It works out OK but I want it a little bigger (even though this works and is simple) and need a little more time before I pack it along on a trip. I think I may use my remaining tent poles for a tarp frame. We'll see.Originally Posted by paddlenbike
mike,
nice work. even better documentation! baby and mom doing alright?
Thanks Bob. Marin and Maggie are doing well. They came out to the race to hang out with some friends and cheer me on. Today was a hard day for them as the baby cried most of the day. I guess she was fine in the car and at the race but for some reason at home she let's loose. We went up to Lake Tahoe yesterday and for the most part she was ok. She cried a little when I tried to put her in the snow and when pooped but all in all it wasn't too bad.
Here she is with a new little knitted jacket thingy (it's got some special name). It was a baby gift from one of Marin's knitting friends.
Here she is in the car seat. I think the modded dome light might actually be a little too bright.
2.5 weeks old already, geez.
Last edited by 4x4mike; 03-29-2017 at 12:47 PM.
congrats, mike, shes adorable!
Hahahaha!!! She's so cute mike! I dnt think you'd pike staring into that light either. Put a piece of very light open cell foam over the light. Works great! I might have some lying around I could mail you.
2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...
1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.
Update. I added a runner of PVC aross the edge, think gutter. The tarp is mounted to the PVC the same way it is at the vehicle. The hope is that this will give the tarp more of a frame and support it more. Because of the new piece I had to figure out a new way to attach the legs and this is what I came up with.
I have yet to try it out, maybe tomorrow.
Last edited by 4x4mike; 03-29-2017 at 12:47 PM.
Ok so it's been a while so I'm updating this topic. I used the canopy for a little in the sun and rain. It worked really well but was a little small, especially when you have 2 or more people in camp chairs under it. I decided to do the old painters pole mod and use a bigger tarp. So I bought a super nifty pole, cut it all cool and such and mounted it to the Yakima rack. Problem was the tarp was too big and would sag under it's own weight. I used it once and decided I didn't like it. The tarp folded up was a little bulky as well.
While at Wally World one day I strolled down the camping isle and found their 9'X9' sun canopy. It's kind of a cheap copy of a lot of other things on the market. It was $28 so I figured I'd give it a whirl. It's a little bigger than my last tarp version and stays taught. Another good thing is that it is also free standing so I don't have to break it down when it's time to drive or move the vehicle. It packs smaller than my first homemade version so I'm happy.
Pics.
Only use 2 legs for vehicle mounted or all 4 for free standing.
We have an Ez-Up but it's really heavy and with having to keep the rear seats up it doesn't fit in the 4runner. It's nice to use in town and we use it in the back yard.
We also have an REI alcove, http://www.rei.com/product/794290
which is similar to the wally world one but much nicer. I bought this to pack along instead of the ez up. All are nice to have to pitch over a tent when it's in the sun (kids sleep during the day) or to take out to a park or the beach.
Last edited by 4x4mike; 03-29-2017 at 12:48 PM.
$28 for a 9x9 canopy from wally world!? wow that looks like a great deal! I guess I need to make my way out to one to check it out
How's the finish? is it a cheap canopy that may fall apart? it looks like a 2 pole unit which makes it easy to setup so I definitely like the simplicity of the design.
thanks for sharing!
Lance
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The finish isn't bad. The blue material isn't very thick but it doesn't really need to be. It's got a little coating on it but you can't see it. It's just not that heavy coating you find on tent rainflys or cordura. The poles are fiberglass so they are heavy but again they don't necessaryily need to be light. Aluminum poles would more than double the price and the durability probably wouldn't be where it needs to be. The canopy comes with 4 legs I just have 2 installed in the picture as the one side is attached to my Yakima rack. Quality is the same as a wally world tent. Plus side to this is that it doesn't have zippers, screen, a floor, etc and because a majority of it is in the air it doesn't have as much of a chance to get damaged.
Setup is easy with one person and takes a couple minutes. Flip together the legs, place the 2 roof poles in place, stick the legs in the holes and you're good to go. If I had to I could zip tie a tarp to a side if I needed a wall or 2 from the sun, wind, rain. We have and use the walls on our REI canopy and our ez up and they sure do come in handy.
Hey, Mike. Thanks for the thread, lots of good ideas.
If you don't mind me saying, there's a couple ways to correct the bellying in your top. First, pitch those lines tighter, much tighter. Second, you want your leading edge lower than the edge mounted to the truck... you could shorten the poles, but it's easier and more stable to pitch the base of the poles about a foot towards the truck. That'll give you a good slope for runoff, and it'll be more stable in the wind.
Just those two things, and you should have very minimal bellying. I really dig how you mounted it to your rack... I think I'm past that stage in my setup, but if I start over I'll probably copy your rig there.
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