Vinyl carport blues

[Stefrobrts]

I have a vinyl carport I had my airstream parked under last winter. This year I moved it out to the pasture to use as shelter for our llamas. We bought a new roof for it because the old one had gotten pretty ratty and a lot of grommits had torn out, and also got sides for it, and it was working just fine. We had it tied down by wiring the legs to T-posts pounded into the ground at each corner and one in the center on one side.

This morning I went out and fed and watered the 'boys', no problems, then an hour later I walked by the front window and saw the image below! The wind (and it has been gusty today) had lifted it UP and off the T posts on one side, blew it over the fence, and left the whole mess in the driveway! The legs on the right side of the picture are still tied to the T Posts, which bent over, and are most pointing at the ground. The poles were completely bent over at the joints. It was completely demolished. I was really surprised, because I thought we had it tied down pretty good, in fact we'd checked it yesterday when they said the windstorm was coming. It wasn't a cheap canopy either, one of the more expensive ones with heavy 2" diameter steel frame.

Glad it wasn't still over the trailer!

[3Ms75Argosy]

Steph - hope the boys didn't take flight with that too! Maybe if you replace it, and put some vent flaps in the top to take upward pressure off the canopy? I know boat shops sell plastic scoops to use as vents.

Whew - I'm glad none of your cars or trailer was hit by it. This reminds me of camping in Ellensburg last spring. The winds hit at 0200, and I felt the whole trailer rock. I was able to put my awning back in time, just to see the neighbors tent take off OVER our trailer and land a campsite away. They woke up pretty fast!! I guess their ground cover wasn't connected to the tent in any way!
Marc

[Stefrobrts]

Actually, we had hay stored in the back section of the cover (we'd attached the front panel on the first crossbar back, which made a nice little enclosed compartment in the back), and when it blew off it revealed the hay, and so the llamas were over there munching out, oblivious to the flapping creaking mess of a canopy right next to them - go figure! They probably could have stepped over the fence if they'd wanted to, but they weren't going to leave all that hay!

We ended up calling our friend who gave them to us and she took them back to her farm until the weather improves or we figure out another shelter for them. I'll miss my boys!