Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Home-made wall tent frames?

I think I'm going to buy one of these for elk camp this year. I need to do something, because my normal provider's tent is ruined, and I either need to get a tent myself, share a small camper with a grouchy guy for a week, or impose on the other tent in camp which would make for a very crowded tent. Anyway, here's the one I think I want, because I can get one for as little as $319 for a 10x12' tent:

https://www.reliabletent.com/index.cfm?page=detail&Product_ID=89&CATID=9


And I'm thinking, I know that people make a large variety of their own frames for wall tents, all the way from external frames that they cut from wood poles on-site, to electrical conduit frames. I would LOVE to hear about, and especially see pictures of, any and all homemade wall tent frames that you have been around!

Thank you, 'Fire!

-jeff

Jeff,

My Dad and I bought a 12x14 from Reliable 2 years ago. We are satisfied with the tent. We also bought a angle kit from them at the same time. The frame is very easy to build. We were given a bunch of 1 1/4" EMT. All we had to do was make some nipples out of 1"EMT. If you can run a tape measure and a hack saw, or cut off saw you can build a frame. The kit comes with a set of measurements that shows what lenghts to make the cuts. We found the measurments were on the long side and had to make several adjustments.

One thing you might want to consider is haveing the stove jack put into the side of your tent instead of the top. It makes putting a tarp on the roof simpler and keeps more of the sparks off the roof also.

I will add a photo later tonite.

No pix, but my hunting partner, who is way handier than me, built his own frame out of chain link fence posts tubing and welded together his own brackets. It usually doesn't get set up too far from a truck bed so weight isn't really an issue.

If you make your own brackets, put a hook or eye under the bottom of the ridge brackets. You can never have too many places to hang things in a wall tent, especially if the weather is miserable.

It has an extra rib out front (punching 3 holes in the front of the tent was necessary for that) so when you cover the whole works with a tarp you create an awning with that extra rib. Back a small flatbed trailer partway into that awning and it makes a near-perfect cooking setup.

We use a kerosene heater and don't fool with a woodstove. So far no ill effects or dain bramage from CO poisoning.

SD

I didn't realize that they'd sell an angle kit; I'll go look at that!

I think I'd prefer a woodstove just because cutting the firewood is one of my main jobs at camp, because I'm good at it since I cut/split 4 cords a year for my home. I'd be lost without my main job!

-jeff

Jeff, I order the angles $180 and bought the EMT conduit here $140. it took me and hour and a half to cut the EMT and put the tent up.
I put it together to day. If you want my old 2x4 frame you can have it, if you can come get it. It was for a 12x15. or I can draw up the plans and email them to ya.

you need 4 2x4 and 2x2 for the sides. I'll take some pic's of the old frame and post them.

Geez... (smacking my forehead)... didn't even occur to me that I could bang together a frame out of 2x4's! I've built a couple entire buildings... that would be a piece of cake.

Hmmmm....

I need to price the conduit. Angle kits at around $150 shipped, then $140 for conduit... gets pretty close to just buying a frame for $379, which is what it would cost...

2x4's, though. I like it! Those cost two bucks a piece right now. I could make it so it all bolted together for probably 50 bucks. 2x6 ridge beam. My mind is working!

Thanks!

-jeff

Here is a photo of my 12x14 on a late season elk hunt at 6000' typical dry weather, but you never know. Overnight temps near 10 and daytime near 60.

I used chainlink fence pipe. If you look closely, you can see the way it is connected on the ends of the ridge pole. By strategically cutting the pipe, I was able to use the slip- fit connections to make all the pipes short enough to lay in the bed of a pickup truck. This frame is 18 or so years old. It has never blown down or collapsed.

In heavy snow. I will cut a extra pole out of a lodgepole and stick it in the middle of the ridge pole to carry the extra snow load. I then toss it at the end of the trip.

2x4s are not a great way to go. They don't last too well, are bulky and not nearly as strong as steel pipe. you don't need angles- the tent will hold it's shape fine if you cut the poles the proper length.

I used 10 1/2" EMT conduits for the side walls.

Dennis


[img][IMG]http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i21/dennisinaz/tentcampcropped.jpg[/img][/img]

the frame I have you can hinge the riser on the end and raise the tent up in a couple of minutes. use 2 3"x24"x 1/8 plate to splice the ridge together.

cut 4 piece of plate in an L., bolt the riser with 2 bolts and put 1 bolt in the ridge so it will work like a hinge. the ridge will set on the raiser. I'll send you Pic's

I like dennis sys. it lighter than 2x4's and with a 10 x 12 you can stick a T in the center and only have to deal with 6" lenghts.

I'm getting ready to build an internal frame for my tent so I'm going to get rid of my ridge pole set up. If ya want it and are willing to come get it you can have it. The ridge pole is made up of 5 foot steel sections that slide together, I also have the 5 foot stakes for the walls. Let me know.

ou812,

Reading this after the PM you sent.

I may indeed want to bust up there and get that! Albany is close by. Let me see what happens in the next few days here, what I order etc.

Thank you!

-jeff

Jeff,

You might look on craigslist. There was a small wall tent with a frame for $400.00 on the Portland site.

FWIW I have both an internal aluminum frame from Beckel and a home made chainlink fence center pole with wood side poles for my 12x14.

I rarely use the aluminum frame any longer as it is so much easier to set the tent up by yourself with the ridgepole version. The ridgepole version goes up a lot better in high winds also. Bent the heck out of my frame one night trying to set it up to dry it.

My frame doesn't have the locking pins like Reliables setups so I have to tape the pole sections together when I am assembling it. Tedious

Davis Tent and Awning sells the pole sets made out of metal tubing with the side poles for less than $200.00. I bought a Beckel 15x17 tent this year and I am ordering a Davis pole set for it.

I went through my pics but didn't have any good ones. My old man goes a little overboard and obscures most of the tent with his cook shack.

[img][IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/MHWASH/Elk2005017.jpg[/img][/img]

We use a 14X14X5 tent with 5' of extra interior space PVC tarped in completey with framed plywood door on the front.
14X19X5 makes for plenty of room for 4 guys for extended stays.
The frame is .75" square metal tubing sleeved into welded 1" square tubing unions.
Big heavy camp that only sees action setup with truck access but extremely comfy when the temp drops.RB

Here are a few links in my library from when I was looking at PVC and steel pipe frames for a shelter. Lots of folks simply use the (gawd aweful) poly tarps lashed to one of these type frames:

http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/pvc.shtml

http://www.creativeshelters.com/

I've seen some pretty cool ones out in the stix from simple 1" PVC and no special connectors. I don't have any pix tho.


MM

Those angles on the Creative Shelters site are the BEST!!! Note the eye bolts that anchor the pipe so the frame is very, very easy for one man to put up a big tent.

Also, you can hang stuff such as a clothesline, etc., from the eye bolts. Very useful!

I used the eye bolt angles (from another mfg.) for several years on my 14'x16'x5' Colorado Tent Co. tent, and it was a very, very easy job to put up the tent and take it down. I used one inch EMT. Never had a problem with support in some pretty heavy snowstorms.

My angles cost more than those on the Creative Shelter site, but I bought from a big outfitter supply place.

FWIW.

L.W.

The angle type frames are cleaner looking, but I have found them MUCH harder to set up than the 3-pole method that I use. My neighbor, who has more than enough money to buy what he wants, bought several Cabelas wall tents and their frames. They are tedious to set up IMHO.

Worked fine once up, but did sag some- I can make mine as tight as I want by shimming just two poles. You can't do that with the frame type-

dennisaz... how exactly does the 3-pole setup work? I'm still trying to figure out if I need to order an internal frame for my new wall tent... my motto is, whatever is cheapest AND best!

-jeff

Jeff, I bought a tent from RDBussard in Albany last year.
They have some nifty frame angles that work with 1" EMT. The angles are $10-12 each for 3way / 4way. I think I spent about $110 for all the angles for my 12x15 tent, spacing rafters and sides at 5' intervals. The thing I lke about them is that each leg of the frame angles has an eye bolt/nut welded to it. These can be tightened as you slide the EMT into them. Keeps the frame from coming apart as you assemble it, but also gives you a bunch of places to hang things from. It also allows some adjustment of the frame members if you want to tighten it up or adjust leg lengths on uneven ground.

8 BALL - "They have some nifty frame angles that work with 1" EMT. The angles are $10-12 each for 3way / 4way. I think I spent about $110 for all the angles for my 12x15 tent, spacing rafters and sides at 5' intervals. The thing I lke about them is that each leg of the frame angles has an eye bolt/nut welded to it. These can be tightened as you slide the EMT into them. Keeps the frame from coming apart as you assemble it, but also gives you a bunch of places to hang things from. It also allows some adjustment of the frame members if you want to tighten it up or adjust leg lengths on uneven ground."

Yep! That's why I said those angles with eyebolts from creativeshelters.com are outstanding. And they are very reasonable in price, too.

L.W.