HexaYurts

[lucky420]

Try goodbuyguys.com

[maladroit]

Yeah, that ULINE price is PER ROLL. Not even remotely a good deal, sorry.

And no...don't cut your panels into 2x4 foot sections. It'll be a disaster.

I have a 4x8 foot trailer, or could build a roof rack for my hexayurt in a pinch, but at 1700 miles I would give up the hexayurt. My first year, I camped in a six-man tent under an oversized monkeyhut and while not quite as luxurious as the hexayurt, it was comfortable enough. And all of my gear (monkeyhut, tent, water, food, cooler, deep cycle batteries, solar panel, folding table, plywood loveseat, lighting, clothes, air mattress, blankets, sleeping bag, tools, rebar, rope, ground tarp, folding chair) fit completely within my Cherokee. The bike was mounted on a hitch rack. There was even enough room to bring a hitchhiker back from the playa with all her gear.

[Elderberry]

I noticed in the Amazon link that the company that sells that tape there is also the one we buy from direct: http://www.findtape.com They sell it on their site for $28.99

http://www.findtape.com/product328/JVCC ... dx=0&tid=0

[rideincircles]

This presents the challenge of, how do you fit a hexayurt into a van? It seems possible. Challenging, but not impossible.

What else besides tape can be used in construction for reinforcement? All the outside panels would be vertical I assume, and something would be needed to brace it. I was thinking thin horizontal strips along the boards clamped together with bolts along the sides. The top panels would probably need to be cut the upper half somewhere. It may need a plywood ring brace.

I would plan on removing all the seats from the van also, but It seems like 4 x 4 foot panels would be too big, or have to be diagonal. Unless I find a cheap reliable van, I will probably have to rent one.

Is 1" boards fine, or is 2" the norm?

[lucky420]

1" panels are the norm. You can stack all your panels together wrap the whole shebang with shrink wrap and stap it to the top of the van with ratchet straps. I've done this and strapped it to the top of an 89' landcruiser. Use enough straps so that all sides are nice and tight so you don't end up with a "sail". When strapping down on top of rmax use a peice od folded cardboard where straps sit on panels elsewise straps will cut into panels somewhat...


Wala...

[rideincircles]

Since I plan on renting a van, I am not sure if it will have a roof rack to strap anything too. Would 1700 miles of driving present any issues to the boards strapped on the van with no supports? I am hoping against having to do that. Gas mileage and blending into normal traffic are 2 main reasons, but I am not ruling it out. I just don't know what vehicle I will be taking there and may not know until I have it the day before I leave.

With that said, I am still leaning towards being able to make it fit in the van, I am just debating on the best way to brace the sides. I plan on measuring the back of my uncles caravan to see how much space it has after removing all the seats so I know what is possible.

If the side panels were made foldable in 2 x 4 foot sections, and could be supported with a horizontal brace at the top and bottom, is that feasible? I am guessing bolts would be needed to clamp a thin strip of plywood on both sides (1/4" x 2" x 7'6", 4 per panel). It could also be bolted to interior corner pieces which could aid in construction. I am guessing the roof panels would be able to fit inside the van by angling them and cutting off the top pieces and may need similar supports. This may make construction more of a pain, but is not impossible

What are the main reasons to avoid making it fit inside a van? I know it would require a lot of up front work and probably a bunch of extra tape. But otherwise if it is all precut and ready to go, I don't see too many issues.

I will model the idea in 3-d shortly. I consider this a solvable challenge.

Also, what tape is recommended for the edges?

[lucky420]

i do not have roof racks on my old landcruiser. I ratchet strapped them to the vehicle (like under the wheel wells). And i bet you have alot more surface space on top of that van than I do on my old landcruiser. Ive got a pic on here somewhere, I'll see if i can find it and post it

[lucky420]

i do not have roof racks on my old landcruiser. I ratchet strapped them to the vehicle (like under the wheel wells). And i bet you have alot more surface space on top of that van than I do on my old landcruiser. Ive got a pic on here somewhere, I'll see if i can find it and post it

ok I found the pic! it's in this thread on page 22. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. tada!

[maladroit]

The biggest problems with cutting it into 2x4 foot sections...

• It will use up more than half of your van
• It's a massive amount of extra work, especially trying to do strips of plywood and bolts etc
• Most importantly, it will no longer be a playa-tested structure, anything could happen

I'd suggest working within the existing knowledge of what works, unless you're prepared to have a backup shelter and to go chasing bits of foam all the way to the trash fence.

Also, what tape is recommended for the edges?

OK...you REALLY need to read all the easily-found guides and discussion about hexayurts first.

[MFOB]

This presents the challenge of, how do you fit a hexayurt into a van? It seems possible. Challenging, but not impossible.

What else besides tape can be used in construction for reinforcement? All the outside panels would be vertical I assume, and something would be needed to brace it. I was thinking thin horizontal strips along the boards clamped together with bolts along the sides. The top panels would probably need to be cut the upper half somewhere. It may need a plywood ring brace.

I would plan on removing all the seats from the van also, but It seems like 4 x 4 foot panels would be too big, or have to be diagonal. Unless I find a cheap reliable van, I will probably have to rent one.

Is 1" boards fine, or is 2" the norm?

You can use 2" x .25" Schedule 40 Angle Iron. Cut each piece and wrap the edges of the 2x4 insulation panels you cut. Then drill 1/2" holes in the angle about every 2-3 inches. Drill 12" into the insulation and epoxy a threaded rod into the RMax and use 2 locking nuts on each rod and a threaded coupler, this way you can attach them to the panel adjacent to it. When you get to the corner where there is a turn, you can use 2" x .25" flat stock and weld it into a 62.5 deg angle. Do the same with these pieces as you did with the angle iron with the holes and such. After you get them bolted together, weld all of the adjacent angles to one another. If you do all this correctly you should have a perfect hexayurt that is structurally sound, wind proof and efficient.
Or rather you can use Doka form sets to construct your panels, use the appropriate amount of walers and strongbacks in this case a 12" spacing would be sufficient. And for ease of use you can use a waler clamp for horizontal support, and either strongback ties or strongback hooks for keeping the hexayurt straight and plumb. If you decide to go with the Doka system you can use their form-tie system, it has a Tie Rod, a Super Plate, a sheath for the rod, a Universal cone. I did a bit of math and for a nominal thickness, you'll only need 189ea 80# bags of your choice of mud. The most important thing to remember is that you must point and patch after you take the forms off or else the dust will get in. So getting a few bags of mortar mix will be just fine. Also make sure you have the correct number of supports to hold the roof structure, sometimes you get settling of the forms after the addition of the mud as it does weight a little bit. I don't think in this case that a footing will be necessary.

The best thing about the above way is it is super easy to put together and super cost effective. Teardown is quite a cumbersome project, but if you use welded wire mesh rather than #4 or #6 @ 6"OC RS you'll have a much easier time with your demolition saw, and wont chew through so many blades.
Good Luck!

[Elderberry]

The beauty of the Hexayurt is in its simplicity.

Take a tent.

[skippy3k]

MFOB, "whaler" and "strongbacks made me giggle, 62.5 degree angles made furrow my brow, but you lost me at "mortar mix".

[MFOB]

Well, here goes nothing.

Mortar mix is the term I simply use for a concrete substance with no aggregate.
We all know what the analogy for concrete is right? Flour is to Bread as Cement is to Concrete. Just had to throw that out there, because I HATE it when people say they ran their car into a Cement Wall, or dropped the fancy ass smartphone on the Cement. Truth is, either one of those would make your car or your FA Smartphone look like it had been on the Playa for days on end. Dusty as all fuck, nawutumseyin?
Concrete is the final product of three things usually. Portland Cement, Water, and aggregates.
After one takes the Doka forms off, the universal cone from the Doka Form-Tie system leaves a shallow indentation in the surface of the substrate. At this point one would repair the surface so that is does not contain and imperfections as stated to the tolerances in the specifications.

This will help, a product that really gets the job done. It would make a Hexayurt look like a fucking Taj Mahal!
http://www.wrmeadows.com/meadow-patch-t ... ir-mortar/

Moral of the story here, is that if you follow the directions exactly, you'll have one hell of a HY. Remember if your Hexa hurts, fix it

Now, you should not be lost on the term any longer. Good Luck!

Word.

[maladroit]

I think MFOB's point is that modifying the hexayurt to make it more complicated will FEEL EXACTLY LIKE that, when you're strung out from driving and surrounded by beautiful chaos.

[MFOB]

Also my point is just as others have said. If you cut it all up into pieces it takes away from the structural integrity that is "the hexayurt" and make it a bunch of pieces of insulation taped together. Would you cut up the studs in a wall of your house to make it fit better on your lot?

I cant fit my HY in a car or van or truck, but I put 1 sheet of 15/32" OSB on each side and a few ratchet straps make it into quite the sandwich of a HY. Then I can strap it to the side, the top, or wherever and it works good.
Don't compromise your living situation because you'll spend a few more bucks on MPG.

[rideincircles]

Noted.

I am leaning towards the mounting it on top of the van idea, but now need to source the panels. I talked to an RMax representative, but she didn't know of anything on hand that I could source for 1" panels other than special ordering 48 of them through Home Depot or Lowes. This is the next issue to solve.

Here is what I was thinking about on my design, but it will probably not be utilized. As mentioned above, it is not playa tested and eats up a lot of interior space and requires more tape and work to put together. The corners are probably not needed, but were added for stability. This seems to be overkill at this point, but pictures are better than words. Bolts would be used to clamp the boards, and it would seem that corner reinforcements would be better at the roof joint than the bottom.

[maladroit]

Sure, it's a great concept...and people have done similar things, creating stronger hexayurts and sheathing them in more permanent materials for year-round living.

You definitely weren't wrong, it's just guaranteed to be a horrible pain on the playa (and your image only reinforces that impression).

Also, you may have better luck working with a dedicated building supply company, rather than one of the big box stores. Find out where the contractors in your area are going, because they sure aren't going to Home Depot.

I'll add that I have 2" wall and 1.5" ceiling panels, and don't regret the decision at all. However, I do have a trailer to carry the significant bulk away from the wind load.

[Elderberry]

Excuse my French,but all that extra work is useless bull shit.We have been bringing the same two room HexaYurt to the playa for at least 5 years now. Never had an issue, never used any of that superfluous extra reinforcement. It is absolutely unnecessary and an affront to the beauty of the design. why are you finding it so necessary to try and build a better mouse trap? The original design has been tested and proven.

[lucky420]

Exactly^^

[rideincircles]

I was just posting my idea rather than banishing it entirely. I plan on going with a standard hexayurt, it was just an idea I threw together for a concept that could fit into a van. Otherwise it is pretty much done at this point. Maybe someone would find it useful for an idea later.

If that concept was put together, the structural instability would most likely be from the sides being taped together. Simple boards were added for lateral reinforcement. The concept wouldn't be terrible if each board was taped to fold into place then unfolded and supported with the braces. I have already been mostly convinced to abandon the idea as it is. It is similar to the idea when building the door, if you cut a hole, you need to leave some area above or below for structural support. The corners are probably unnecessary, but if extra weight from the boards was an issue, that is what they are designed to compensate for. Ultimately it is too much extra work to bother with.

The first article I read about hexayurt was the Haiti article which was the plywood method with supports, so maybe my thinking was skewed from the get go. I was just wanting to avoid having to strap it to whatever vehicle I end up driving to the festival since I have no idea what that will be yet (most likely whatever rental van they give me). I didn't think insulation would hold up very well strapped to the van for 1700 miles (at first), but I have never used shrink wrap which seems to be the best method to keep it intact. I have no intentions of sleeping in a tent at Burning Man, that's what music festivals are for.

[FIGJAM]

Sandwich your panels between 2 sheets if plywood for transport and your worries are over.

[skippy3k]

I have no intentions of sleeping in a tent at Burning Man, that's what music festivals are for.

???

Tents are totally acceptable at BM.

[maladroit]

I even spent two nights in a tent last year. Got a $50 instant 4-man tent, takes no space at all. Roll in at some ungodly hour after 19 hours of driving, you're not in any shape to assemble a hexayurt. Plop the tent down, 15 minutes to open and stake it and throw in the mattress. and get some sleep first. Pack up the hexayurt the night before you leave, then you can wake up early and strike camp, go pee, eat some breakfast, and be on Gate Road in 30 minutes.

It's also a backup plan for various disasters, like an EZ-up shredding the yurt, or forgetting to bring tape.

[AntiM]

I have no intentions of sleeping in a tent at Burning Man, that's what music festivals are for.

???

Tents are totally acceptable at BM.

15 years in a tent under shade. We have had neighbors with yurts, my impression is "what a pain in the ass", they provide no social shade, and they smell funny after a few days. Visually monotonous. No thanks.

I concur, ??? tents are just fine.

[Autumn_in_winter]

Hi All,

Multiple burner, first time hexayurt builder. I am fascinated by the hexayurt idea and would like to expand on it. I found that a stretch yurt is just a little too small while a completely 4x8 panel yurt is just a little bit too big. Additionally I don't want to crawl to enter and exit all the time, so I was hoping to lift it a little to give me some additional head room. Finally, although the traditional hexayurt is strong structurally due to a single peaked roof and simple to build, I wanted something a little different and self expressive. I created this design hoping to get the best of all worlds. In the model below I've angled each edge so each 2" panel edge butts completely for additional strength, with 4x8 panels making up 3 sides, 4x4 panels are 3 of the sides, and the front is about 6' tall. I was planning on aligning the back (shorter) side to the SW allowing wind to move over the domed roof and there will be a quanset hut front porch over the front door for about 10'. I made a cardboard to scale (complete with scale tape width) and it seemed very strong, particularly at the highest point. I know that this will not be as structurally ideal as a traditional hexayurt (Elderberry I'm looking at you) but any feedback would be appreciated. Tear the design apart and sacrifice it to the desert gods if you wish. Also, the red lines are representative of rope showing my idea for staking it down. Thanks much all.

Brady Bear/autumn_in_winter

[maladroit]

There is nothing preventing that top center triangle from twisting and then dumping all the roof panels down into the rest of the yurt.

[Elderberry]

Interesting design goldilocks. It will definitively be a challenge putting it up on the playa.

[Autumn_in_winter]

There is nothing preventing that top center triangle from twisting and then dumping all the roof panels down into the rest of the yurt.

Hmm, duly noted. I suppose keeping the center panel in compression from its 3 corners downward (hanging a light or something) would help keep it stable, and I was relying on tension in the tape on every side to keep it from twisting. Any ideas on how to prevent twisting?

Also I'm planning on pretaping it in modular sections to minimize pain while setting up, but yeah, its not going to be the easiest structure in the world.

[Elderberry]

This will be my last comment on your design. Have you ever built a regular Hexayurt? Post again after you have done your trial build. If you then decide to take it to the playa, post up again.I have never seen the show, but somehow the title seems appropriate here. "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

[Autumn_in_winter]

This will be my last comment on your design. Have you ever built a regular Hexayurt? Post again after you have done your trial build. If you then decide to take it to the playa, post up again.I have never seen the show, but somehow the title seems appropriate here. "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

1. the show is mildly overrated
2. I'll post again and let you know how it goes