Caravan Canopies?

BBQNUTT · 06-08-2009, 02:03 PM

Does anyone currently use or haved used in the past, a Caravan brand of canopy? I am looking at one at Costco which seems very well made but haven't really heard much about them other that the reviews on the costco site that all pretty much say the canopy is great but the roller bag sucks. :). I don't care about the bag so much, just looking for a new canopy for competitions that is not too expensive but reliable.

ZILLA · 06-08-2009, 02:04 PM

Yes I use them. They are the best! I just bought another from Costco last week!

TOPS BBQ · 06-08-2009, 02:07 PM

I have two. IMHO better than the EZ-Ups. Less expensive overall (parts, walls...etc).

The bags do suck though. But I believe most do.

Brew-B-Q · 06-08-2009, 02:13 PM

That's what I have, and the bag is fine if you don't need zippers. I haven't used other brands, so I can't really compare. It has held up fine for almost 2 years now though. I think I paid $200 for the canopy and 4 walls.

Ron_L · 06-08-2009, 02:39 PM

I don't have one but I've seen Pat's several times and it looks well made. I have a Quik Shade brand that it built like a tank and their customer service is good. I had tied it to my truck at Shannon last year and forgot about it and backed the truck up and bent a leg. I sent them an e-mail asking about a replacement leg and I had a call from their parts dealer in about 30 minutes.

Divemaster · 06-08-2009, 03:12 PM

I have a feeling that this year I'm going to have to replace the one I have (I don't remember the make and/or model)... This may be the brand I go to...

Bentley · 06-08-2009, 06:52 PM

Have 2, they work great. They are not real aero dynamic thought...

Last one did its Wizard of Oz impersonation, thought I was gonna have to shell out $220 for a new one. Drove down to La Mirada got the replacment parts, was back in business for less that $50 bucks...Nice when the main headquarters is only 25 miles away!

DeanC · 06-08-2009, 07:19 PM

I have two as well, love them. If you buy more than one, invest in the "gutter" that goes between them. You will appreciate it if it rains.

Kevin · 06-08-2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron_L

I don't have one but I've seen Pat's several times and it looks well made. I have a Quik Shade brand that it built like a tank and their customer service is good. I had tied it to my truck at Shannon last year and forgot about it and backed the truck up and bent a leg. I sent them an e-mail asking about a replacement leg and I had a call from their parts dealer in about 30 minutes.

I "had" a Shade Tech by Quickshade. Must be their lower end model. Got it at Kmart, the one that closed last month

. Left it up last night, it was raining pretty hard, it was tightly secured, but it must have sagged and held water. It was on the ground with a bent and broken frame this morning. Still secured to it's lashings. It looks kinda cool though, like some broken mechanical spider from a sci-fi movie. Think I'll try a Caravan.

Sledneck · 06-08-2009, 07:41 PM

The Caravan that costco sells in the store is different than the one they have online. The instor one is made from a much lighter weight material(i think its aluminum) that bend real easy especially in wind like we do get at contest grounds. For the same price with free shipping costco online sells the same model made with steel fram that is much heavier to carry but hold up much better http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...lang=en-US&s=1

ZILLA · 06-08-2009, 10:08 PM

Crapshoot has one of each, aluminum and steel. My experience has been if it's windy enough to twist the aluminum one then it will twist the steel one just as easy. We've replaced bent struts on both. I'm glad to have the aluminum ones just for the weight factor.

06-08-2009, 02:03 PM	#1
BBQNUTT Knows what a fatty is. Join Date: 07-30-08 Location: Lebanon, MO	Caravan Canopies? Does anyone currently use or haved used in the past, a Caravan brand of canopy? I am looking at one at Costco which seems very well made but haven't really heard much about them other that the reviews on the costco site that all pretty much say the canopy is great but the roller bag sucks. :). I don't care about the bag so much, just looking for a new canopy for competitions that is not too expensive but reliable. __________________ Josh Tucker Stumps GF223 with Stoker

06-08-2009, 02:07 PM	#3
TOPS BBQ Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 10-01-07 Location: Fresno, CA	I have two. IMHO better than the EZ-Ups. Less expensive overall (parts, walls...etc). The bags do suck though. But I believe most do. __________________ www.TOPS-BBQ.com Diamond Plate FAT 50 Ultra 200-Gal Barrel 55-Gal Horizontal offset 2 55-Gal Vertical Barrels Bar-B-Chef Offset Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting for dirty!

06-08-2009, 02:39 PM	#5
Ron_L Moderator Join Date: 12-09-04 Location: Wandering, but not lost Name/Nickname : Captain Ron	I don't have one but I've seen Pat's several times and it looks well made. I have a Quik Shade brand that it built like a tank and their customer service is good. I had tied it to my truck at Shannon last year and forgot about it and backed the truck up and bent a leg. I sent them an e-mail asking about a replacement leg and I had a call from their parts dealer in about 30 minutes. __________________ "Ron Rico, Boss. You can call me Captain Ron..." Naked Fatties Rock! PKGo X 2/PK360/Weber Q1000/Blackstone Camping Griddle/Pit Boss Pro Series 850

06-08-2009, 03:12 PM	#6
Divemaster somebody shut me the fark up. Join Date: 09-23-07 Location: North Side of Chicago Illinois	I have a feeling that this year I'm going to have to replace the one I have (I don't remember the make and/or model)... This may be the brand I go to... __________________ Jeff CBJ# 23376 Stockcar BBQ Race Fast, Cook Slow, and Enjoy Life! If it don't come off a smoker, it's just a side dish! Lang 60 Patio (The Mistress), Black Stainless Lang 36 (Little Princess), Large BGE (Ramona), Big Green UDS (Cottage Cooker), Brinkman SnP Pro (Little Bubba-Retired), 8 Burner Gasser, 3 - 22.5" & 1 - 18" (circa 1975) Weber Grills, & a Weber Smoky Joe.

06-08-2009, 06:52 PM	#7
Bentley Babbling Farker Join Date: 03-14-07 Location: Culpeper, Virginia	Have 2, they work great. They are not real aero dynamic thought... Last one did its Wizard of Oz impersonation, thought I was gonna have to shell out $220 for a new one. Drove down to La Mirada got the replacment parts, was back in business for less that $50 bucks...Nice when the main headquarters is only 25 miles away! __________________ Certified Master Judge #5382 What is best in life? "To crush your BBQ opponents, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women."

06-08-2009, 02:04 PM	#2
ZILLA is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 12-01-05 Location: Universal City, Texas	Yes I use them. They are the best! I just bought another from Costco last week!

06-08-2009, 02:13 PM	#4
Brew-B-Q is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 05-27-08 Location: Wauconda, IL	That's what I have, and the bag is fine if you don't need zippers. I haven't used other brands, so I can't really compare. It has held up fine for almost 2 years now though. I think I paid $200 for the canopy and 4 walls.

06-08-2009, 07:19 PM	#8
DeanC Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 07-23-05 Location: Kansas City, Missouri	I have two as well, love them. If you buy more than one, invest in the "gutter" that goes between them. You will appreciate it if it rains. __________________ FEC 100--Sold and sorely missed. Snail Drum 3 WSM's 2 Weber Kettles Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar---Mark Twain www.odmp.org

06-08-2009, 07:41 PM	#10
Sledneck is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 12-04-05 Location: Wantagh, NY	The Caravan that costco sells in the store is different than the one they have online. The instor one is made from a much lighter weight material(i think its aluminum) that bend real easy especially in wind like we do get at contest grounds. For the same price with free shipping costco online sells the same model made with steel fram that is much heavier to carry but hold up much better http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...lang=en-US&s=1 __________________ [SIZE="3"][B][COLOR="Blue"][URL="http://bbqilluminati.blogspot.com"]BBQ Illuminati Blog[/URL][/COLOR][/B][/SIZE] [B][COLOR="Blue"][B]Disclaimer: The poster does not take any responsibility for any bad feelings or sense of exclusion that the reader of this post may have-whether real or imagined. Reading threads poses inherent risks. The poster of this thread would like to also remind readers to make sure they have a functional sense of humor before they visit any discussion board.[/B][/COLOR][/B]

06-08-2009, 10:08 PM	#11
ZILLA is Blowin Smoke! Join Date: 12-01-05 Location: Universal City, Texas	Crapshoot has one of each, aluminum and steel. My experience has been if it's windy enough to twist the aluminum one then it will twist the steel one just as easy. We've replaced bent struts on both. I'm glad to have the aluminum ones just for the weight factor.

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