Metal carport recommendations

[Phochief]

For my Bounder 33C, I'm getting ready to have an 18'W x 41'L metal carport built on my side lot. With 12' walls on the sides.

There are several metal carport dealers online so I'm looking for recommendations if any of you have had a good or bad experience with any of them? One that I see advertising a lot is Alan's Factory Outlet. Anyone use them and were you happy with how they built your metal carport?

To apply for a building permit, I have to have engineer's schematics, and to get those I have to put down an $800 deposit with the carport dealer. I want to make sure I'm going with a reputable outfit before chunking down any change.

Thanks!

[NLOVNIT]

Ours was done by TnT. See pictures here: https://www.irv2.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=1148

3 guys arrived at 9AM & they were done at 3PM.

Lori-

P.S.Food for thought. I would advise going longer if you have it in your budget. We originally were going to build 40ft long when we had our 37ft Bounder. We went with 51ft. Had we not, our current Phaeton would be sticking out of it.

[Glennabbott1]

Originally Posted by Phochief

For my Bounder 33C, I'm getting ready to have an 18'W x 41'L metal carport built on my side lot. With 12' walls on the sides.

There are several metal carport dealers online so I'm looking for recommendations if any of you have had a good or bad experience with any of them? One that I see advertising a lot is Alan's Factory Outlet. Anyone use them and were you happy with how they built your metal carport?

To apply for a building permit, I have to have engineer's schematics, and to get those I have to put down an $800 deposit with the carport dealer. I want to make sure I'm going with a reputable outfit before chunking down any change.

Thanks!

I have had a couple of Carolina Carports built. I'm happy with them.

However, they were not erected by company employees. They were built by subcontractors.

I recommend you visit a couple of local dealers. Also, site prep is key for a good installation. You will probably have to arrange the site prep separate from the carport purchase.

[Phochief]

Originally Posted by NLOVNIT

Ours was done by TnT. See pictures here: https://www.irv2.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=1148

3 guys arrived at 9AM & they were done at 3PM.

Lori-

P.S.Food for thought. I would advise going longer if you have it in your budget. We originally were going to build 40ft long when we had our 37ft Bounder. We went with 51ft. Had we not, our current Phaeton would be sticking out of it.

Lori...thanks for the info. Our 33C Bounder is 34ft so I figured an extra 7ft would be sufficient. I have a better chance of winning the lottery than I do of getting a larger motor home (wife has ruled that it be so). Hey, did they use mobile home anchors on yours? I'm just building it on flat ground with gravel.

[Phochief]

Originally Posted by Glennabbott1

I have had a couple of Carolina Carports built. I'm happy with them.

However, they were not erected by company employees. They were built by subcontractors.

I recommend you visit a couple of local dealers. Also, site prep is key for a good installation. You will probably have to arrange the site prep separate from the carport purchase.

Yeah, I know that Alan's is actually a dealer who sells carports made by Carolina Carports. My side lot is already pretty level although I might rent a skid loader to flatten the area and lay gravel. Wonder if I should put down the gravel before or after they build the metal carport?

[gmc70]

you definitely want base down before the carport. Instead of gravel look at RAP recycled asphalt product. We have it for the approach and the pad. It packs really hard, really hard. When the sun gets on it bonds together and is almost like the real thing. You want to extend the pad past the size of the actual car port a couple of feet for rain run off of the roof other wise you will end up with a mote. We also put up mesh tarps on the sides so wind blows thru. We have these hurricanes in Florida. They are supposed to cut UV by 60 to 70% and if put up right look good.

[alank]

Got mine from Coast-to-Coast Carports, Knoxville AR. Search their name to find the website. The make everything there and you get a discount if you stop in there to make the purchase. I went back a couple years after mine was built and added to the length of mine. They rolled all the metal and made the ribs while I was there, then took it home. A one day trip for me.
If you want horizontal roof panels, there has to be a certain grade, low to one end, to assist runoff. Over a certain length they only offer vertical roof panels. Prepare your site first so the building goes on top of the prepared site, don't bring gravel in after the building is erected. On a cement slab is best but a gravel surface is acceptable.

[NLOVNIT]

Ours is on level ground w/gravel. They screwed these 4 or 5ft long rods into the ground about every 8ft & then bolted them to the bottom frame. Also, in between every rib is a 1ft (or longer) spike - looks like a large railroad spike - driven down through a hole in the bottom frame. I have to pound a few of them back down after every winter heaving.

Lori-

[xrated]

I got mine from BulldogSteelStructures.com Their prices was several hundred dollars less than Alans and I was very impressed with the crew that came out for the install. Hard workers in a blistering summer heat day but that didn't make them take any shortcuts to get done. It was a little after dark when they finally finished up with the actual "building" of the structure and I hear a leaf blower start up. A guy goes up on the roof with a headlamp on and a blower and blows off all the metal shavings from the hundreds of self tapping metal screws they put in for the roof panels. And just out of curiosity, the next day, before I put the camper in the Carport, I checked and could not find even one screw that missed the trusses and framework that hold the roof panels down...not one! Anyway....13' wide (I didn't have room for anymore width), 13' high and 45 long. Wind rated to 125 mph with 12ga legs instead of the 14 ga. and 4 or 5 mobile home anchors on each side that get screwed into the ground then bolted to the bottom rails......Here's a couple of pics....




We moved the camper to the backyard on the day of installation so they had plenty of room to work....


Total cost for building and install was right at $7K. I put all the 4" x 6" treated timbers down to contain the gravel bed, and had a contractor do the gravel/grade work, which was additional monies.

[myfirstford]

I purchased from a local dealer here in NE FL. The carport was made and installed by https://www.probuiltsteel.com/. They manufacturer their products in Lake City Fl. and did the installation. I am happy with the outcome.

I do not recall the exact extra amount for the engineered, signed plans, for the permit, but I am thinking it was only $100 or $150 extra. but then my carport was only 31 Ft. There was also an additional charge for the additional braces needed for hurricane code, but it was basically included in the price for meeting code. So I do not know how much extra. The plans did meet our NE FL coastal hurricane code.

Since my carport was ground anchored over a gravel base and not installed on a concrete slab, I was able to pull and process my own permit. I recall that was about $300 and I did have to record a subcontractors lien and release at the courthouse.

There was no pre install inspection with the permit, only a post install inspection. It appeared they only checked that the additional braces were present as well as the ground anchors and for missing screws.

A visit to the county permit office cut many pages from the application and only left me with what was needed for the carport. My local reseller was most helpful with the completing what was left for the permit.

I am thinking if you are ground mounting your carport in SE FL, your experience could be similar.

Good luck.

[Glennabbott1]

Originally Posted by gmc70

you definitely want base down before the carport. Instead of gravel look at RAP recycled asphalt product. We have it for the approach and the pad. It packs really hard, really hard. When the sun gets on it bonds together and is almost like the real thing. You want to extend the pad past the size of the actual car port a couple of feet for rain run off of the roof other wise you will end up with a mote. We also put up mesh tarps on the sides so wind blows thru. We have these hurricanes in Florida. They are supposed to cut UV by 60 to 70% and if put up right look good.

If you want to promote bonding of the RAP, spray it with diesel fuel. You can use a 1 gallon herbicide sprayer. It will end up like an asphalt driveway. Once you spray it, you’ll have to wait for it to cure (dry) before driving on it.

[Phochief]

Originally Posted by xrated

I got mine from BulldogSteelStructures.com Their prices was several hundred dollars less than Alans and I was very impressed with the crew that came out for the install. Hard workers in a blistering summer heat day but that didn't make them take any shortcuts to get done. It was a little after dark when they finally finished up with the actual "building" of the structure and I hear a leaf blower start up. A guy goes up on the roof with a headlamp on and a blower and blows off all the metal shavings from the hundreds of self tapping metal screws they put in for the roof panels. And just out of curiosity, the next day, before I put the camper in the Carport, I checked and could not find even one screw that missed the trusses and framework that hold the roof panels down...not one! Anyway....13' wide (I didn't have room for anymore width), 13' high and 45 long. Wind rated to 125 mph with 12ga legs instead of the 14 ga. and 4 or 5 mobile home anchors on each side that get screwed into the ground then bolted to the bottom rails......Here's a couple of pics....




We moved the camper to the backyard on the day of installation so they had plenty of room to work....


Total cost for building and install was right at $7K. I put all the 4" x 6" treated timbers down to contain the gravel bed, and had a contractor do the gravel/grade work, which was additional monies.

Good looking carport. I went to their website and have submitted a quote request. I'm in south Florida and would need a 140 mph wind rating.

Thanks!

[Crasher]

20 years ago I had one built at our WI home. They used 6x6 wooden post, wood trusses and a steel roof. I just used road base for the floor. What I learned from that one is that there is no such thing as an RV that is too big. 12x45 works for my current 44' coach, but only because it is completely shaded. We recently had a Versatube port put up for a pontoon boat. I was happy with the quality and ease of construction. Am planning on building a 15x50' Versa-Tube at our AZ home this fall. Our coach serves as a guest home for visitors who want privacy. The 15' width will allow for all four slides to be open. Check your local code, as ours requires concrete footings. Think of all of it's uses and then go a little bigger.

[Mudfrog]

Originally Posted by Crasher

20 years ago I had one built at our WI home. They used 6x6 wooden post, wood trusses and a steel roof. I just used road base for the floor. What I learned from that one is that there is no such thing as an RV that is too big. 12x45 works for my current 44' coach, but only because it is completely shaded. We recently had a Versatube port put up for a pontoon boat. I was happy with the quality and ease of construction. Am planning on building a 15x50' Versa-Tube at our AZ home this fall. Our coach serves as a guest home for visitors who want privacy. The 15' width will allow for all four slides to be open. Check your local code, as ours requires concrete footings. Think of all of it's uses and then go a little bigger.

I had one erected with galvanized metal square posts back in 1994. Hurricane Rita came through in 2005 and although it was still standing, the posts ended up being diagonal to the ground. I'm sure the whole thing would have flown off if the posts hadn't been concreted in.

Thankfully, I was able to use the tractor to push the RV port back into proper stance. After doing that, I installed treated 6x6's to strengthen the whole shebang. Those are buried in concrete about 4 foot into the ground, bolted up the sides and at top of the frame. I would never put anything past mother nature but she would have to throw out something pretty strong to take it out now.