Pop up canopies .... They need to be anchored!

[snookwheel]

As a club, I think it would be a good idea to require that any canopy that is used on a site must be anchored. We have all seen what happens when the wind gets hold of one. Unfortunately just this past Sunday a car was damaged by a wind blown canopy/sunshade.

It does not take much time to make it secure. Anyone that has been to a couple auto crosses has seen these things get blown around. Just my opinion, but why not make it a rule?

Scott

[shakedown067]

I need to find out where we got our sand bags at work for our event tents. They have a nice handle to make them easy to transport. We've had them for about 5 years now and are still in perfect shape. This is a big reason I stopped bringing my tent...too stinking easy to blow over or collapse with the wind we can get at Brooksville.

[Lava Speed 05]

It's as simple even to bring two 25+ lbs plates if you have exercise equipment... the feet of the tent should fit inside the center holes and just hook onto the center if it's a normal day or if it's breezy/windy you can zip tie them to the plates. That's what I've been bringing with me and setting them on opposite corners. Four would be ideal but just the two has been working fine at spc with a ziptie to the railing. Brooksville I've only set up in the grass and I used the spikes.

I do agree it's a good safety rule, just giving my two cents on anchor options as I can't fit sand bags in the miata with all the other stuff.

[Loren]

Anybody have experience replacing frame parts on these pop-ups? Should we pursue replacing the broken part on the one that tumbled Sunday? Or should we just write it off (maybe keep the cover as a spare) and buy a new one?

[snookwheel]

It has been my experience that if the frame is bent or broken, just trash it.

[Dave-ROR]

It has been my experience that if the frame is bent or broken, just trash it.

Same here.

[twistedwankel]

As a club, I think it would be a good idea to require that any canopy that is used on a site must be anchored. We have all seen what happens when the wind gets hold of one. Unfortunately just this past Sunday a car was damaged by a wind blown canopy/sunshade.
[b]In all fairness someone begged to park there - mentioning no names. [/b]
It does not take much time to make it secure. Anyone that has been to a couple auto crosses has seen these things get blown around. Just my opinion, but why not make it a rule?

Scott

A true story:

A decade(ish) ago in Topeka, KS - Scottie White (Viper in own semi trailer$$$$) Had an awning attached to his rig and trailer on one side and held down with 2 - 55gal plastic drums filled with water. 450lbs/each on the other side.

A gust of wind caught it tossing one drum high into the air and landing dead center on another man's trailer 50ft away with an "original 427 Shelby Cobra" in it = pretty much totalled both the trailer and non replaceable car. Best guess = $250k but Scottie owned a large trucking company with good insurance so I heard that ultimately had a happy ending.

[Loren]

A true story:

A decade(ish) ago in Topeka, KS - Scottie White (Viper in own semi trailer$$$$) Had an awning attached to his rig and trailer on one side and held down with 2 - 55gal plastic drums filled with water. 450lbs/each on the other side.

A gust of wind caught it tossing one drum high into the air and landing dead center on another man's trailer 50ft away with an "original 427 Shelby Cobra" in it = pretty much totalled both the trailer and non replaceable car. Best guess = $250k but Scottie owned a large trucking company with good insurance so I heard that ultimately had a happy ending.

I've been to the Solo Nationals exactly once... and I was there when this happened! It was 1999.

I was driving this back then. The SCCA "street touring" movement was just getting started, and I competed in the provisional "Street Touring" class.

[rojeho]

Ooooh, more Saturn love

Mid-Ohio, 1992 or 1993.

Obligatory on topic, we used an E-Z Up with this car, spare wheels and tires for anchors.