Any experience with Portable Garages? Portable Carports? Car Shelters?

[Reiketsukan]

The house I'm renting is going to be sold off to a new owner soon, so I need to find a new home for my Supra. My father has a nice piece of land out in the country and he said I could store my car there for as long as I like, but it wouldn't be in a garage like it has been since I bought it 2 years ago.

Has anyone ever purchased or used a 'Portable Garage', 'Portable Carport' or 'Car Shelter'? I'm looking into buying one so I don't have to worry too much about hail, snow, storm debris, animals, etc.

Here are a couple links to what I'm looking into. Any experience or advice would be appreciated.

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/covers/10-ft-x-15-ft-portable-garage-68217.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/automo...-20-ft-autoshelter-portable-garage-68772.html

 

[Miiike]

I don't personally have experience with them, but my friend down the street has one over his Supra, and a couple months ago the wind basically picked it up and blew it into his back yard and smacked up his car with it, so make sure you secure it to the ground. Other than that I think it's worked great for him.

 

[destrux]

Make sure the frame is strong enough for the wind. My cousin had his antique tractors under one like that and he had it anchored down and the metal frame ended up bending and falling apart. If it was a car under it there would have been damage.

I'm looking for something similar to store my car over the winter. I've seen some with metal roofs and corrugated plastic sides for around $1500 or less. They were at a car show, I don't recall who sells them.

 

[bioskyline]

the price says it all. i dont see it surviving anything major that the supra wouldnt survive on its own. though if you have a leaky targa, the car wont pee on you in the mornings now!

 

[hvyman]

Need something with strong metal poles and cemented in the ground.. Or else the wind is going to do a number on it.

 

[Reiketsukan]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Keep it coming!

 

[Murd]

If it snows at all, make sure you clear the snow frequently (I know summer is coming up, but fall/winter is right after) A friend of mine, who I sold my 88 supra to had his under a carport, but with snow buildup it collapsed on his car, crushing the top. Sad day. Anyway, keep the top clear even if it's a solid carport.

 

[Mk3*Supra]

we currently have one of the metal carports with two sides and the rear enclosed.. cost us 1400 installed and has lasted through multiple hail/wind storms with no problems

they are not 'portable' but offer great protection

we are looking at getting the same kind but larger and fully enclosed for the new house as well

 

[Reiketsukan]

Damn... it sounds like these are fairly crappy if you get any amount of snow or wind. Would I just be better off with a car cover??

 

[Midwest_Mudder]

save a lil more money and have a pole building put up. i dont know if thats what you call em, but the basic metal sheds, theyre cheap but work great. concrete holds the poles, get em with sides, without sides, one side... you get the point

 

[Scruggs86.5T]

What about looking into a POD? Just a thought, no experience.
http://www.pods.com/Storage.aspx

 

[te72]

I don't personally have experience with them, but my friend down the street has one over his Supra, and a couple months ago the wind basically picked it up and blew it into his back yard and smacked up his car with it, so make sure you secure it to the ground. Other than that I think it's worked great for him.

Wasn't a car port, but I had a shed display blow into the side of my car when I was working at Homo Depot... Needless to say, they were real assholes and I had to fight tooth and nail to get any money out of them to fix it. Considering the wind blows an average of 50-800mph (joking, but only slightly), the fact that their displays are *not* secured in any way that is even remotely responsible, it rather pisses me off that they still (despite my incident and others) refuse to properly secure their displays. Gonna have to kill someone before they fix their thinking...

Rant aside, I like the POD idea if you can swing the price. They gotta keep things sealed and dry, we have a couple for storage at work and they work great.

 

[MightyAl]

Actually you can get a shipping container for ~$800 and it is yours. There is a place here in the QC that sells and delivers them. If you look around there is probably a place near you. I don't know if you can buy a POD to keep on your own property.

 

[spencyg]

I used to have a "Nice" one and it totally sucked. Unless its sitting on pavement, your car will start rusting away sitting on dirt / grass. If you're in an area that gets snow, they collapse all the time. There is a guy down the road with a nice S2000 which now needs a new hood, conv. top, and rear hatch because his portable garage collapsed this winter. They are extremely noisy to work in if its windy out, and because they are so "loose", they don't actually keep anything dry. If they're sitting on dirt, the moisture evaporating out of the ground collects at the top of the roof and rains down on the car or your stuff. I sold my portable garage when we moved and I will NEVER EVER EVER get one again. They suck. Period.

 

[Compton74]

Actually you can get a shipping container for ~$800 and it is yours. There is a place here in the QC that sells and delivers them. If you look around there is probably a place near you. I don't know if you can buy a POD to keep on your own property.

x2

 

[te72]

Only problem I see with a shipping container is getting out. Might have to crawl out through the hatch or leave a window open...

 

[Murd]

Only problem I see with a shipping container is getting out. Might have to crawl out through the hatch or leave a window open...

Weld the Door shut, paint it the colors of the rising sun, and start a TV show called Dukes of Hiroshima! Then all that crawling in and out of the car window would be practice! Oh... and start practing shooting dynamite out of a bow.

 

[1jkiller]

Wasn't a car port, but I had a shed display blow into the side of my car when I was working at Homo Depot... Needless to say, they were real assholes and I had to fight tooth and nail to get any money out of them to fix it. Considering the wind blows an average of 50-800mph (joking, but only slightly), the fact that their displays are *not* secured in any way that is even remotely responsible, it rather pisses me off that they still (despite my incident and others) refuse to properly secure their displays. Gonna have to kill someone before they fix their thinking...

Rant aside, I like the POD idea if you can swing the price. They gotta keep things sealed and dry, we have a couple for storage at work and they work great.

haha homo depot. i knew you would come out of the closet sooner or later

 

[Reiketsukan]

Actually you can get a shipping container for ~$800 and it is yours. There is a place here in the QC that sells and delivers them. If you look around there is probably a place near you. I don't know if you can buy a POD to keep on your own property.

It would be snazzy as hell to have one of those. I could put it out at my dad's place in the country.

I used to have a "Nice" one and it totally sucked. Unless its sitting on pavement, your car will start rusting away sitting on dirt / grass. If you're in an area that gets snow, they collapse all the time. There is a guy down the road with a nice S2000 which now needs a new hood, conv. top, and rear hatch because his portable garage collapsed this winter. They are extremely noisy to work in if its windy out, and because they are so "loose", they don't actually keep anything dry. If they're sitting on dirt, the moisture evaporating out of the ground collects at the top of the roof and rains down on the car or your stuff. I sold my portable garage when we moved and I will NEVER EVER EVER get one again. They suck. Period.

Man, am I glad I made this thread and found out these things are NOT what I'm looking for at all.

Weld the Door shut, paint it the colors of the rising sun, and start a TV show called Dukes of Hiroshima! Then all that crawling in and out of the car window would be practice! Oh... and start practing shooting dynamite out of a bow.

Hilarious!!

 

[Enraged]

Get a shipping container, park the car inside with the doors and windows shut.... and climb out the hatch. Thieves will have a hell of a time figuring out how to get in to steal it.