is fine, he's out all the time working on his bikes anyway, he was out this morning and is so impressed he's thinking of getting one as well.