Want a trailer canopy - where and what to get?

Ron Earp

Ron Earp

Administrator
I want to get a canopy that either attaches to my 20' trailer or is permanently attached to my trailer.

Suggestions and words of wisdom?

I saw these:

http://www.racerwholesale.com/catalog/prod...products_id=316

Are they any good? Better products out there?

I'd love to have one that is just attached and I pull it down, but for some reason they are damn expensive from trailer shops.

I also have a problem in that my trailer is slanted in the front, so it really isn't 20' long at the top of the trailer which might cause a problem for mounting.

Ideas, pictures, words of advice are all very welcome. Thanks much,
ron

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Ron Earp
NC Region
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey ITS
1/2 a 260Z ITS
 
Some of those are sort of scary "as low as $419" and "as low as $649".

I was sort of thinking under $300?



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Ron Earp
NC Region
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
Jensen-Healey ITS
1/2 a 260Z ITS
 
Good luck - the 22' power awning on my LQ trailer was almost $2000, installed. Of course, it does have an auto-retracting feature if the wind gets up, and it's designed so that if it rains it will automatically dump the rain off and return to normal - plus a keyfob remote.
 
Look in Sportscar for the Holiday Canopies ad. Support a fellow racer and IIRC he has pretty good prices on them as well.


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Sam Rolfe
TBR Motorsports
#85 ITC VW Rabbit being converted to LPHP
#85 GP Scirocco
 
Any roll up style will cost. The stuff needed to keep things stiff over 20 feet of span are pretty pricey. I imagine the drum has to be pretty big, and aluminum, and that gets into $.

In my opinion, if you go roll up, don't skimp.

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
I agree with the Holiday canopies. Support a racer, and his pricing is excellent.

For attaching to trailer, bolt a J shaped bracket (piece of steel about an inch wide works well) to the top frame of your trailer. Cut off the down leg part of the standard canopy connector piece - most use 3 pieces per side. Put top on the frame, lift up and hook on the J brackets, and then put the 3 leg poles on. Quick setup canopy attached to trailer! At night, you can remove the legs and pivot the canopy down (can't pivot it if the leg part of the connector pieces is still attached at the trailer). If you attach a hook/eye to the lower trailer frame, you can then strap the canopy down at night. My car is small enough that if I put it against the trailer, almost touching it, the canopy pivots down and also covers the car. I also use a strap from the top canopy frame to the hook/eye to ensure the top of the frame doesn't lift off the J hooks. Hope this makes sense!
 
Ron, you might try contacting a local RV store and see if they have a used one that can attach to your trailor. A&E or Carefree of Colorado make it easy to use and roll right up to close, very simple, easy and reliable. New ones are out of the budget, but you would be suprised for some of the reasons RVer's change their awnings. You should have enough work to do at the track without fussing with setting up a "tent".
I checked where I work and we don't have any at this time, but we do get them. Just my $.02........
 
Ron,

I bought that same Shelter System canopy a way back in 1996. I'm still using it today and it has been very tough. 10th season coming up...
 
Originally posted by ITANorm:
Good luck - the 22' power awning on my LQ trailer was almost $2000, installed. Of course, it does have an auto-retracting feature if the wind gets up, and it's designed so that if it rains it will automatically dump the rain off and return to normal - plus a keyfob remote.
Click to expand...

Well, for $150 this thing is made well and will work - it ain't power or auto-retracting etc. but hell, $2000 would be 75% the cost of my enclosed trailer! I need the excercise anyhow.



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Ron Earp
NC Region
Ford Lightning
RF GT40 Replica
White Jensen-Healey ITS
Silver "Skull" 260Z ITS
Email: "rlearp at gt40s.com"
 
We have had a 16 x 20 one of these that is going on its 4th season.

http://www.tarps.com/classichp.htm

You have to buy the chain link fence top rail and cut it to size but they go up quick, are very sturdy and so far durable as well. Make some weights out of a plastic buckets and Quik-Crete or use a couple of tires to hang in the outer corners and strap the inner corners to your trailer.

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Tom Sprecher
Team SuperTech
 
Originally posted by tom_sprecher:
Make some weights out of a plastic buckets and Quik-Crete or use a couple of tires to hang in the outer corners and strap the inner corners to your trailer.
Click to expand...

That works - and I used a 16x20 for years. I got the tarp and bungee's from Racer Wholesale and the poles were made of 1" thinwall conduit from Home Depot. The only caveat is to use a bit of common sense. I've seen that setup left unatttended, and an errant T-storm flung the tires and what was left of the canopy frame halfway across the paddock.
 
I like the units from the above supplier because the 1 3/8" top rail is considerably more substantial than 1" conduit. The next project I want to do is to make attachment points on the trailer that incorporate the frame parts of the canopy.

In retrospect I would have gotten the 20 x 20, mounted attachment points as mentioned, but they would attach more than halfway over the slight arch of the trailer top so when it rained it would not drip between the canopy and the trailer.

Live and learn.


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Tom Sprecher
Team SuperTech
 
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