Help me sort out this redneck idea

For those who missed it, we bought an RV. Since we live in the land of scorching heat & drenching rain, we need a shelter for it. Unfortunately due to zoning, setbacks, etc. we don't have room for a typical RV/boat canopy. 
 

First, a couple points:

1. There's no way we're storing it somewhere else. If it's not here where I can see it everyday & be reminded of everything I need to do to it, it'll be forgotten about & we'll be spending even more money(for storage) for something we'd be using even less than we probably will anyway. 
    
2. It can't be a permanent structure due to the zoning & setback issues above. 
    
3. We're in hurricane territory, so the solution needs to be easily removable/disassemblable(?) when there's an impending storm.

Heres a few ideas I've had so far:

1. A pre-made RV cover is the easy-button here. Unfortunately with the RV being about 10-1/2' tall, and me having a bad back, I don't think there's any way I could wrestle the cover off & on by myself. 
    
2. Harbor Freight sells a heavy-duty tarp for about $80, but I don't see that being any easier to deal with than a purpose-made cover. 
    
3. However, Harbor Freight also sells this 10x20 portable vehicle shelter, which is both long & wide enough to cover the roof of the RV. I'd have to extend the legs obviously, and replacing the included cover with the $80 tarp mentioned above might be a good idea, but I'd be able to drive under it & take it down by myself. Of course I'd figure out a way to tie it down to the RV so it didn't blow away in a stiff breeze.

Is there any reason #3 wouldn't work? Do you have any suggestions to improve it? Or any other/better solutions? Here's a pic of the canopy. 
 

For some reason something like this came to mind.

In reply to Stampie :

I do like the simplicity of that. If I prune back everything behind the gate I think I can push the trailer back far enough to fit both the RV & it in the back yard. I'm not sure the garage roof is tall enough to attach a tarp to & still drive underneath it, but I'm about to go measure it...

Stampie's sail thing does look cool. 

You could take option 3, and do the following:

- make leg extensions that can be easily lowered or removed to allow the protective roof to be lowered to the rv roof.

- add some cross bars to brace it when lower and allow the cross bars to sit on foam or rubber block against the rv roof, maybe right at the where the aluminum edging is so you don't damage the actual roof  

-add tie down hooks to the cross bars so you can use the long webbing straps (4"wide) from harbor freight to go under the rv and hold the shelter roof to the rv. 

- bonus feature: attach a tarp to the frame on each side with a piece of pvc attached to the bottom edge of the tarp. Roll up the Tarp to access the sides when needed, lower when you want it protected. 

How is your town about outdoor furniture?

Since a permanent structure is a no-no, that eliminates that.

RV covers are the way to go.  The HF portable shelters are really as bad as you think.  They're fine for a picnic to keep Aunt Jill dry when it rains, but they're made with tarp material which degrades in UV and leaks/tears.  A good stiff breeze will send it to the next county.

RV covers are brilliant things.  I install mine with two people and two 8' sticks.  Put the sticks in the back corners of cover, lift it straight up, and walk it toward the back of the RV.  You'll reach a point where the friction makes it hard to continue so you might have to alternate sticks and pulling on ropes, but I never found them to be difficult.

In reply to Stampie :

I measured but unfortunately the garage roof is 9' high on that side, so it's too low. 

In reply to No Time :

I like the pvc idea!

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

I'd replace the original HF tarp with a heavy-duty one before I ever used it, and it would be anchored to the RV when in use. 

I appreciate knowing the cover is a 2-person job. Unfortunately I only have a 2nd person available every-other weekend(when my step-son is off work & can come over), so I need it to be a job I can do myself without too much difficulty. 

Then there are some of us that leave our motorhomes outside in the weather for years at a time....

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Stampie :

I measured but unfortunately the garage roof is 9' high on that side, so it's too low. 

I'm thinking ropes to the four corners of a tarp and to trees around the yard.  Adjustable height by where you place it on the tree and a come along tightens it up for you.  Maybe throw in a turn buckle or two if you wanna go the nonredneck way.

How about just tarping the actual rv?

I just bought a #3 for temporary cover behind my garage. It may work for you if you have enough notice to take it down during storms or if the area is sheltered from high winds. ...but I think you want to cover the RV during storms, Yes? I had one a few years ago and it did well for a while, until a severe thunderstorm lifted it and scattered it across the garage roof and yard. The poles bent and the vinyl shredded.

I think Antihero's suggestion of tarping is best. Have a couple poles handy to push it up in place, then tie it to the RV. Somewhere here on the forum these Billboard Vinyl Tarps have been mentioned and I think it would be a win: https://billboardtarps.com/product-category/billboard-vinyl/

Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

I'd replace the original HF tarp with a heavy-duty one before I ever used it, and it would be anchored to the RV when in use. 

I appreciate knowing the cover is a 2-person job. Unfortunately I only have a 2nd person available every-other weekend(when my step-son is off work & can come over), so I need it to be a job I can do myself without too much difficulty. 

I gotcha.  Just fair warning, the steel tubes used in the framing are 20-gauge at best.  Super flimsy.  I can crush them with my bare hands.  I'm afraid until you replace the tarp and then replace the framing, there will be nothing left of the HF shelter.

Translated:  Don't buy the HF shelter.

In reply to Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) :

This would be me.  I left my previous TT outside in Canada since 1992.  When I sold it two summers ago, it was just fine (except that the mice had found a way in and they were asking me to pay rent).  I replaced it with a 5th wheel that I will leave there for another 20 years.

I will say this:  I don't care how heavy duty the tarp is, or if you use billboard vinyl... the only way they will stay intact for more than 15 days is if they can't move.  Dad used to tarp his RV, and even though it was buried in the woods with minimal wind and he spent a whole day with a half mile of rope making it as tight as possible, it never lasted more than one season at best.  Ever see billboard that has started to become unglued in a corner?  Two months later, that corner is shredded or missing.

It doesn't even need to be a strong wind.  It's the repeated back and forth motion of the plastic.

Thanks for the ideas & suggestions - please keep them coming!

The trees by the garage probably aren't strong enough to tie a tarp to. There's a couple satsumas & I'm not sure what the others are, but it's basically a cluster of 1"-2" trunks about 20' tall. 
 

I'm thinking the idea of sinking some 4x4's and attaching a tarp to them could work, but I think I'd need a way to raise the center of the tarp to prevent rain & leaves - we have live oaks & magnolias - from collecting on the tarp & weighing it down, right?

Hmm... I just put a bit more thought on this & think I may have a solution. I need to check with the city, but I don't believe things like the pre-built sheds you can have delivered fall under any of the permitting or zoning regulations. I also discovered that pressure treated 12' 4x4s are way cheaper than I expected. 
 

If so, I think I can build something for around $500 that will be heavy & sturdy enough to withstand anything less than a cat-1 fairly easily, and if I remove the tarp from it, should handle a cat-2(we're in a pretty sheltered location, which helps). Anything stronger than that & we won't be here anyway.