Car tent/gazebo

[Eddie.]

Right, with winter now upon us I have accepted that my car will get pelted with the worst the gritters can produce. I would normally clean the car on a weekly basis, but again, with the temperatures dropping and rain becoming more frequent, I was wondering if there is anything that can be bought for cleaning/working on the car under?

I have a 3mx3m gazebo but it isn't fully waterproof and it has no sides to it. Can you get a sided gazebo or something that is fully waterproof and will take a car, with enough room to move around it? Don't mind if it takes 45 mins to put it up! I have looked at gazebos and they all seem to be either just too small, or bloody huge!

Is there a car specific one or anything like that?!

Cheers...

 

[James28]

I'd be interested in this also.

 

[Kane.]

eBay car tent/gazebo. Quite cheap too.

 

[Hoofy]

I might be able to shed some light on this. I've been putting up marquees for quite a few years and have dealt with varying types of gazebos etc.

The cheap 3m x 3m gazebos are very much a cheap and cheerful option and can be reasonable, but the likelihood is, they will get damaged in a light breeze. If you are looking for something to project you and your car from the onslaught of train, you basically need a slightly upmarket one. Something along these lines I would guess: http://www.kmsdirect.co.uk/shop/ind...id=210&zenid=f34cfcc3d0f3a99e9123206577b7e6c6

The key aspect is the material quality. The marquees I dealt with mainly, were for smaller garden parties etc and were a similar kind of size and we even did a few car shows. The material on them was pretty resilient and could withstand plenty of wind and rain, but they were about 2 to 3.5 grands worth of kit. The lighter cheaper ones don't have much weight to them either, so when it's a free-standing thing, it's bound to blow away. You get what you pay for really, I reckon you'll still be wet and cold if you go for anything less than that thing I linked to.

 

[Gally]

Lots to chose from. Costco ect. had massive ones with sides.

I'm not saying they are cheap but they do a good job. Nobody you know have a garage that you can borrow for a few hours? If it's all sealed up just take it to the local petrol station and use their PW (no foam) it blast off all the crud even if it stills leaves some dirt on the sides.

 

[Eddie.]

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[Eddie.]

Yeah that looks quite good, would that withstand any sort of foul weather though? I wouldn't want to buy one just to see the wind come straight through, bringing with it the rain! Surely some sandbags would help with the blowing away? I won't be using it in gale force conditions!

Lots to chose from. Costco ect. had massive ones with sides.

I'm not saying they are cheap but they do a good job. Nobody you know have a garage that you can borrow for a few hours? If it's all sealed up just take it to the local petrol station and use their PW (no foam) it blast off all the crud even if it stills leaves some dirt on the sides.

Surely blasting it with PW will only drive it into the paint?! I have a garage but the aperture for the door is only 86 inches, not sure the clio will fit! Even if it does, it would be tight in there for waxing/polishing!

 

[Hoofy]

If you can stick a structure on a patch of grass, or a gravel driveway where you can stick some pegs in the ground, you'll be able to tether it down nicely. Otherwise, a bit of weight on the corners will only help your case. The marquees we had are pinned in the corner and as such only go on grass really, but we shamelessly put an anchor in the wall of the house and in the base of a fence so we can cover our whole garden and patio!!

 

[mugglesquop]

a cheap one would be ok with a couple of ratchet straps over it to keep it on the floor

 

[Gally]

I don't understand driving it into the paint. Surely you realise the PW is for blasting dirt off the car you can't scratch the car by blasting dirt off it.

Also even more to the point if it was blasting sirt into the paint then using a PW would remopve the wax everytime you used it on the piant and we know that would just be retarded.

 

[Hoofy]

You could always stick a couple of these in your driveway and that would hold anything down pretty nicely, more affective than sandbags. They can be very nicely concealed too!
http://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-rawlbolt-shield-eye-anchors-m8-x-87mm-pack-of-5/95131

 

[Eddie.]

If you can stick a structure on a patch of grass, or a gravel driveway where you can stick some pegs in the ground, you'll be able to tether it down nicely. Otherwise, a bit of weight on the corners will only help your case. The marquees we had are pinned in the corner and as such only go on grass really, but we shamelessly put an anchor in the wall of the house and in the base of a fence so we can cover our whole garden and patio!!

It would be on a gravel driveway yeah so tethering sounds like it wouldn't be a problem

As I say all the ones I can find are 6m in length! Not sure the length of a Clio... but 6m is excessive is it not?

You could always stick a couple of these in your driveway and that would hold anything down pretty nicely, more affective than sandbags. They can be very nicely concealed too!
http://www.screwfix.com/p/rawlplug-rawlbolt-shield-eye-anchors-m8-x-87mm-pack-of-5/95131

Yeah they look useful fur sure.

I don't understand driving it into the paint. Surely you realise the PW is for blasting dirt off the car you can't scratch the car by blasting dirt off it.

Also even more to the point if it was blasting sirt into the paint then using a PW would remopve the wax everytime you used it on the piant and we know that would just be retarded.

Yeah good point! I was thinking like with no shampoo/foam it could do damage?! Just me being daft, please ignore

 

[Hoofy]

Not sure the length of a Clio... but 6m is excessive is it not?

Not at all, you'll only get them in 3m divisions anyway, and 3m is shorter than the car. Clio is 1.64m x 3.77m and you're gonna need some space to get around it, otherwise you'd do it in your garage!

 

[Eddie.]

Not at all, you'll only get them in 3m divisions anyway, and 3m is shorter than the car. Clio is 1.64m x 3.77m and you're gonna need some space to get around it, otherwise you'd do it in your garage!

Exactly! Didn't know they did them only in 3m divisions, right looks like that's the only way to go then Sure my mum will love that on the drive! haha

 

[Chip-mk1]

Ive got an easy up 4.5 * 3M gazeebo, takes about 4 mins for two people to put up including putting the sides on.

With it being that extra big bigger than a 3M one it means if you put the car in to it widthwise you have enough room to work under it even with the sides on which I find useful at trackdays, or without the sides the whole car fits in and you can get round it properly etc, the mrs uses it in the summer when detailing cars to stop sunlight sending the polish off too quick.

Was only about 150 quid IIRC, and seems well made, and comes with a handy carry case to pack it all away in:

 

[Eddie.]

That's perfect ^^^

Is it waterproof? Where did you get it from?

 

[Eddie.]

Peoples thoughts?!

http://www.onlinehypermarket.co.uk/shops/kmsdirect/products.php?product=3x4.5m-GAZEBO-WATERPROOF-Pop-Up-Tent-Awning-Black-3m-x-4.5m

 

[Chip-mk1]

That's perfect ^^^

Is it waterproof? Where did you get it from?

Yes its very, I think the high centre helps the water run off better.
If you have really severe driving winds it just about comes through the sides in a very very fine haze but you literally have to have your face pressed up against the side to notice, you'd be able to stop that too with a water repellant spray from a camping store im sure but I havent ever bothered as its so slight and only in such extreme conditions.

I bought it off of ebay, but was a couple of years ago now so not got details anymore.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Peoples thoughts?!

http://www.onlinehypermarket.co.uk/shops/kmsdirect/products.php?product=3x4.5m-GAZEBO-WATERPROOF-Pop-Up-Tent-Awning-Black-3m-x-4.5m

That certainly looks very similar to the one that I have, and like I say, that seems to be spot on for the purposes of this thread.

 

[Eddie.]

Yes its very, I think the high centre helps the water run off better.
If you have really severe driving winds it just about comes through the sides in a very very fine haze but you literally have to have your face pressed up against the side to notice, you'd be able to stop that too with a water repellant spray from a camping store im sure but I havent ever bothered as its so slight and only in such extreme conditions.

I bought it off of ebay, but was a couple of years ago now so not got details anymore.

Yeah I was going to say I have a water repellent I can use on the whole thing so I would probably do that. Thanks mate, looks like I'll get that size as it looks just about right

 

[Chip-mk1]

PS

If you have somewhere to store it that is bigger than the bag it comes in you can leave the sides on when you fold it down,and then it only takes a few seconds to put back up, but it wont fit back in the original carry bag when its like that.
The sides only velcro on anyway though, so under a minute a side to add them if you dont take it down with them on.

 

[Eddie.]

Cheers mate, it looks spot on. I'll get one ordered I think

 

[Laura]

http://www.gazeboshop.co.uk/ - ive been getting quotes on some for one of our drift team sponsors next year, they seem pretty reasonable.. printing is fecking expensive tho!!

 

[Eddie.]

Yeah they're nice but they're quite costly in comparison to what I saw, I know you get what you pay for and all that...