Carport vs Garage

This isn't necessarily a question comparing the two as obviously a garage is better. But I am planning ahead and trying to make sure I have a safe storage place out of the sun and rain once I get my hearse.

Building a garage is going to cost me far more than I can afford, so I have been looking at low-cost alternatives. I found canopy carports that are deep enough and are very inexpensive, but I do have concerns that this would possibily build condensation from humidity. I thought I'd see what you all have to say on the matter.

Here is the type of carport I am talking about:

https://www.amazon.com/Caravan-Cano...g_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EDGR0B7YE8J4CB5WDYGH

I have read of some people with steel carports complain about condensation dripping oxidation onto their paint so I am wondering if planning on use this, at least in the short-term would be a mistake

I've seen those types of canvas covers get blown up in windstorms causing more car damage than the weather would have had the car been left out.

Blake, we have all rented space until permanent space is available. Sometimes it is a better option than owenership. It will all work out for the best.

If you live in a rural area without zoning or loose zoning the cheapest tight garage you can buy is a truck body. Check around for a local truck salvage yard.. You can improve appearance by adding wood or fake brick siding. Just set body on level ground and grade up to the back. As an additional note the fiber sided bodies are cheaper as they have no scrap value.

Go with a car port. Build it as big as you can and build it si that it came be enclosed one wall at a time.

Carport

SHIPPING Containers:I have had great luck with them.They are water tight can be wired/insulated,windows installed etc etc.They are movable if you dont like where they are sitting and they are fairly priced at $2200-$3000 delivered and installed in my area for a 40' container.(Of course it helps if you are near a port)....but they are still available even if your not.....

Carports

John ED Renstrom said:

Go with a car port. Build it as big as you can and build it si that it came be enclosed one wall at a time.

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I picked these up at a local Gov auction . $125.00 a carport .That included 4 posts 2 headers and all the top panels .Each one was 9x19 .We tied them all together for one long roof and on one end welded the headers together to make a longer opening on each end. Labor and concrete was not cheap but for the overall cost hard to beat. I might be able to put sides and fronts up down the road if the code Nazis let me.

I use shipping containers here in the yard and truck bodies its very damp here and truck bodies are drier. The containers seem to sweat more. Plus gentleman with question is in OKLA so I don't know availabilty of containers so far from a port. We are only 60 miles from Newark NJ and 70 from Wilmington Del. so containers abound around here.

Pete,
There are thousands of shipping containers to be had in the midwest as well. They are everywhere.

I wood agree with you on the truck bodies because there is no better floor for storing a car on than a wood floor! The wood really seems to wick the moisture away. Even a wooden floor laying on dirt is great, if not in a low area.

Truck bodies? I have never heard of that? Do you mean the body from a pickup truck suspended above the car and used as the roof of a carport? Maybe I'm missing something but that doesn't sound like it would work very well.

I do have a storage facility right across the street from me currently, a 20 foot deep indoor unit is $89/mo, so that is my temp option if needed. Wife and I are planning on eventually buying some property with some acreage hopefully in the very near future, which will give me room to put together some shelter for it.

In my current home I must bow to the will of my HOA, so no commercial vehicles, and I already asked about hearses and I was told that even if its covered they don't want it in the street or driveway. So its storage or wait until I move.

Blake I do believe they refer to the bodies off large cargo trucks or a tractor trailer body dropped off it's undercarriage,if the storage area across the road has some outside parking ask about setting a box there so as to store your vehicle,it would still be in a locked compound,just a thought.

I used an outdoor tent system for years in Florida. It works as a last resort keeping the rain and sun off the car. Prefer to stage it over a concrete slab but cannot go wrong with inside garage. I'm fortunate to have a facility at the cemetery where I keep the Lifeliner now for almost 2 years and it makes a true difference.

Good luck!

Blake Sherwin said:

Truck bodies? I have never heard of that? Do you mean the body from a pickup truck suspended above the car and used as the roof of a carport? Maybe I'm missing something but that doesn't sound like it would work very well.

I do have a storage facility right across the street from me currently, a 20 foot deep indoor unit is $89/mo, so that is my temp option if needed. Wife and I are planning on eventually buying some property with some acreage hopefully in the very near future, which will give me room to put together some shelter for it.

In my current home I must bow to the will of my HOA, so no commercial vehicles, and I already asked about hearses and I was told that even if its covered they don't want it in the street or driveway. So its storage or wait until I move.

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20 feet deep is fine for regular folks- though for professional car owners just won't cut it.

Gosh Fellas. We are talking the body from a large what is called in the trucking industry a strait job These bodies can be from 12 feet to 28 feet long some even have side doors for curb loading. We are NOT hanging pickup truck bodies upside down. There are usually roll up or barn doors in the back and almost all have wood floors. Did no one ever notice the delivery trucks from appliance stores furnature stores etc. Also if you see the big double rigs (two trailers) on the interstates those trailers are usually 28 feet long pull the landing gear and the rear axel set on the ground and again a 28 foot garage.

Blake
Just a quick note. Not all Funeral Homes have a garage. The hearse is just under a portico.
Locally, I see many hearse's that way, some new.

Blake Sherwin said:

This isn't necessarily a question comparing the two as obviously a garage is better. But I am planning ahead and trying to make sure I have a safe storage place out of the sun and rain once I get my hearse.

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These cars are often relatively cheap when it gets down to it. The cost is really in transporting them, and especially in their storage. As I see it, the latter is what you need to think about first and foremost before buying one of these cars. Too many folks seem to think of it almost as an afterthought, but the outdoors - even under a carport - seems to do a number on any vehicle. Particularly if it's not driven too much like the vast majority of professional cars.

1. Keeping a car outdoors is just plain unacceptable to me. I have plenty of room, but all I'm really doing is causing damage to the vehicle. The Society's about preservation, and that's just hard to justify. It's enclosed only for my cars. I surely could've purchased vehicles at the Meet last weekend - but I have nowhere to put them that is safe.

2. Storage can be purchased, but is pricey. Many folks are doing that, including myself. You need at least 22-24 feet depth for most vehicles, and minimum 8 foot door (still makes me nervous). Right now, the loan payment on building a garage would probably equal out the storage fees I pay monthly. I'd rather put that cash into equity if I can.

3. Offsite storage - whether rented/owned/"free" is sometimes only/best option. I'm doing that with two of my vehicles. However, it's so much nicer when the car is home. Offsite storage turns working on the car from a relaxing hobby moment, to a "special trip" you have to block time out for.

3. In my short time here, I've seen more than a few horror stories over loosing "free storage" from a friend, work, similar. Two of my vehicles were put up for sale solely due to that sad fact. If going that route, I'd suggest it be a temporary buffer while ACTIVELY working on something else.

4. Lastly, it's super-hot a lot of the time in Texas, currently in the 100s. Sweating profusely in a "hot metal box" isn't too fun a past-time. I imagine that Winter in many parts of the country is far less pleasant than here, and it gets rather cold/wet for us too. Climate control, at least some modicum of insulation, is part of my goal for what we're looking to do.

Just my thoughts based on limited experience.

The other possibility is a small wooden shed. These are often sold at "roadside stands" out here, though you still need to order what you want. This is mine (it's an add-on to an existing garage, but can also be free-standing). I keep one of my vehicles in this one. It is weather-tight and secure. You can order various sizes to fit the car. Zoning usually allows storage sheds like this (when I went to the zoning office for my permit, everyone in the office acknowledged that they personally own a similar kind of shed).

If you're planning to move soon, renting at the storage facility seems best. Remember, most full-size professional cars are longer than 20'.

???

Blake, I question if a hearse or limo is a 'commercial vehicle' if it is privately owned. I live in a neighborhood with a pretty strict HOA but I would tell them to go pound sand if they told me I could not have a hearse or limo at my house. I could see them not wanting a dump truck or school bus but something car sized that is privately owned is fair game in my opinion.

Here is a winner for this issue. If you have a Tractor Supply (TractorSupply.com) near you they are having a Labor Day sale. On sale a 12ftX20ftX8ft "Round garage in a box"reg $399.99 sale $349.99 item number 1124754. I am going to get one for my spare 93 Commercial Glass Six Door currently sitting out. If anyone in Pa. wants to get one I have a tax exempt with them PM me and I will give you the info save $21.00.

A lot of people in my home town store their collector cars in the seldom used, but huge, "barns" at the county fairgrounds. These have concrete floors, are fully insulated, and are climate controlled. The cars have to all be vacated for about 3-4 weeks during the fair in August, but other than that I've heard the rent is dirt cheap, cheaper than a storage unit. But, your car is packed in like sardines among 100s of other cars that are also being stored there so taking it out is a chore so if you're planning on mostly long-term storage, it's maybe something to consider.