Anchoring a Portable Shelter

Portable shelters have become an extremely popular value based storage alternative for cars

, trucks, RVs, & boats. After all, these fabric covered buildings are a fraction of the cost of metal, vinyl, or wooded storage building. Depending on the quality of the product, these shelters & structures can provide long lasting protection for the elements with the proper maintenance. In addition to purchasing a quality and product and performing some minor maintenance, another key task must be completed properly to provide for a positive owner experience: sufficient and proper anchoring. Due to the characteristics of these garages, they must be securely anchored to the mounting surface to prevent damage to the portable shelter and its contents. Before selecting the type of anchor for application, the mounting surface must be clearly known (concrete, rocky soil, asphalt, sand, etc). It is also recommended to place the portable shelter on a base such as treated lumber. A 2 x 6 or 4 x 6 will provide for a more stable mounting application, regardless if the mounting surface is grass, concrete, or rocky soil. As an example, if placed on soft soil, the portable shelter should not sink if placed on a rigid piece of lumber. There are (3) common portable shelter anchoring types: auger, duckbill, and mounting or foot plates. Augers are typically used for rocky soil, sand, grass, and other soil related applications. Auger anchors attach to the frame or wooden base with either a cable or chain. The auger anchor is screwed into ground (same concept as a manual hand rotary digger) as far as possible. The auger anchor has a loop which attaches the cable. It may be most applicable to dig a hole and place the auger into the hole and fill with concrete or dirt. This is typically done is the soil is hard or rocky. Be sure the cable is tight between the frame and anchor or the portable shelter will shift. Longer anchors work significantly better for anchoring than short anchors due to the holding force. Another common portable shelter anchor type is the duckbill. Duckbill devices have a cable which attaches to the wooden base or frame. Duckbill anchors are commonly used when the soil is softer. A drive rod is used to drive a sharp anchor head into the soil. A heavy hammer is needed for this task. The duckbill application does not require having a hole be dug similar to the auger application. Some shelters are mounted on asphalt or other hard surfaces. In this case, the shelter owner must obtain a foot plate type application from the manufacturer. These mounting plates typically have pre-drilled holes which can then have concrete anchors inserted to fasten the shelter to the surface. Some mounting plates have up to (4) holes. If the shelter is somewhat large, many holes will have to be drilled into the concrete with smaller anchors. As a result, a treated 2 x 6 or 4 x 6 piece of lumber can be applied to reduce the quantity of holes needing drilled into the concrete or asphalt. The portable shelter can then be placed (and mounted) onto the treated lumber. The treated lumber can then be fastened to the surface using the concrete anchors. Anchoring for portable shelters is extremely critical in preventing damage to the shelter and its contents. Although this article is not a substitute for the manufacturers guidelines, it can be used to support prospective owners.

Anchoring a Portable Shelter

By: Doug Ruhenkamp

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