looking for advice on building a rv port

Mine has engineered drawings and wind cert as well. Has 2' anchors through the base every 4' or so. It does move a bit with the wind but we've had some pretty nasty storms in last bit as well as a massive ice storm early this year and all is good.

If it comes down, I get a new camper so it's a win/win. LOL

penguin747 wrote:
Also ask the question, is it certified? A lot of the cheaper ones are not technically certified to that mph wind speed if you get one of their cheaper models. Not enough bracing. I just learned this and a "good" installer will know this and have paperwork

Mine was just installed this morning, it looks AWESOME. When buying in Maryland, you are REQUIRED to get the certified carport. Carolina Carports will NOT install an uncertified carport in my area due to snow loads and wind. The extra cost included extra bracing at the corners as well as hurricane anchors that screw 2 feet into the ground and bolt the bottom rail of the carport.

My sister bought one of the cheap ones for her house about 8 years ago, just the cheap $595 special you see advertised on the side of the road. No bracing, no anchors, nothing extra. It survived without any problems. We got about 4 feet of snow in 2010 in less then 48 hours. Her carport didn't fail.

Mine is substantially taller and has a much larger roof though. Hoping it doesn't fail!!!

Curious if a lot of these metal carports actually fail and how? I would add bracing or anchors if I knew. Actually, I have never seen even one of the $695 models tore up by a storm and some of them are simply pinned to the ground.

Also ask the question, is it certified? A lot of the cheaper ones are not technically certified to that mph wind speed if you get one of their cheaper models. Not enough bracing. I just learned this and a "good" installer will know this and have paperwork

Carolina Carports is a nationwide chain. This is where I bought mine from... http://www.alansfactoryoutlet.com/carolina-carports . They sell them in PA too

Thanks for all the replies,does anyone have any recommendations on companies that install these.

Anyone have pics or ideas on any mods to these. Will be having one installed before end of year

Yep, mine is rated at 110mph. They said 12' legs are what they use for rv carports, as they peak nicely in the middle to clear everything.

Rather than go through the design process yourself, simply specify a minimum height requirement as well as any other considerations. They do not like to build special designs and will charge an arm and a leg for anything not on their regular option price list. The local dealer will provide a 90 mph wind warranty if you follow their advice and specifications. Pricing is readily available on the Internet. I had mine installed for almost exactly the price of material alone at Lowe's or Home Depot.

I put one up on a RV lot in South Texas. As others have said, build it tall enough, but be aware that the carport type structures are actually taller than the dimensions might indicate. The leg height on mine is 10' and has 11' of clearance one foot in. 13' plus at the center. I love mine. I built it twenty feet wide so that it would also cover my patio. That turned it into a very useable shaded addition. Plus, my air conditioner is running at least 30% less.