Polypropylene Tent Trailer Cover by Adco

All polypropylene covers are best suited for use in moderate climates for short term storage or indoors as a dust/storage cover. Measure RV 'box' from end to end (including bumpers, spare tire and ladder) to determine RV Cover needed for proper fit. Do not rely on manufacturer's specifications.

Today's Architect has a tough decision to make when it comes to choosing materials. There is steel and glass and concrete and wood. What about fabric! Architectural Fabric Structures are fast becoming a very common and visible part of the built environment. No longer used for garden parties and traveling circuses, these structures come in many new forms and uses.

Fabric structures are being designed for as few as one person as in a boutique resort hotel in the outback of Australia, to covering 50,000 plus at the Super Bowl in Houston, Texas. Fabric Structures are now also being designed to cover animals as well like at Seaworld, Orlando where these structures cover dolphins to prevent them from sun burn (they get sun burn too?). And let's not forget Man's newest best friend, the automobile. More and more, the automobile has taken center stage where valet parking attendants, airport parking owners and car dealers are discovering the advantages of covering automobiles.

Fabric Structures are beings used as roofs, sails, walls, lights, shades and even signs. With all these different uses and forms, there are a variety of materials to choose from depending on one's needs, budget and design.

The best way to determine which material to use is to see what has already been used for the building type you are considering.

If you are interested in structures such as tents or umbrellas where the main objective is to provide temporary, nomadic shelter, you are probably looking at vinyl laminated or coated polyester.

If you are researching awnings and canopies, the options are endless. You are most likely to hear words like acrylic canvas and backlit fabrics and materials which you can apply graphics to.

If shade is your primary concern, the buzz word is structural mesh, high density polyethylene (HDPE), perforations and percentage of light transmission.

For warehousing, industrial applications and temporary buildings, a common term may be clear spans or pre-engineered fabric building with materials that are mold and mildew resistant like polyolefin.

The interior and lighting industry have their own variety of fabrics where flame resistance, UL ratings and percentage of reflectance are the most important issues.

Air and Tension Fabric Structures rely heavily on the fabric's structural characteristics so tensile strength, sound absorption and solar transmission play a major role in their selection.

So, What material do you use?

Is your project near the water? Is it meant to last 20 years? Do you want to see it from afar or do you want it to be dark inside at noon? These are all important questions one should answer before you even start. Fabric Structures have very few components. In most cases, it is just steel, fabric, cables and hardware. The choice for each component will most certainly affect the others. Other issues include: span, size, availability, cost, codes, etc.

In most States, permanent, totally enclosed structures require a "non combustible" or Class A/B rating according to Building Codes. The most recognized and accepted material used for Architectural Applications is Teflon Coated Fiberglass or PTFE.

Recognized manufacturers include Saint Gobain, Verseidag, FiberTech and Taconic. Teflon comes to the site brown like a pair of khakis but bleaches to a milky white over time (usually 4-8 weeks). The biggest problem with Teflon is that it is stiff and brittle and must be handled very carefully to avoid breaking the fibers. The best part is its life span (25+ years) and its "self cleaning" attributes.

Other "non combustible" materials include Silicon Coated Fiberglass, Gore Brand Tenara Architectural Fabrics and Ethylene tetra ethylene or ETFE.

Silicon has been out on the market for quite some time. Unlike Teflon coated fiberglass which can be heat welded, Silicon must be glued with a special adhesive. The advantage of silicon over Teflon is its translucency, cost and availability of colors. Gore Brand Tenara is also in the "non combustible category". Its advantages include its high translucency, long life span and it is more pliable than silicon or Teflon so it can be used for retractable structures.

ETFE is not really a fabric but a film presently being promoted as an alternative to structural glass. It is "green" friendly and is the new hot material to Architects world wide today. It is being used in FIFA Stadiums in Germany, the Olympic Games in China, being specified for commerical buildings and retail and the choice for creating artificial rainforests for zoos and Science Centers.

The majority of fabric structures being considered today are for uses which do not require complete enclosure. That means, they are most likely "open air" or do not require a Class A rating. Class C is the most common rating and NFPA 701 is the most accepted certificate for most Fire Marshals. Vinyl coated polyester (PVC) is the most common material used on the market today.

What's not to like. The material comes in a variety of colors, strengths, weights, thickness, perforations, translucency and textures. The material is pliable and stretches quite nicely. You can find material with 10, 12 and even 15 year warranties. You can find material that is 50 to 100" wide so you can have few, fewer or the fewest amounts of seams.

Manufacturers include Ferrari, Mehler, Naizil, Seaman and Verseidag, to name a few. These are the names most seen on Specifications, which means that these companies are directly marketing and assisting the Architect in the early stages of the design.

PVC comes in a variety of top finishes: acrylic, PVDF and PVF film. There is much debate about top finishes but all manufacturers agree that they are needed to protect the base fabric from UV degradation, water and wind. Frankly, it's all about the coatings. PVF is a film applied to the main fabric while acrylic and PVDF are coatings. Both PVF and PVDF claim to be "self cleaning" or provide the base material with a much cleaner and maintenance free surface but both require additional work in the shop which may be unknown to the Architect. Both top of the line PVF and PVDF require that the top coat or film where two panels are to meet be grinded off in order for them to be RF welded. This is time consuming and requires great care in order to keep the seams clear of dirt, model and mildew. There are "weldable" PVDF but their warranties are not as long as the high tech top coats.PVC Structures love graphics and provide a great backdrop for projected images.

Today, more and more fabric structures are being designed for shade only. Structural mesh and perforated fabrics are being specified because of the need for shade, the need to allow the elements to go through the material and the need for a space to "see thru and be seen". The material most often used is high density polyethylene (HDPE). Manufacturers include Multiknit, Coolaroo and Shadetex. This material is a higher grade mesh than what one would see at a home improvement warehouse or at an outdoor furniture store. HDPE is used for playgrounds, areas requiring hail protection, schools, day care centers as well as theme parks and spaces of public assembly. Mesh is hot so you can stay cool. Mesh comes in colors, fire rated and with different perforations. It has a life span of 8-10 years and in most cases lowers the size and loads on the structural system and foundations because it takes less wind.

If you want to keep it simple, then work with materials which do not rely on their structural characteristics for its stability. These materials are usually clad on a frame. The materials are usually vinyl laminated polyester, acrylic coated canvas, and materials with a light topcoat. Sunbrella is a common brand name. The material has less technical information available for applying them to fully engineered lightweight structures but when used as a cladding on a frame, they offer many opportunities to the Architect. One can apply graphics to the material, bring texture to the surface or make something truly unique.

If you want to look at materials for interior application, look no further than the industrial fabric industry and Theatrical Drapery. There are lightweight PTFE materials used for ceilings in dome stadiums, PVC fabrics are used for interior tensioned fabric sculptures while theatrical drapery materials from companies like Rosebrand and Dazian are used for a softer look. Spandex/Lycra is another common material used for transforming temporary and permanent spaces but require the material be fire treated prior to fabrication.

Lastly, it doesn't hurt to dream about the future of architectural fabrics. The wish list would include "Smart" fabrics, fabrics that change color according to weather, light or mood. Fabrics made with optic and photovoltaic fibers, materials with longer life spans, higher tensile strength, improved self cleaning, higher translucency and environmentally friendly.

The future of Architectural Fabric Structures depends on the continuing effort of manufacturers to improve its existing products and to introduce new materials.

Samuel J. Armijos, AIA is Vice President of USA Shade and Fabric Structures and author of Fabric Architecture: Resources for shade, signage and shelter. He resides in Fairfield, NJ with his wife and two children. http://www.fabricarchitect.com

Eureka Tetragon 5 Adventure 7- by 5-Foot Two-Person Tent

Eureka! Tetragon Tents are ready to tackle the rugged outdoors! This popular Tetragon series offers exceptional value for car camping, base camp or 3-season backpacking. With side windows for venting, clear windows (one on each side) in the fly, built-in mud mat and hinged gear loft organizer, these are far superior to ordinary dome tents. It's got it all: Self-supporting, 2-pole dome design for fast and easy set-up; Hooded fly front and rear permits venting in any weather; Zippered roof vent for increased air circulation; Side opening door for easy entry; Clips quickly and easily attach tent to frame sections; Sewn-in floor; Walls and floor: 70-denier nylon taffeta; Fly: 75-denier StormShield polyester; Netting: 40-denier no-see-um mesh; Poles: 7.9 mm (Tet. 5) Make your camping experience an enjoyable one! Order Today! Please Note: This item is shipped directly from the factory. Please allow an extra 2-4 weeks for delivery... sorry no express shipping available. We are unable to ship factory direct items to Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Puerto Rico or APO or FPO addresses. Description- Tetragon; Size-7 x 5 x 4' h; Sleeps- 2; Size Packed-5 x 25; Sq. Feet. 35; Weight-6 lbs., 3 ozs. Color-Green Eureka! Tetragon 5 Tent, Green
Customer Review: Great Tent for packpacking for two
I have used this tent on four backpacking trips and it is awesome for the money. It is 1) lightweight 2) very fast to set up 3) very sturdy in moderately high winds 4) reliable zipper, etc. 5) strong poles When alone I can fit my entire backpack and my 6'1" self easily inside (if taller than this you'll need to sleep diagonally). The gear loft overhead is nice, and you can sit up for changing clothes. Have shared it with another person on one winter packpack trip (recently in Shenendoah Nat Park) and there was plenty of room for sleeping for two without being on top of each other. I've been rained on only once, slightly, and it kept me dry. On one backpack trip with 11 people to Mount Mitchell, mine seemed to be the only tent that didn't have condensation all over the top of it in the early AM. I do recommend buying some of the inexpensive aluminum pole stakes at REI or similar, to replace the metal ones it comes with, if you want to save a few ounces more weight. Overall outstanding value.
Customer Review: Tent
Can't complain - I plan to waterproof this tent, but it was very easy to set up (without looking at the instructions) and fits nicely in its carrying bag. It's not the lightest tent, but for short backpacking trips or car camping it should be great. For the price, it's a good deal.

Longboards, funboards, shortboards, fish--there's no good or bad type. The kind of board you ride depends on many things, such as wave conditions and your size, stance, experience, and physical fitness.

Shortboards

There are several kinds of shortboards but the most familiar is the thruster. The standard design is tri-fin with a narrow nose and tail, and under 7 feet. These boards can't be beat for high performance surfing. Great for tricks and fast entries into quick breaking waves, this is what most people want to ride if they can. After spending a few years on the "big" boards, getting into better shape and learning how to judge waves, I got a 6' 8" thruster. This board really opened up surfing for me. Not only was it easier to transport (I could chuck it in the back of the car), but I could get into a lot more waves than before.

Longboards

These are surfboards over 9 feet. Longboards are what most surfers start out on. It's what I learned on. Some surfers don't ever leave them. If you're fortunate enough to surf long enough, it's probably what you'll end up on. My first surfboard was a 9' 6". I surfed it at the same beach for a year and half. My second board was a 9-foot Pearson Arrow and a little more narrow. I used it for several years even while trying other types of boards. You can't beat a longboard for paddle and glide. If I jump on a longboard now I feel like I'm sailing after a few strokes. But longboards don't make as fast an entry as something shorter. I got tired of watching shorter boards get most of the rides on certain days while my longboard crashed into my head/chest/other body part. I needed a smaller board for those conditions.

Funboards, Eggs, Hybrids

Endless Internet threads debate what to call these, but to me these surfboards are just mini-longboards. Their shape is similar to a longboard and they're usually between 7 and 9 feet. I had a couple of these, one was an epoxy and the other was so mangled it became a decoration in my backyard. For me these made good transitional boards to shortboards. I prematurely made the switch from the 9-foot longboard I mentioned earlier to a 6' 10" thruster, and it didn't work so well for me. I ended using an 8-foot funboard most of the time.

Fishboards

Shorter even than many shortboards, most fishboards are under 6 feet. These are my favorite surfboards. I have a couple of them. One is a 5' 11" twinzer fish that I surf when it's small and the entry's not too fast. The other is a 5' 9" quad fish, with a shape somewhere between a thruster and a fish. It's the best, most versatile board I've ever had. It's not as high performance as your hotshot 6' 2" thruster, but it paddles better and I can't do those really fancy tricks anyway. I have not yet tried and epoxy (lighter and stronger surfboard construction) fish. I have tried other epoxy boards and wasn't thrilled by the feel of them but I think it might work for a fish.

Guns

These are long boards....sometimes up to 12 ft, with narrow noses and tails. They're for big 15+ foot waves and not for me - no thanks. I'll take 6 foot and clean, no matter how many co-workers/relatives/strangers ask me if I surf Mavericks. If you're crazy enough, these boards are for you.

For more information about surfing visit http://www.surfingcal.com Northern California based website with equipment guide, blog, surf report, and more.