Portable garages?

[Louise2cv]

Discuss.

 

 

I think this is like a heavy duty tent type thang, but I haven't actually looked, Abby was just asking about ways to protect the Allegro.

 

Is this a good option for someone with a driveway but no garage (rented property so can't build a real one.).

 

Are they any better than car covers?

 

Etc. etc.

 

Thank you!

[barrett]

I think you might need planning permission to put these up.... I'd contact your local council and find out the legalities of it before she splashes out on one

[whitevanman]

They are better than a car cover as they allow air to circulate

[Albert Ross]

No permission required as they are a temporary structure with no foundations, and are portable. Last time I saw one (well two TBH) was an old giffer in Nottingham with a Mk1 Escort 2 door Auto, and a Viva 2 door on his drive. (Escort probably upside down in a field in Ireland, having got there at high speed with Minilites and a Cossy lump in it)

[autofive]

i looked at buying one of these, but they were very expensive, cumbersome and not much resistance to strong winds

 

cheaper to rent a council garage

[dieselnutjob]

I can't be arsed to search their site, but I'm pretty sure these guys do them

http://www.northerntooluk.com

[Marshall]

http://www.carcoon.co.uk/carcoons/products-order-EU.asp

[dieselnutjob]

found it

http://www.northerntooluk.com/home-leis ... 1403e.html

£152

[Marshall]

^^^ That looks decent value

[garethj]

Scaffold, skip dip, beg or borrow, to make the frame.

Again for the sheeting/cladding?

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6mx3m-H-D-Portable-Close-Garage-Canopy-Carport-Shelter-/380233776792?pt=UK_Home_Garden_Garden_Structures_Fencing_CV&hash=item5887b2fe98#ht_2199wt_982

although the water will just get in underneath so working on the car will still be miserable.

 

The yuppie look?

http://www.shadednation.com/acatalog/Standard_Range_Sail_Shade_World_Sail_Shades.html

 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_746141_langId_-1_categoryId_165669

 

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/6510037.htm

 

Various reports of them blowing away, or the poles bending in the wind. The engineering solution is to cut a hole in the top and cover it with another bit of canvas as a flap. So when the wind gets under it, it blows through the hole but the flap keeps most of the rain out.

[Formula Autos]

Just make sure it's under 30 square metres floor area (which it will be comfortably smaller than if it's the size of a single car garage). If it's over that size and you leave it in place for 28 days or more you're in a world of Building Regs related aggro. And expense (Building Regs applications aren't free).*

 

As winter lasts considerably longer than 28 days, a portable garage over 30 square metres basically isn't feasible.

 

Is a car port in any way feasible? You can (depending on circumstances) generally get Planning fairly easily and usually avoid the need for Building Regs. It ain't a garage, but it's better than nothing and is less likely to cause aggro and/or blow away in a storm. It's unlikely to please your landlord though if you start drilling fixing holes in their gable end.

 

Or how about cobbling together an old garage from some dead ones (i.e. the Autoshite solution)? I know someone who cleared a garage site for a local Town Council, in exchange for everything on site. It took him weeks (not to mention using a shitload of Plusgas/grinder blades to free off bolts), but as there were only a couple of garage designs on site he managed to cobble together a couple of good garages from the 9 or so shite/dilapidated ones on site. As the garages were modular as well he managed to make a longer one very easily, which comes in very handy, as he has plenty of storage/workbench space at the end of one. A quick coat of paint to the outside, and they don't look too bad. All he shelled out for really was the cost of a concrete base for each of them back at his place, paint, a lock for each (the keys for the original ones on the garage doors he used being long lost), and a load of new bolts. Obviously, you couldn't do this at a rented property, but if you found a vacant garage plot/suitable land nearby....

 

*Building Regs advice here relates to England & Wales - Scotland and NI have their own (slightly different) regulations/standards.

[Louise2cv]

Thanks for the imput so far, I'll pass it on

[Mash]

They used to advertise those little fold-up tent things in Practical Motorist and other such spendthrift publications back in the 60s. IIRC the advert showed a chap putting his Standard 10 into one. Basically you drove into the back half then folded the rest over the car like the hood on a pram type of thing. I'll see if I can find one to scan.

[Tayne]

.

[Mr H Sceptre]

Hang on hang on. Won't a portable garage/car cover stop the Allegro from rusting???

 

Bad idea.

[Louise2cv]

Quote from PM:

 

Dear Mr H Sceptre,

 

someone called Eccentric-Richard has hacked your account.

 

HTH Louise2cv. (Allegro loving weirdo).

 

 

[Pillock]

http://www.tentsplus.co.uk/inflate.htm

 

 

(Caution: my be overkill)

[ChinaTom]

 

I have 3 of these available. (big one with the sails, not the little one). Expensive. But probably the only one in your street.

[Mash]

Found it! This is quite late too from 1970:

 

[mnde]

^^ Brilliant!

 

I spent some of my birthday yesterday giving the GSA a good run along the A3 to make sure it was completely dry, then whamming a new car cover on it. Just in time it seems as there was a bit of rain in the evening, not to mention the SNOW CHAOS predicted for the end of the week... I was getting depressed at the puddles in the bare footwell (carpet removed ages ago) because of the hole up under the corner of the dashboard.

 

It's a fairly loose fitting generic cover, with elasticated corners - so I hope there will be a little air circulation. I'll be checking every so often... The last car cover I used, on the Cmatic GSA when I had it, was a cheapie second hand one that kept blowing away and I had to resort to bricks on the bonnet...cos the tying cords had snapped. I tied them round any piece of stone I could find in an attempt to anchor it!

 

I've considered the carport/portable garage idea - but we're renting... It's a real sod that the garage is "out of bounds" because the roof has "structural issues". To put it mildly. And the landlords never have, and seemingly don't want to do anything about it.

 

Mark.

[Formula Autos]

I've considered the carport/portable garage idea - but we're renting... It's a real sod that the garage is "out of bounds" because the roof has "structural issues". To put it mildly. And the landlords never have, and seemingly don't want to do anything about it.

 

Mark.

 

Report the garage to your local council's Building Control department as a dangerous structure (you can even do this anonymously, if you think a load of agg will result from it). Your landlord can't just bury their head in the sand and declare a dangerous building "out of bounds". They owe a duty of care to all who may enter the building, including (rather incredibly) trespassers. It must be made safe. The worst outcome is that you end up with a parking space where the garage used to be if they have to pull it down. You never know though, they might be persuaded to fix it.

 

I know this approach works - I work in Building Control. Just report it at a sensible time please, and not at 4:45 on a Friday afternoon, when most of these things seem to get rung in - around the time I'm normally pulling my coat on, ready to go home.