Box truck shade structure ideas

[MyDearFriend]

Tamara & Ken made a drive-through Monkey Hut for their Airstream, I can't remember if she posted pictures here or just on facebook, but it looks real good. Monkey Hut is tried and true wind-proof shade. And I can personally assure you that the connectors and tarp for a 25-foot hut will fit in a standard army surplus duffel bag. The long sections of PVC can be pre-ordered for pick up at the big-box home stores. The only headache I had doing a Monkey Hut long distance was with the rebar stakes. If you can sort those somehow then the rest is real easy.

[illy dilly]

Tamara & Ken made a drive-through Monkey Hut for their Airstream, I can't remember if she posted pictures here or just on facebook, but it looks real good. Monkey Hut is tried and true wind-proof shade. And I can personally assure you that the connectors and tarp for a 25-foot hut will fit in a standard army surplus duffel bag. The long sections of PVC can be pre-ordered for pick up at the big-box home stores. The only headache I had doing a Monkey Hut long distance was with the rebar stakes. If you can sort those somehow then the rest is real easy.

A monkey hut for a box truck would have to be very very very tall, but do-able.
Sorta like one of these

[junglesmacks]

Tamara & Ken made a drive-through Monkey Hut for their Airstream, I can't remember if she posted pictures here or just on facebook, but it looks real good. Monkey Hut is tried and true wind-proof shade. And I can personally assure you that the connectors and tarp for a 25-foot hut will fit in a standard army surplus duffel bag. The long sections of PVC can be pre-ordered for pick up at the big-box home stores. The only headache I had doing a Monkey Hut long distance was with the rebar stakes. If you can sort those somehow then the rest is real easy.

A monkey hut for a box truck would have to be very very very tall, but do-able.
Sorta like one of these

THAT WOULD BE SICK


Illy.. to answer you before.. I need to make it luggage check-able because I'm flying in as you know, and don't want to have to find someone each year that is willing to lug it back and forth to the play for me. Radical self-reliance and all.

I'm liking the idea of a large reflective tarp with something on top of the truck. Depending on the available space around the truck, I could use rebar or ground augers to secure it and leave a shade space underneath as well. I like the pallet idea as you can find them for free if you look hard enough or for a low price.. then burn after. Pool noodles with PVC in the middle may work as well. In any case, that would be the direction I'm going in believe..

Now.. if I was driving in, I would lovvvvvvve to build a more sturdy structure like the picture..

PS.. nice boat in the picture. If the stripe on the side was aqua, it would look just like mine..

[illy dilly]

PS.. nice boat in the picture. If the stripe on the side was aqua, it would look just like mine..

Let me start by saying.... You fucker!

Illy.. to answer you before.. I need to make it luggage check-able because I'm flying in as you know, and don't want to have to find someone each year that is willing to lug it back and forth to the play for me. Radical self-reliance and all.

As for the rebar steaks, I wouldn't mind trucking those for you this year. I'd say, play the the steak by ear each year.
Then all you really need is tarp and rope.
Both are relatively light and packable.

What to put on top of the truck is the question. Pallets would work fine. But there has to be something that would be easier to find and ideally, something that would have another purpose between Reno and BRC and then again BRC to Reno.

Maybe even, card board boxes from a liqour store. They are typically pretty sturdy boxes. And would give plenty of space between the top of the truck and the tarp. Closer to the 6-12 inches per FJ's suggestion. They could be used to haul food to the playa, then unpacked.

Then again, there are about 9 months to nail this down.
At some point something is going to be glaringly obvious!

[ibdave]

I was going to say stick with the blow up ball idea( only inflate 1/2-3/4) this will give ya the air gap you seek. Inner tubes work great also. We (back in the young day) would cover the ski boat and then use wooden ribs that were cut just long and then attached on onside then push up to make the tarp tight. So a smaller version of the monkey hut ribbing could work just right. (note: good tape) So if the box is 10' wide it might need a 12' length to get the air gap ya need.


(just back from the dentist, if not making sense, fuck yer day)

another thing. If I was going this year (not going tho) I'd bring ya the PVC you would need. Just like any other fucker on the page... ask...
well maybe not bob because we still don't know what bob is...

Had a figjam cooler in camp and worked great and I'm sure the components could be brought to the Playa for ya...

the cool part is your showing the burgins it's NEVER to early to start planning..

[mudpuppy000]

What to put on top of the truck is the question. Pallets would work fine. But there has to be something that would be easier to find and ideally, something that would have another purpose between Reno and BRC and then again BRC to Reno.

How about those 5 gallon buckets from home depot. Or some cheap-o storage containers might work too.

[junglesmacks]

How about those 5 gallon buckets from home depot. Or some cheap-o storage containers might work too.

Ooo. I like that idea. Durable and nice size. I think i could maybe get away with only two.. one at each end..?

[Bob]

Three. Supporting a 2x4.

This is something you can and probably should try at home, you know.

[illy dilly]

How about those 5 gallon buckets from home depot. Or some cheap-o storage containers might work too.

Ooo. I like that idea. Durable and nice size. I think i could maybe get away with only two.. one at each end..?

I was thinking 4, one at each corner with something on top of them like rope or a 2x4.
Then I read this...

Three. Supporting a 2x4.

This is something you can and probably should try at home, you know.

I'm assuming Bob means like a ridge joist, which could work wonderfully... And even better than a flat top if it does rain again.

The more I think about this, it seems like a great idea. You could even do 3 cinder blocks, then lay the 2x4 on top, and just tip tie the 2x4 to the blocks. Shit, even a piece of PVC would work instead of a 2x4.

[cassiepea]

Ok.. time to start the planning for what I feel is the major gap with the box truck idea: Shade.

Every day between 11am-6pm, the truck is borderline uninhabitable due to primarily the heating of the sheet metal roof. The sides of the truck are fiberglass and are not nearly as much of an issue as the roof which heats to a point of hundreds of degrees and radiates it back inside the truck making it a complete oven.

What I would like to create is a shade structure that is semi-easy to deploy but also.. and here is the catch.. able to be transported via checked baggage on the plane.

My thought is to use some type of PVC/conduit piping as the frame and have the pieces ready to snap together on playa, then bundled up for flying. I could either carry the tarps separate in the suitcase or wrap them around the pieces. This would mean that the total frame assembly could not take up more than 62 linear inches and weigh no more than 70 lbs.

The total area that I need to frame would be the cargo area of a 16' box truck as pictured below.

The box dimensions are: 11' 6" clearance, 7' 5" wide, 16' long.

How did this work out? I'm planning something similar and would love some input from OP or anyone else who shades their box truck

[oly14]

I built a shade structure last year for a similar sized truck as the OP's. My shade was anything but airplane portable though. I used fence rail to build a 'box' around the truck and planned to cover the top, front and one side with shade cloth (I was worried about the wind load on 30' long tarps; didn't want to buy a bunch of 10 footers).

Unfortunately, my camp didn't save a spot for me to park east-west so I ended up with only one side partially covered with the shade cloth. As I suspected, I needed help putting the thing up. I had an 8' ladder and did a test build before I got to the playa. Even so, 10' sticks of fence rail are unwieldy and the thing was wobbly as it went up. The shade cloth also caught a surprising amount of wind. Despite being ratchet strapped to the truck, the structure still 'flexed' in the wind. Not sure what I'm going to do this year. Despite helping with the heat in the box, I'm not sure I'm up for the assembly/disassembly time.

I'll see if I can find pictures.

[Drawingablank]

I don't cover mine and generally don't find the heat to be an issue as long as the door is open during the day allowing the heated air to escape. Since the ruck is substantially taller than me and the hot air rises I find it rarely gets unbearably warm with the door open, but your mileage may vary.

[junglesmacks]

Ok.. time to start the planning for what I feel is the major gap with the box truck idea: Shade.

Every day between 11am-6pm, the truck is borderline uninhabitable due to primarily the heating of the sheet metal roof. The sides of the truck are fiberglass and are not nearly as much of an issue as the roof which heats to a point of hundreds of degrees and radiates it back inside the truck making it a complete oven.

What I would like to create is a shade structure that is semi-easy to deploy but also.. and here is the catch.. able to be transported via checked baggage on the plane.

My thought is to use some type of PVC/conduit piping as the frame and have the pieces ready to snap together on playa, then bundled up for flying. I could either carry the tarps separate in the suitcase or wrap them around the pieces. This would mean that the total frame assembly could not take up more than 62 linear inches and weigh no more than 70 lbs.

The total area that I need to frame would be the cargo area of a 16' box truck as pictured below.

The box dimensions are: 11' 6" clearance, 7' 5" wide, 16' long.

How did this work out? I'm planning something similar and would love some input from OP or anyone else who shades their box truck

Honestly, it didn't lower the temp but maybe a couple of degrees and was way more of a hassle than it was worth. No matter what you do, you won't want to be hanging out inside the truck during the day. There really is no way of escaping that without some serious work! However.. that's when you go find a shade structure, hammock or just anything else to do besides sit inside a box truck at 2pm at Burning Man.

I never found it to be a problem. It was fine and comfy when I needed it to be which is bed time

[Just_Joe]

Well look who's back,
Coming this year?

[cassiepea]

Ok.. time to start the planning for what I feel is the major gap with the box truck idea: Shade.

Every day between 11am-6pm, the truck is borderline uninhabitable due to primarily the heating of the sheet metal roof. The sides of the truck are fiberglass and are not nearly as much of an issue as the roof which heats to a point of hundreds of degrees and radiates it back inside the truck making it a complete oven.

What I would like to create is a shade structure that is semi-easy to deploy but also.. and here is the catch.. able to be transported via checked baggage on the plane.

My thought is to use some type of PVC/conduit piping as the frame and have the pieces ready to snap together on playa, then bundled up for flying. I could either carry the tarps separate in the suitcase or wrap them around the pieces. This would mean that the total frame assembly could not take up more than 62 linear inches and weigh no more than 70 lbs.

The total area that I need to frame would be the cargo area of a 16' box truck as pictured below.

The box dimensions are: 11' 6" clearance, 7' 5" wide, 16' long.

How did this work out? I'm planning something similar and would love some input from OP or anyone else who shades their box truck

Honestly, it didn't lower the temp but maybe a couple of degrees and was way more of a hassle than it was worth. No matter what you do, you won't want to be hanging out inside the truck during the day. There really is no way of escaping that without some serious work! However.. that's when you go find a shade structure, hammock or just anything else to do besides sit inside a box truck at 2pm at Burning Man.

I never found it to be a problem. It was fine and comfy when I needed it to be which is bed time

Thanks for the feedback Had already decided to scrap the idea but this just confirms. Since I'm flying in I am not able to build out a plywood back for the box truck, but we are planning to build (and send with a friend driving an RV) a Uni-Cooler. As of right now the plan is to build the cooler to sit on the step into the truck, seal the entire back with 6 mil poly sheeting and have the fan for the cooler blow through a similarly sized hole in the sheeting (that will be affixed flush with the box); along the top of the sheeting I'm going to make a few vents covered with some kind of filter to allow hot air to get out and hopefully minimal dust to get in; will use a zipper door to get in and out, and at night lower the truck door. The poly won't provide any insulation but I want to build a cooler anyway so we're going to give it a shot, maybe will beef up the sheeting with bubble insulation. I'm not expecting amazing results by using this method but figure if a swamp cooler can cool a tent with no insulation this may work?

Our friends have an RV so we'll have a backup for cool space during the day if need be,

[gooch]

Please, critique my design. (Careful what I wish for?)

Problem: shade / cool a 26' box truck

Shade materials:
1 x 20'x30' silver tarps
6 x 5 gallon buckets
3 x 1" ratchet straps
Extra cord
bungee balls
rebar / lag bolts

Design:
Park truck facing east/west. Secure buckets in a line along the south and north edges of the roof, one every 8.66 feet. Each pair of buckets gets one ratchet strap over the top going north-south and secured to the rigging beneath the box. File / cut a groove in the bucket to seat the ratchet strap. Drape tarp over the bucket / ratchet strap roof. Secure the tarp to the north side of the box via undercarriage rigging. Guy out the south side to create shade on that aspect, cord + trucker's hitch secured to rebar / lag bolts.

Doubts:
Will a ratchet strap prevent the bucket from sliding around in the wind?
What to do with the 4' of tarp hanging off the end?

Potential Modifications:
Use two overlapping 15' x 20' tarps (overlap so that there's less extra tarp hanging off the edges?
Cut slits in tarp to allow wind to pass through more easily?

Cooling materials:
1 solar attic fan to vent out hot air
1 endless breeze swamp cooler
(see other threads for discussions on swamp coolers)
Cut old RMax sheets to create a "door" / seal at the back of the box. Vent / cooler connect to Rmax wall.

[oly14]

I tried something similar with PVC mounted on 2x4's and it wasn't wind that an issue as much as the weight of the tarp (I actually used shade cloth to reduce wind load). Cinching the tarps down pushed the tarp stand offs (the buckets for your design) toward the middle of the truck. I think your plan will work if you put something between the buckets to prevent them from moving toward the middle of the truck roof.

[gooch]

I tried something similar with PVC mounted on 2x4's and it wasn't wind that an issue as much as the weight of the tarp (I actually used shade cloth to reduce wind load). Cinching the tarps down pushed the tarp stand offs (the buckets for your design) toward the middle of the truck. I think your plan will work if you put something between the buckets to prevent them from moving toward the middle of the truck roof.

Thanks for that. I was thinking maybe a couple of 2x4s would do the trick.

[Token]

one every 8.66 feet.

So that tarp gets 8+ feet unsupported to sag and flap in the wind?

That looks like the deal killer.

[Token]

BTW, you can put 6 R-max sheets on the roof, Reflectix over pool noodles on the side facing the sun and use stucco tape.

Done. Yo will have radiant shields and ~ R6 insulation where it’s needed most.

No ropes, straps, sails, noise...

[gooch]

Not a bad thought, Token. I could cash in my old yurt and save a lot of cost. Any thoughts on securing the rmax to the box roof? Will stucco tape really hold?

[Token]

Not a bad thought, Token. I could cash in my old yurt and save a lot of cost. Any thoughts on securing the rmax to the box roof? Will stucco tape really hold?

Should hold if you tape the edges that would catch the wind. It’s stronger than painters tape but also comes off clean up to 14 days.

You can always toss a strap or few over it for peace of mind. If strapping use a 2x4 or few to spread the load.