Well Gang,
Speaking from more than a one time experience, the WIND is and can be fiercely strong, at any given moment. We had a very nice, 6 month old, 13'x13' canopy that was vented in the top. We live in Lake Havasu City AZ. I use it on occasion right in the front drive way, on the concrete. Wind in desert type towns and cities is a given. It will be calm as can be then, all of a sudden, trash can lids are sailing by at breakneck speeds.
So, knowing that potential, I purchased four Home Depot 5 gallon buckets and, (5) 50 lb. bags of sand. I also purchased those same blue motorcycle tie downs you see in another posters picture. I put over 60 lbs. of sand, in each bucket and, secured one bucket to each upper corner of the canopy. Well, it worked really nice. There were, as it happens often here, some serious gusts of winds now and then.
That canopy faired all of those just fine. The reason I put it there in the first place is so I can park a vehicle under it to keep our blistering sun off of the vehicle for the few days I'm working on another vehicle in the garage. It's worked like that, on and off, for about 6 months.
Well, the other day, the canopy was out, buckets in place and all was well. The wind started to pickup. The wife said, "the wind's picking up, you are done working on the Jeep aren't you, if so, shouldn't we put the canopy away?". I said, yep, I'm done.
No sooner than I got the last word out of my mouth, we heard a "CRASH", from inside the house. We ran out to the front, to find the canopy almost in the neighbors yard, upside down and twisted like a pretzel. Two of the buckets were completely empty and on there sides and the other two, showed evidence they'd been drug across the concrete for about 15 yards, FULL OF SAND!
The truck, had sustained what appeared to be damage on both fenders and the hood. ****!!!!!!!!!!
I was so p.o. that I could not see straight. Because of ONE GUST, that canopy had picked up, TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS OF SAND, like it was buckets of feathers.
In the end, I was able to get out my Dewalt Pro polisher, some Part B 3M polishing compound and, machine polish all maring that those canopy/bucket parts had done to my truck. The canopy, I finished wrinkling it all up, and the trash man took it the next day.
The moral of the story, if you have even a slight bit of potential wind, you better do whatever it takes to make sure your canopy is as secure as you can get it. Good luck.
Scott
