T-N-T carports

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I wonder why when they ship to the north the price increases so much? )</font>

I can think of a number of possibilities; all of which would be pure speculation. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

1) It's possible they have a distributor or dealer with exclusive rights there,
2) Is diesel fuel for their truck more expensive up that way?
3) Is traffic worse, meaning it takes longer to get up there?
4) Are motels and restaurants for their crews to use more expensive up there?
5) Do they send a crew to do several at once down here (the trailer would hold the material for 16) and have to send a truck and crew up there for one or two at a time?

Like I said, pure speculation and wild guesses /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif; surely they're not prejudiced against Yankees. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Ozarker]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I wonder why when they ship to the north the price increases so much? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )</font>

Getting even with those darn yankies............. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[mainiak1]

Bird

I called TNT today and I was given the same price that my local dealer has $1845 for a 20' x 26'. I asked why such a price difference compared to Texas. I was told because of my location. My conclusion is "Ozarker is right"! I always like to know why I'm getting screwed. Now I know. I will still buy it though. Thanks for your help. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

Norman, I mentioned in an earlier post that when I ordered the carport for my daughter yesterday, the lady said it would probably be 2 to 3 weeks. Well, they called about 15 minutes ago to see if I would be ready for it Friday; supposed to be here Friday afternoon. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[mainiak1]

Bird

Now you're making me feel real good. You get it faster and cheaper. One more reason to move south for retirement.
Thanks for the update.
mainiak1 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Junkman]

could you take a photo essay for us???? Be interesting to see how they go together.. thanks...

 

[8NTX]

Bird, my carport looks almost identical to yours but it's 18'x21'. But it's a Carolina Carport. I bought it about 4 months ago. The base model was $655 installed, but I paid an extra $40 to have the 6' legs rather than the 5' ones. Same color (white on white), with the corner braces which the other major seller doesn't have. I do wish I had done like you and got the extra 2' in width. It took two guys one hour to install it. They've now gone to $695 for the base model and the competition is advertising them for $795 (without corner braces). It's at my lake house in Athens. I like mine a lot; no problems and well worth it.

 

[Bird]

Steve, that's what makes shopping for those things so difficult. I know there are lots of companies selling them, and for $40 I'd have gone for the 6' legs myself, but the only ones I found with the 6' legs at the time also "claimed" to have better galvanizing, heavier material, gable in one end, and wanted $1,695 plus tax. So you may have found a better company and better deal than I did. Overall, I'm inclined to think the taller legs might be better; however, the lower sides might be better for keeping blowing rain out, so I don't really know whether one is better than another or not.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( could you take a photo essay for us )</font>

I'll try to do that. When the lady called yesterday (different lady from the one with whom I placed the order), I asked her if it was going to be the same crew (I remembered the guy's name), but she said it wasn't; that he's there with them in North Carolina. I am a bit curious, since he did say he lived in North Carolina, and when I ordered this new carport, the lady said it would be 2 or 3 weeks and they'd call when they had a truck coming this way. So, apparently they found that a dealer or installer already in Texas had one of the right size and color. When they call to set up an appointment, they ask (1) for detailed directions to your property - this time from Ft. Worth - last time from Temple, TX, (2) is the site level, (3) is electricity available, and (4) is it going to be on concrete, gravel, or dirt.

The installation and setup is pretty simple, but there was just one thing that surprised me. They had two tall step ladders and I assumed they would work just from the ladders to put the skin on, but that wasn't the case. When they put the first panel on at the top, and anchored it at both ends with the self tapping screws with the rubber washers, the older guy got on top of it. So the younger guy would slide a panel up there and anchor his end, while the older guy walked back and forth putting the screw in all the other ribs. They used a much greater overlap at the top than I expected, and of course, they left the screws out of the bottom, or outer edge, of each panel until they slipped the next panel under it.

Now I figure I could have put it up myself, with a helper, in a half a day or so, but these two guys probably did it in an hour to an hour and a half. They actually got here just a few minutes after 6 a.m., and unloaded the frame, set out their tools, etc., but then we drank coffee and waited an hour or so for daylight before they started putting it together and they left at 8:30 a.m.

 

[rambler]

Menards ( regional box lumber company like Home Depot/ Lowes) up here in the upper midwest sells these things as a kit you assemble. There are many different sizes.

--->Paul

 

[Bird]

What kind of price range, Paul?

 

[rambler]

Well, I see the "we'll build it for you' ones all over here, every little car seller on every corner started selling those about 2 years ago, first for $795, now for $895. These sound abut like what you folks have?

The kit from the lumber yard seem to be priced from $500- 800 for all the different sizes. I'd guess you save $125 - 175 on the kit.

--->Paul

 

[Bird]

Ok, Junkman, you asked for a photo essay, so I'll post 7 of the 15 pictures I took. This time a 3 man crew arrived at 2 p.m. and left at 3 p.m. Basically the same kind of truck (with Arkansas license plates), but not nearly as nice as the one that came last year from North Carolina. The trailer is a similar design, but not nearly as much in the way of equipment, ladders, and generator as the one last year.

 

[Bird]

First thing is to lay out the bottom rails and anchor them to the concrete. This time they used concrete anchor bolts instead of the rebar that went all the way through and a couple of feet into the ground.

 

[Bird]

The top arch is preformed when they arrive, but then they add the center brace on site.

 

[Bird]

The legs are attached to the top arches with square tubes inside the legs and arches.

 

[Bird]

Once assembled the legs are set onto the bottom rails that already had short pieces of square tubing welded to them, as can be seen in the first picture.

 

[Bird]

Once the frame is set in place, they run a string all the way around it and can raise or lower individual legs, if necessary to get the top level, and they have some magnetic levels they put on the legs to make sure each one is standing up straight, then put the first panel on at the top. And that young man just walks all over it while he's putting the screws in.

 

[Bird]

And in an hour, they've applied the trim and are ready to leave.

Oops, the picture was made before the trim was put on. So total price, with our 8.25% sales tax, was $752.34.

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Doggone it Bird, I've been doing it all wrong. Think I might have over engineered this twenty four by twenty four footer?