Cottage Carport

[sodamo]

Versatube shipped carport from Az to Ca yesterday. No word when it gets on boat to Hawaii.

 

[rScotty]

A month ago in post #10 I saw those Simpliphi batteries....I didn't know what they were then, but just read an article about them. Lithium, but not hazardous. Sounds like your typical remarkable California company & product, plus they are manufactured right there at home in California. That surely is one state that is just chock full of innovative people. I wonder why that is?? How did they get so good? Maybe they'll manufacture a tractor there someday.
rScotty

 

[sodamo]

Well Scotty, have to say really liking the SimpliPhi’s so far. Only run the generator about 10 hours so far due to solar deficit and to be honest I think most of that likely could have been avoided but I’m being conservative in my settings as I learn. I had only taken them down to the 35% level whereas warranty is to 20%.

 

[sodamo]

I queried VersaTube about charging me CA sales tax. Response was pretty much as expected. I politely replied how that seemed to violate their own Terms and Conditions and quoted appropriate section. They refunded me the tax.
I’ll chalk that up to great customer service.

 

[ovrszd]

But, wouldn't great customer service have not taxed you in the first place? Sounds like they simply tax everyone and then refund the ones that complain?

 

[drivesitfar]

Sodamo: it looks like i'm late to discuss design cause sounds like you have the parts being shipped as i'm typing this. I hope it works out well for you and i'm curious how it turns out and how that water storage idea works.

I might have done a slope from front to back and had a gutter with maybe a couple downspouts/pipes heading to the tank if that's where you want all the water to go.

good luck!!

 

[sodamo]

But, wouldn't great customer service have not taxed you in the first place? Sounds like they simply tax everyone and then refund the ones that complain?

That was my suspicion as well. Actually they didn’t even tell me about the refund, just showed upon my paypal and credit card accounts.

 

[sodamo]

Sodamo: it looks like i'm late to discuss design cause sounds like you have the parts being shipped as i'm typing this. I hope it works out well for you and i'm curious how it turns out and how that water storage idea works.

I might have done a slope from front to back and had a gutter with maybe a couple downspouts/pipes heading to the tank if that's where you want all the water to go.

good luck!!

Guess we would call this something of a compromise. My original, build it myself plan, was as you describe, a simple, single plane roof sloped toward the tank with gutter on the lower side. Doing that called for using middle supports (12’ bays) unless I went with engineered trusses (24’ clear). The quote for just the trusses was more than the complete galvanized carport frame even with shipping. Also saves a lot of my labor. Doing a double gutter run complicates it, but not too badly and 48’ of gutter vs 38’ plus the pipe run to the tank.

 

[sodamo]

Got a VM today to say my carport has arrived and ready for pickup.

 

[drivesitfar]

Sod: did they fly it to you or can a ship make a trip to Hawaii that quick? in any case i hope all the parts are there AND hopefully with some good directions that are easy to understand.

GOOD LUCK!!

 

[rScotty]

Got a VM today to say my carport has arrived and ready for pickup.

To go along with the drainage design I'd just like to say that the past half dozen years of unseasonably weather where we live has made me real glad to have put sturdy foundations on my sheds. It is simple and cheap to dig a ditch at least a couple of feet deep completely around the perimeter and fill it with concrete. Second choice would be a posthole type with cement & sonotubes.
rScotty

 

[sodamo]

Sod: did they fly it to you or can a ship make a trip to Hawaii that quick? in any case i hope all the parts are there AND hopefully with some good directions that are easy to understand.

GOOD LUCK!!

Trucked from Az to LA port then on boat, which takes about a week via Honolulu to Hilo.

The online directions look pretty good.

 

[sodamo]

To go along with the drainage design I'd just like to say that the past half dozen years of unseasonably weather where we live has made me real glad to have put sturdy foundations on my sheds. It is simple and cheap to dig a ditch at least a couple of feet deep completely around the perimeter and fill it with concrete. Second choice would be a posthole type with cement & sonotubes.
rScotty

Most of the concrete under the carport has been there for a few years, so nothing new re drainage. Should be less a challenge in that the 24x31 roof will be guttered and piped to catchment tank. Thank has own overflow.

 

[EddieWalker]

That didn't seem live it took very long at all. Now the fun begins!!!

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Thanks for link on versatube

 

[sodamo]

It will get delivered tomorrow. Crates are 10ft and would hang out from my trailer, so to please wife getting it delivered.

Won’t be rushing into the install as I have to customize the cottage-side wall and give concrete another week or so to strengthen.

That wall requires height extensions and cut out the base over the walkway. The fourth leg from front maybe a challenge and I’m toying with supporting via a header vs on the ground. Need to visit steel shop, see what they have.

My roofing metal hasn’t been delivered yet. My fault as I didn’t send cut list until last week.

I have free help for the install so no need to overwork them.

 

[sodamo]

Haven’t received carport yet, will be delivered noonish tomorrow.
But my quoted shipping estimate CA to HI morphed from $888.30 to $1366.66, more than 50% increase. Versatube gave me size totaling 89 cuft and shipper says it was 137 cuft. I’ll know when delivered tomorrow.
Sadly this makes shipping about 45% of the cost of the item. I know this doesn’t make much difference to mainland buyers getting the Versatube included trucking, but makes a significant difference to me. Shipping was very much a part of my discussion with Versatube and a discussed part of my buying decision. The info given to my shipper was provided by Versatube. At this point I am very unhappy with Versatube. I just happen to have the emails of this discussion and with be expressing my concern to both the salesperson and customer service. If I could refuse delivery and make Versatube pay for return I would.

 

[radios1]

in some states, it's illegal to capture rainwater, you better check first!.. another odd but true fact!..

 

[rScotty]

Haven’t received carport yet, will be delivered noonish tomorrow.
But my quoted shipping estimate CA to HI morphed from $888.30 to $1366.66, more than 50% increase. Versatube gave me size totaling 89 cuft and shipper says it was 137 cuft. I’ll know when delivered tomorrow.
Sadly this makes shipping about 45% of the cost of the item. I know this doesn’t make much difference to mainland buyers getting the Versatube included trucking, but makes a significant difference to me. Shipping was very much a part of my discussion with Versatube and a discussed part of my buying decision. The info given to my shipper was provided by Versatube. At this point I am very unhappy with Versatube. I just happen to have the emails of this discussion and with be expressing my concern to both the salesperson and customer service. If I could refuse delivery and make Versatube pay for return I would.

I think that method of increasing profit by leaving out some details which are then added on later has always been with us, it is just becoming more common as it becomes more of an accepted practice. I've noticed how that particular scam has increased during the last few years. It's not just retail business, it's become a normal business practice for a segment of our society.

Now that you've experienced that business technique, I bet you're not as easy to trick the next time! There's some value in that.
And the "add-on" scam is not totally accepted as normal business yet; you may be successful challenging their practices.

For my part, I try to stay aware....but also try not to get too worked up about it. Business practices just reflect a society's values & basically I like ours.
I also try to leave room - just as you have done - for human error.
After all, it might really be 137 cubic feet instead of 89.

The trick seems to be to ride the horse, not spend time chasing it around and falling off.
rScotty

 

[Big Barn]

Bummer. Perhaps the discrepancy in cubic feet occurred in size of palletized product versus palletized product prepared for shipping?

Or “addition” protective packaging necessary for marine transportation?

Sad situation but would seem like a well worded request for explanation will be necessary. Try not to stress over it in the meantime. Not easy but primary IMO.

Best of luck.