T-N-T carports

mainiak1 · Sep 10, 2004

Does anyone own one that they could give me some reviews please? They are based in North Carolina. They are starting to market them in Maine. They also sell the kits to enclose them and turn into a garage. If any one has had experience with them good or bad please respond.

Thank you,
mainiak1

Bird · Sep 10, 2004

Yes, I have one of T-N-T's 20' x 21' carports as you can see in the attachment. We've had it now for nearly 11 months (since October 21, 2003) and I'm well pleased with it. Of course, if I'd known then what I know now, I'd have dealt directly with T-N-T. In searching the web for such a carport, I found a site in Kansas selling them and that's who I bought it from. However, I learned that he simply sells them on the Internet, gets a 10% commission (the down payment in advance), then sends the order to T-N-T. I ordered it on 10-9-03 and was told it might be a couple of weeks before they installed it. On 10-17-03 (Friday), a lady called on the phone for detailed directions to get here from a town about 150 miles south of us and said they would be here to install it on 10-20-03. When no one had shown up or called by 7:30 p.m. on 10-20-03 (Monday), I sent an e-mail to the guy I had made the deal with (I thought I just might have fallen for a scam). Anyway, within a few minutes he responded and after a couple of e-mails, he called me on the phone. Then while we were on the phone, after 8 p.m., the installer called to say their trailer lights had quit working and asked if it would be all right for them to be here the next morning. I agreed and they were here at 6 a.m. the next morning; two guys in a nearly new Ford F350 crew cab diesel dually 4WD, pulling a specially built trailer. I thought they would have local installers, but these guys live in Mt. Airy, NC, and that's where the truck and trailer were registered. They said the trailer would haul 16 carports at a time. Since it was still quite dark outside when they got here, we drank coffee and waited until daylight for them to start, but they were through and ready to leave at 8:30 a.m.

A long story that you're probably not interested in /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif, but yes, I'd recommend them and use them again. Of course, they have a lot of different sizes, but the one I got cost $795 plus sales tax, installed.

Bird · Sep 10, 2004

Oops, forgot to mention it, but I guess you know they do have a web site; T-N-T Carports. The reason it took me so long to find one on the Internet was because I spent a lot of time looking for "aluminum" carports and they're not aluminum; they're steel.

mainiak1 · Sep 11, 2004

Bird,

Thanks for the reply. You say you payed $795.00 for a 20x21? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif They cost alot more here in Maine for a 20x21 they want $1295.00 now your making me feel bad. I wonder if you buy direct if they are any cheaper?

Bird · Sep 11, 2004

That price difference might be a little misleading. T-N-T, as well as some other manufacturers, have different gauges of steel and they are very likely quoting the thicker gauge up there. I have the lightest one because all I'm concerned about is having some shade over the vehicle, being able to get in and out of the car on rainy days without getting wet, keeping the morning dew off the car, and the possibility of hail. No snow load to even consider. And you might notice on mine that there are 5 "ribs?" and you can see the extra brace in each corner. My wife has a brother in West Virginia who had one that "looks" like ours, but has the extras brace in the bend of the rib on all five, is the heavier gauge metal, came from a different company, and cost a good bit more than ours. And ours is what they call 5' sides (they measure from the bottom edge of the sheet metal). They make taller ones for more money. One of our neighbors has one that's 6' instead of 5' and has a gable in one end, but it's still just 20' x 21' and the company that installed it gets $1,695 for them.

And a couple of hours ago, our youngest daughter asked me to call T-N-T Monday and order one for her. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif So I guess I'll find out if what we've been hearing about the high cost of steel has made the price go up on the carports since we got ours nearly a year ago.

DannyD · Sep 11, 2004

I beleive we have the same thing here. Your size Bird would be 695.00, and I would expect the difference from our locations.

Cliff_Johns · Sep 11, 2004

I saw this and wondered - who would put Top-N-Tilt on a car port?

Cliff

johnday · Sep 11, 2004

I was waiting for that! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Cliff_Johns · Sep 11, 2004

( I was waiting for that! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif )

Well, it's a good thing I happened along, or you wouldn't have been able to sleep.
Cliff

JoshJ · Sep 11, 2004

( I saw this and wondered - who would put Top-N-Tilt on a car port? )

Sadly enough that was the first thing that crossed my mind as well. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

mainiak1 · Sep 12, 2004

Bird

That price I quoted, is for the lighter one 14 guage. The heavier one is 12 guage and a couple hundred dollars more.

Bird · Sep 12, 2004

I may be in for a big surprise when I call T-N-T tomorrow. This afternoon, I passed a place that had a similar looking 12' x 20' carport with a sign on it saying "$1,295 installed". I didn't stop so I don't know what gauge metal, what brand, etc. it was.

mainiak1 · Sep 12, 2004

They have one set up here for sale. They advertise a 18x21 five foot posts for $1095.00. That sounds like a good price. Problem is the boat I want to buy is about 24' with the tongue. I would like to enclose it to keep the snow out.

Bird · Sep 12, 2004

( They advertise a 18x21 five foot posts for $1095.00. )

Ouch, that one is what my daughter wants and that size was $595 a year ago. I paid $200 more for the extra 2' width on mine.

Bird · Sep 14, 2004

( Problem is the boat I want to buy is about 24' with the tongue )

Norman, T-N-T's web site says they have the carports from 12' to 24' wide and 21' to 41" long, so you shouldn't have any problem getting one the right size for that boat. Have you called them direct to get a price?

mainiak1 · Sep 14, 2004

I haven't contacted them directly. I do know they have the size I can live with 20x 26. I think I will shhot off an email to them just to see if I can get a better price. I bet they tell me to see a dealer. I like Texas prices better! Thanks Bird

Bird · Sep 14, 2004

Norman, they have an 800 number on their web site. I called yesterday and they told me the lady who handles sales in Texas was off for the day and no one else could even give me a price. So I called back this morning and ordered the 18' x 21' for my daughter. She said it would be $695 plus sales tax, so it's gone up $100 in the past year. When I asked when it would be installed, she said probably 2 to 3 weeks and they'll call me to set up an appointment when they have a truck coming this direction.

Incidentally, I found another company on the Internet selling what appears to be the same carports and called them before I called T-N-T and they wanted $1,250 to ship me an 18' x 21' for me to install or to hire an installer. They said the installers they know usually charge about $350 to install one.

fishman · Sep 14, 2004

Bird, I see your carport was placed on concrete. How did they attach it? Do you know if a person had a gravel pad, would they have to provide concrete piers for attachment or is that included in the price?

Bird · Sep 14, 2004

John, they ask whether it's going to be on concrete, dirt, or what. The installer had a pretty long masonry bit and drilled holes through the concrete (3 on each side), then he had what I think was 3' lengths of rebar with an ordinary hex nut welded on one end of each one and he drove those in. I'm thinking the holes he drilled in the concrete may have been just slightly smaller than the rebar (1/2" rebar, I think) because he drove them in with a sledge hammer and it took several licks on each one to get them all the way down. I didn't ask what they would have done on other surfaces. They also asked me whether electricity would be available (it was, of course), but I noticed on that special built trailer, they had a generator.

mainiak1 · Sep 14, 2004

Bird
I sent an email for a price they haven't got back to me yet.
I wonder why when they ship to the north the price increases so much? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif