Finally broke down and bought a Eurmax Premium canopy.

Let this be a lesson to other misers like me. :wink:

When I first started attending club launches, I wanted a canopy, but I wanted a cheap canopy. So I bought some thing for $60 that you have to assemble every time you use it. After spending the first 45 minutes of every launch setting this thing up, I threw it away and got a slightly more expensive EZ-Up kind of thing, off brand for about $80. "It's worth the money," I had discovered.

The first time the wind gusted, it crumpled into a pile of aluminum and canvas. So, I said, no more aluminum. Going to have to break down and get a steel-framed job.

So I got a Leader Accessories steel frame job from Amazon for $110. Now I've spent a total of $250 on canopies, but at least I ended up with a steel frame that will last forever.

Or so I thought. At Red Glare, we had sudden wind gusts over 40 MPH. I was off doing something, and my wife was stuck trying to pull down the canopy by herself. A sudden gust whipped it up and dropped it down, and one of the steel arms broke.

No biggie ... I'll but a replacement arm. But searching did not turn up a way to do that. They don't sell parts on Amazon, and when I found the manufacturer's web site, they don't sell parts there, either. I used their "Contact Us" form to ask about replacement parts, and never got a response.

So I broke down and bought a EurMax premium pro grade one. $280. Weighs 75 pounds, stands five feet tall in the bag, which has wheels that you have to screw on. Outer legs are about 2" wide and hexagonal.

Had I done this in the first place, I would only have spent $30 more than I spent on the other three combined. Now I've wasted $250.

Hopefully this one lasts. The only drawback is that it won't fit in my Toyota Yaris, and requires at least two people to stand up.

cheap ones last forever if properly tied down!

What kind are you getting next?

Here’s what I’ve found that has worked even for knock-off canopies like the one I bought many years ago.
Make sure you get a frame that has vertical legs, not splayed out. It makes it possible to set it up right next to another and it makes it possible to shorten the legs without pulling the stakes.
Alway stake the canopy down. Two angled stakes per leg are even better.
When the wind comes up, lower one side of the frame by shortening the legs on the upwind side. That way the prevailing winds pushes down, rather than lifting up the canopy. Then roll up the canopy.
If sudden winds come up drop all four corners low enough that one person can detach the canopy from the frame. If you can roll up the canopy fabric and wrap bungee cords around it. Then help your neighbor do his or hers. Without the canopy fabric almost any frame handles wind well.
If your neighbors are out retrieving rockets roll up their canopy top when it gets windy. We’ve done that often and nobody has ever complained.
After more than a decade I’m still on my $89 Coleman canopy. Someday I’ll buy a Caravan brand like my buddy Dale has, but for now this still works well.

The last I knew repair parts were available for true EZ-Up and Caravan brand canopies.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

What kind are you getting next?

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:rofl:

I have a Eurmax 10X20,paid 500 bux. Worth every penny!

timbucktoo said:

cheap ones last forever if properly tied down!

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Please explain what "properly tied down" means.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

What kind are you getting next?

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Arh arh. Eurmax sells replacement parts. :wink:

Bat-mite said:

Please explain what "properly tied down" means.

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1/4” stakes on one end tied with parachord & the other end tied to your bumper/tailgate/under carriage. Have seen other people use coffee cans filled with concrete. Like Steve, I’m on my original tent. Be creative!

timbucktoo said:

1/4” stakes on one end tied with parachord & the other end tied to your bumper/tailgate/under carriage. Have seen other people use coffee cans filled with concrete. Like Steve, I’m on my original tent. Be creative!

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I use 3/8" diameter heavy pin type tent stakes on the legs, and four 60lb concrete blocks with eye bolts for the corner stay lines. The concrete blocks are made by pouring a 60 lb bag of sakrete into empty Costco laundry detergent buckets, then inserting a eyebolt with a fender washer trapped between two nuts into the wet cement, after the cement cures I use a prybar to open the eyebolt enough that the corner stay lines can be slip into the eyelet. Never have an issue with my canopy moving, of course its 15years old now and needs a new cover.

Bat-mite said:

Please explain what "properly tied down" means.

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I've also had luck with cheaper canopies that I've tied down.

I stake down all four legs even if it's calm when I set up the canopy. As Steve said, the wind can come up while you're away from it, or other inopportune times like when you're handling BP and can't drop everything to grab your flying canopy.

If I know it's going to be windy I'll add four additional stakes, maybe 5-10 feet diagonally off of each corner, and run an adjustable strap from the stake to the nylon loop on each corner of the canopy. I use the straps for tying down loads in a pickup. They're available at auto parts stores, Home Depot, Harbor freight, etc. Instead of messing with rope and knots, I just pound the stake through the eye part of the hook on one end, insert the hook on the other end through the nylon loop, and adjust the strap so it's taught.

I've had a steady wind blow enough that the straps hum. You can feel them vibrate if you grab them. The canopy stayed together.

The straps add tension bracing and make the whole system stronger. They remove a lot of the side load from the legs and scissor braces. If it was really windy I could add one more stake and strap on each side mid span, but if it's that windy the launch shuts down and I just take the canopy down. The scissor extenders on the sides can only take so much.

I always remove the canopy at night in case canopy killing gusts come through camp. Most canopy carnage I've seen was a morning after a really windy night. It was like canopy Waterloo.

Well, here's what's puzzling. Mine was staked down. And that actually caused the breakage. Because the feet couldn't lift off the ground, the pressure had to go somewhere, and so it caved in the side, causing one of the cross bars to bend and break. Had it not been tied down, it would have just lifted up off the ground.

Staking down the legs just keeps it from flying away. The additional straps/ropes are what add the strength.

You didn't "waste $250" you paid $530 for a $280 canopy and learned a valuable lesson.

I did the same thing with a shredder. Purchased the $50 one, burnt it out, then the $120, burnt it out, then finally the $200 one, whcih I have had for years now and have abused far worse than the previous ones, plus it shreds to fine dust and not strips.

On average, but certainly not always, cheap things are just that, cheap.

mpitfield said:

You didn't "waste $250" you paid $530 for a $280 canopy and learned a valuable lesson.

I did the same thing with a shredder. Purchased the $50 one, burnt it out, then the $120, burnt it out, then finally the $200 one, whcih I have had for years now and have abused far worse than the previous ones, plus it shreds to fine dust and not strips.

On average, but certainly not always, cheap things are just that, cheap.

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It's best not to dwell on sunk costs. You did get some utility out of the cheap canopies; then you found out you could get a lot more utility by spending a little bit more.

mrichhcirm said:

It's best not to dwell

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Not sure anyone is being so dramatic that they are dwelling.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

I just know that I, personally, have often gone the cheap route when I should have thought through things and spent a little more out of the chute. So I am trying to mend my ways a bit.

Utah has this thing called micro burst out on a Salt Flat. Well us ignorant Tennesseans were all yeah right whatever micro burst. Seconds later tents staked down became tumble weeds with a healthy 80 mph gust. We went sliding on our feet. Salt Storm would've been a more appropriate phrase. The steel framed canopies survived. Something to think about if you ever wind up in UROC.

Bat-mite said:

I just know that I, personally, have often gone the cheap route when I should have thought through things and spent a little more out of the chute. So I am trying to mend my ways a bit.

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I’ve been bitten by that bug myself. I also bought one of those canopies you assemble from multiple parts, trying to save a few bucks.

Andrew_ASC said:

Utah has this thing called micro burst out on a Salt Flat. Well us ignorant Tennesseans were all yeah right whatever micro burst. Seconds later tents staked down became tumble weeds with a healthy 80 mph gust. We went sliding on our feet. Salt Storm would've been a more appropriate phrase. The steel framed canopies survived. Something to think about if you ever wind up in UROC.

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Microbursts happen many places, and I’ve been at Hellfire when they’ve happened. Steel frames do survive better.

Andrew_ASC said:

Utah has this thing called micro burst out on a Salt Flat. Well us ignorant Tennesseans were all yeah right whatever micro burst. Seconds later tents staked down became tumble weeds with a healthy 80 mph gust. We went sliding on our feet. Salt Storm would've been a more appropriate phrase. The steel framed canopies survived. Something to think about if you ever wind up in UROC.

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its a pretty standard weather phenomena.. rare, but they do happen, and in a lot of places. When they hit the end of a runway, things can be scary..

Some "insider" perspective.....

I used to manage a company whose principal business was renting festival tenting. Most of what we did were larger tents...anything from 20'x20' to 40'x120'. These were serious structures that required experienced crews to put up and take down. Lots of heavy duty parts and pieces, major staking (3' long x 1" thick steel stakes). They are meant to hold up to very serious conditions.

And yes I saw some CRAZY conditions. One or two days were spoken of as "apocalyptic". And even those big professional tents took some major damage. I saw 50 gallon barrels full of water (weighing over 400 pounds) thrown into the air, 3" metal pipes twisted and snapped in half, vehicles pushed or pulled sideways from tents blowing free and hitting them, etc.

So what does that have to do with "pop-up" style tents? Well, first we rented those too. Second, our big tents were often used at festivals and events where there were dozens or more people using their own "EZ Ups". Third, in quite a few other situations (including rocket launches) I've used this style of tent myself. I've seen a lot of destruction with them. Pretty much any stiff wind at all meant at least a few small tents were destroyed. Cheap ones, expensive ones, steel, aluminum, staked down or not.....there's almost always damage any time there's more than a breeze it seems.

The common denominator whenever there's damage is HOW people are using them. Yes, the cheapies from Walmart (especially the ones with angled legs) are mostly garbage and starting with one of those is a pretty sure bet for disappointment (and wasted money). But spending $250-$600 (or more) for a better quality, name-brand one is no guarantee of success either. You must use it correctly. It starts with understanding that NONE of them will hold up to serious wind....you must know when to pull it down, drop it lower, remove the canvas, etc. BEFORE it's too late. If you try to pull it down when the wind is howling, not only will you end up with a pretzeled piece of junk, it's likely someone will get hurt in the process. Also, proper staking is essential.....this needs to be really secure, from the top corners (not the feet of the legs), but also something that is easy to tighten and/or undo quickly if necessary. Staking down the center (with some models) can also help a lot, but that leaves with you a rope in the center of your "protected" space.

The main thing to understand is that, ironically, these tents do NOT really provide any real "protection" from sun, wind, or rain in anything but the most basic conditions. Anytime those conditions ramp up to levels of "serious" or even "severe", pop-up style tents pretty much don't get the job done. Even the more expensive "professional grade" ones. Knowing their limitations is your best bet.

Is it still smart to spend more on a good one? Absolutely.....those limitations are certainly less so with higher quality tents. But be smart with that investment, learn how and when to use it wisely, and don't be fooled into thinking that your high-dollar canopy will just take the brunt of the storm on it's own.

There are 10'x10' tents that can take a LOT of abuse, and that will hold up in some pretty crazy conditions (to a point at least). But these are not pop-up style ones, they won't be quick and easy to put-up and take down, they won't fit into the back seat of your hatchback, and they won't be cheap.

s6

stealth6 said:

Some "insider" perspective.....

...

There are 10'x10' tents that can take a LOT of abuse, and that will hold up in some pretty crazy conditions (to a point at least). But these are not pop-up style ones, they won't be quick and easy to put-up and take down, they won't fit into the back seat of your hatchback, and they won't be cheap.

s6

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Thanks s6. Care to give any "insider" 10'x10' recommendations ? Top 5 ? Anything decent under $150 ?

I know nothing will hold up under all conditions, but I'm glad to have found one for which you can easily get replacement parts!

samb said:

Thanks s6. Care to give any "insider" 10'x10' recommendations ? Top 5 ? Anything decent under $150 ?

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I think his message pretty much ruled that out.

Bat-mite, I think you will be perfectly happy with your new purchase and it will be just fine on East Coast farm fields (within reason)

The biggest problem are the goofs who don't even bother to stake down their tents! It doesn't take much breeze at all to send them bounding down the flight line. An unstaked tent crashed into my vehicle, not once, but twice, at an event. The first scratched the hell out of my truck and busted some trim pieces. The second bounced off my roof and a leg then shattered the sunroof of the vehicle parked next to me.

Not only do I stake them down, (I drive them in at about a 10-20° so any small gusts don't make it easy to pull straight up) A sudden arrival of a thunderstorm can pull most any stake out of the ground. I bought a 4 pack of motorcycle pull-down straps. I tie down one side to the car bumper or trailer. A heavy toolbox works on the other end. If you have room, plastic buckets filled with concrete and an embedded eye bolt works, too.

samb said:

Thanks s6. Care to give any "insider" 10'x10' recommendations ? Top 5 ? Anything decent under $150 ?

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This is the sort that I was referring to:
https://www.tentnology.com/our-tents/brands/matrix-marquee-tents
They don't even list prices on the website, and it's been a while since I've been in the business, but I can assure you they are quite a bit more than $150. There are other similar brands. Note that while these are not terribly difficult to put up, they are certainly not "quick" nor "pop-up". Nor do they pack small, nor are they very lightweight. They are definitely more industrial quality. But they do hold up to way more serious conditions than most consumer "pop-up" style tents. If you are interested, the way to go is to find a events rental company that might be selling off some of their older, used stock. If you do, MAKE SURE that you get someone to show you how to properly put them up/down. It's not "rocket science", but it's important to do it correctly.

That said, you CAN do just fine with a "pop-up" style tent if you are smart with it and you don't expect it to perform beyond it's abilities. Do not buy the $89 Walmart junk (especially with the angled legs). But spending $250 to $650 for better brand name stuff can get you decent stuff. The original EZ-Up brand is still very good. However, note that there are a lot of fakes out there, and EZ-Up themselves makes some lower-end, price-point models that aren't that great. The Eclipse, Enterprise, or Endeavor are all pretty good. The Vantage is serviceable. I would not recommend the Pyramid or Ambassador. Definitely stay away from the Vista, Dome, or Sprint. You can buy replacement parts and such from EZ-Up.

EurMax products are pretty much in line with EZ-Up as near as I can tell. I don't have a lot of experience with them, but they look decent to me.

I will admit that I've bought and used the value package EZ-Up ES100S (on sale for under $250 at Sam's Club!) for a couple of business uses and had pretty good luck with them. These show up from time to time in places like Sam's, and there seem to be a LOT of fake versions of this package on the market. It's more of a crap-shoot with them, but you could get lucky.

s6

Hmmmm......I just went onto EurMax's website and found that they in fact sell a "Marquee" style tent. Lists for $1000, they sell it for around $700. Not quite as bomber perhaps as the ones I had experience with, but looks like a great option. Not a bad price for something that style. Definitely worth considering if you want to take the next step beyond "pop-ups".

https://www.eurmax.com/10x10-high-peak-marquee-tent.html

s6

Another approach is the do it yourself one. I have seen this style survive the whole week during LDRS at Lucerne Dry Lake. A not so easy up approach, but one that is very durable if you going to be camping for several days.

https://www.ysbw.com/

terryg said:

Another approach is the do it yourself one. I have seen this style survive the whole week during LDRS at Lucerne Dry Lake. A not so easy up approach, but one that is very durable if you going to be camping for several days.

https://www.ysbw.com/

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At BALLS there are quite a few of this type of shade. They are staked down using 1/2" rebar 2' long at every post.
The tops are removed for night and if the wind picks up.
I usually sit under the one belonging to Tripoli Pittsburgh.

M