framework is completed and the cover is glued to the overall size. Need to glue in straps to secure to frame and grommets set for rope securing to frame at ends and along sides. Cost - i was a bit off, a lot off. $4k and a lot of work. if a pre made one of size and strength i needed (tight spot i had to put it in) was available i would have given it a close look. I ended up using canopy fittings from ysbw.com, heavy gauge galvanized fence pipe. Made a 2x3 x 3/16 rectangle tube base 27 feet long and 12.5 feet wide. Buried class 8 truck brake drums with large brake rotor welded to bottom 24 inches in the dirt with 4 inch square tubing welded to base of rotor and 1 inch threaded rod welded to that to stick out of gravel drive about 6 inches. each of the 9 assemblies weigh approximately 200#s for about 1,800 #s of metal scrap buried in my gravel drive. Then bolted the base rail 2x3 tube to that, welded 3 inch tall x 1.2 inch diameter stubs to base in 8 spots each side and one on closed end, built roof sections on the ground and raised up roof sections one at a time with homemade 16 foot tall crane boom on a 1946 Willys jeep, inserted wall pipes into roof section and over the 3 inch stubs. then drilled 400 plus holes to pin it all together with 5/16 bolts. I had a buddy plasma cut 72 - 3/16 steel tabs with holes in them that i pre welded to the galvanized pipe to bolt in collar tie at the peak, knee braces at roof rafter pipe to wall pipe, and at wall pipes for angle bracing for racking support and a few along the outside of wall pipes near the roof rafter for braces anchored to ground to give it side to side support looking at it from the entry end. Frame is solid and if it blows out of the ground, look out! there will be some metal flying. Tarp is 18 oz vinyl coated polyester that comes 60 inch wide. Bout 140 feet of it or so. glued it together with 2 inch overlap for an approximately 19 foot by 30 foot tarp. WHew - if i had to do it again, i would buy a tarp pre made. The whole project was great marital bonding exercise. The whole reason i doing a canvas type tent is there are a dozen others in my neighborhood so how can i be told to take mine down. Yeah mine is the tallest at 13-6 tall, but who's counting. Hope this helps someone other. I dealt with ysbw because they actually answer the phone verse some other internet suppliers of fittings. Base metal was $850, canopy fitting $850, pipes $1,500, canopy mtl, glue, bolts, paint, beer $1,000. Hope to have canopy on in a few weeks.
2023 Bigfoot 2500 10.4 TC on 2000 3500 dually duramax
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