Portable Garage (need recommendations)

[George D.]

I need to store a 1990 Corvette that I just had to have. However, I don't have a permanant garage to keep it in. Presently its under an excellent car cover, but it snowed recently and I can't stand to see it with snow on it. I'm looking for recommendations for a portable single car garage (like COVERIT) for less than $500.00.

Thanks,

George

[Jim T.]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

My neighbor has two many cars than what his home garage will hold and keeps them in a one of the rental storage places, in fact one of my co-workers uses one to keep his Corvette in since he does not have a home garage. You could just get one for the winter months.

[Roy B.]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

I live in a area that gets snow and I keep my tractor under one of those white canvas tents 10X20 you find at Best Buy , Home Depot,and other outlets. Cost is about $150.00 even has a back and front cover and has worked great for four years so fare . Easy up and strong.

[george romano]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

How high is the front opening Roy?

George

[Roy B.]

Re: Portable Garage 10 feet ? *NM*

[John Fowler]

[Michael S.]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

A company called "King Canopy" out of NC manufacturers the 10x20 white tents sold at Sams club. These canopy's are not snow rated. King Canopy also sells a very similiar unit that is also white with more bracing that IS snow rated. You can also buy garage door ends, sides with window etc for these canopys from King. There are all sorts of options. King does not sell the snow rated unit to Sams so you will have to contact them directly.

The only real difference between the snow load rated unit and the unit Sams sells is extra bracing for the snow load. The canopy material is the same. These units work very well particularly if you anchor them down and do not "put up and take down" the unit very often. The material used for the canopy coverage has a 5 year warranty.

Do an internet search and you should find a number to contact King Canopy in North Carolina and contact them directly for information or add on options if you buy the Sams Club unit.

Mike Strinich
#11202

[Brad Barrett]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

Hi George - check out http://www.carcapsule.com/ I have used their indoor product to store my 61 in an unheated garage in the northeast for 3 years with excellent results. Good quality and easy to set up and take down - Brad B.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

George,

I live in Michigan, and for $500 (and likely less) I'd find an indoor storage location. Think of a friend whose mother or grandmother doesn't drive, or someone gone to Florida for the winter. Be creative. We're rented out heated storage in our own barn for $50/month (now full with our own cars), and I've gotten away with $100 for a whole winter unheated. Far better than a portable garage.

Patrick

[Mark Milner]

There are ways around the storage

in that you don't tell them. Perceived fire danger is just that. Many allow people to keep wood working equipment and often you find people doing word work at them. The sawdust is so much more hazardous than a car it is ridiculous to even compare the two.

When you get a unit, you simply say "storage". And if they press you for specifics, you can state that it is private and you don't want anyone knowing what you have unless they want to take personal responsibility for its safekeeping. That usually holds them at bay.

If they continue, then put "car parts" because that is what you are storing. They just happen to all be connected.

If you look around, you will find there are several cars usually stored inside these units and also boats, although it is harder to get ones long enough to house an expensive boat.

[Larry S.]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

Use caution with the portable garages.They are moisture collectors.I had a low milage thunder bird I parked in one and I practicly destroyed the car.

What happens is the car is out side in the garage ice cold.The sun comes out and starts to heat things up but the sun does not heat the ice cold mass of the cold car so all the moisture condences on the ice cold car.and on the inside of the garage.This was a garage set up on pavement I am sure its worse if its on dirt or grass.

For cars I had to own and no garage for them the best spot is a rented neighbors garage for the winter.Ask around the neighbor hood there is always an elderly neighbor who has an extra garage who could use some extra money

[Steve Pettit]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

Some time back someone recommended a car trailer as a good storage space. Maybe you could find one that had seen better days and get a good buy on it.

Regards,
Steve Pettit

[Warren F.]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

Enclosed car trailers, do seem to work just fine for storage. I have 2 Featherlite trailers and the cars are kept inside all year long, works well.

[John H.]

Re: Portable Garage (need recommendations)

About a year ago, a friend asked me to accompany him to evaluate a '65 L-79 roadster he found in the paper; the owner had stored it in one of those "You-Store-It" places for about six months, as he was out of garage space at home. We met the owner at the storage place, he opened the door, and there sat what appeared at first glance to be a nice blue Corvette - until we looked under the hood and under the car. EVERYTHING that wasn't freshly-painted or plated was rusted - I mean RUSTED. The bare concrete floor allowed moisture to migrate, and the inside of the all-steel building was moist to the touch with condensation. The owner hadn't looked at the car since he locked it away six months earlier, and he was as shocked as we were. Another six months in that humidity cabinet and it would have been a body sitting on the floor

[mike cobine]

Public storage - depends on where you are

John, that may be true up in the wilds of Michigan, but in the Sunshine State, I have had bare blocks sit for years and not rust. Of course, if he had gone over and checked the car once every so often, he would have probably allowed enough air to circulate to keep it cleared out.

If it is moist enough to rust a car badly, it is moist enough to cause personal storage to mold, and that doesn't normally occur. Usually the places are built with gaps at the tops of the inner walls to let air circulate, the rollup doors go inward to provide a large gap for air, and so the normal opening and closing of other units in that section will allow enough air to move to prevent a build up of moisture.

Usually the design of the yard is such to prevent moisture, a thick layer of large rock, then sealed with asphalt in the drives and concrete on the pads. All rain water is channeled off to a retention area and that keeps the water from building up under the base and migrating through the floor.