Another major draw of the Big E is the entertainment, which ranges from parades to horse shows and major concerts. This year, there are a number of wildly popular musicians coming to perform at the fair, including country songstress Reba, classic rock band Cheap Trick and country star Blake Shelton. Don’t miss out on the The Big E Super Circus either – it’s a blast for the whole family!

However, the Avenues of States and various concerts are not the only part of the Big E that people come out for – let’s not forget all of the vendors who come to the exposition to show off their wares! One such vendor is Portable Garage Depot, a world leader in the sale of portable garages, shelters and other temporary structures for storage. A wide variety of products from Portable Garage Depot will be on display, including a number of DIY garages for your vehicles, lawnmowers, boats, RVs and other equipment you simply don’t have room for in your house. You are definitely going to want to check them out this year at the Big E.

Throughout the Big E, stay tuned to Portable Garage Depot’s Facebook and Twitter pages for information about the fair – and a secret fans-only contest that will be announced shortly! Make sure to stop by their booth for the best in portable garages, canopies and all of your outdoor storage needs!

The Big E takes place at the Eastern States Exposition from September 16th to October 2nd.

New vs. Used – Buying a new boat may seem like a great idea, but it doesn’t exempt you from potential problems. To ensure that you won’t have any major issues to deal with once purchased, look into what the boat manufacturer’s warranty is. When buying used, you’re going to have to perform a personal inspection, much like you would with a used car. Look at any cracks, paint problems and get the boat out on the water before purchasing.

Get the Right Boat – You’ll need a different kind of boat for different activities and size always matters in these cases. If you have no clue what size boat you should get, be sure to speak with a professional or a friend who owns a boat – they’ll be able to guide you in the right direction.

Safety First – It is usually not required, but you’ll want to take a safety course regarding boat operation. Since human error is to blame for the majority of boating accidents, learning how to control your boat and interact with others on the water can be a saving grace.

Protect Your Boat – Have a place for your boat when it’s not in use during certain seasons. Since most of us can’t afford large marina fees, I recommend at least a boat cover to protect your craft from the elements. However, the next step is the best protection for your boat – look into putting up a portable garage on your property.  This way, you can ensure that your boat is absolutely shielded from anything the weather and extreme seasons can throw at it.

Besides just simply New England, The Big E is known for its amazing selection of vendors and exhibitionists, showing off their various wares and goods ranging from state memorabilia to house wares and appliances. On any given year, The Big E could have Vermonters making apple pie with cheddar cheese to Mainers stuffing baked potatoes with anything you can find. Next to them will be booths selling RVs and portable furnaces for winter.

One such exhibitor is Portable Garage Depot, a leader in the portable shelters and carports industry. Featuring one of the most extensive selections of DIY portable garages for your RV, car, jetski, lawnmower, camper, boats and whatever other vehicles you can think of. These garages can also be used as self storage for any items you have lying around your home in the way of everything. Portable Garage Depot is also a wonderful place to get outdoor canopies and tents for special occasions or just a leisurely backyard barbecue.

Every day of the Big E, Portable Garage Depot is offering a different special deal, including free kitswith purchases and discounts based on your state of origin. Be sure to check the company’s Twitter page (@PGDEPOT) or its Facebook for more information. Better yet, just stop by the Portable Garage Depot booth at The Big E!

A recent news story shows why such structures need to be anchored. On an average day for most areas of the mid-Atlantic, snow isn’t a problem, unless you live in update New York or Vermont. But, even in these coastal areas, snow can still hit and, as evident by the article, it can lead these structures to collapse onto the boats. Even when the boats are docked, the canopies themselves need to be anchored to give their full protection. If not, they may topple over or collapse onto the boats, as seen in the article.

If you plan to protect your boat by canopy, moving the boat to your home may be a better option. After all, the boat is in the comfort of your yard – assuming this doesn’t violate local building codes or zoning laws – and is fully protected by a canopy that can be anchored in concrete or by metal anchors. If you simply need to keep a boat by a dock, a better alternative is using a boat cover or tarp. Nevertheless, the issue that arises with any boat in a dock is snow. Too much snow accumulating inside will cause the structure to sink or will damage the mast.

But, after watching the video, would this man-made shelter provide enough protection for the vehicle? Although the workers sent significant time putting it together – as well as making any drawn plans before the video was filmed – the wood frame and the smaller canopy don’t offer enough protection for the vehicle. The wood, in this instance, may start to rot and fall apart when kept outdoors for such an extended period of time, while the canopy, assuming it’s a tarp made from treated polyethylene, should at least cover the sides in a valance style to give the vehicle adequate coverage.

If you’re planning to build your own boat shelter instead of purchasing one, take a few cues from makers of such shelters, like Shelters of America and Portable Garage Depot. First, think of the materials that will be used for the frame. Although the design of the frame in the vehicle looks sturdy enough, having it made from galvanized steel would give even better protection. Also, anchor the frame properly. For a frame that large, the metal should be anchored into the ground with concrete. Additionally, once you add the canopy, make sure it fits over the entire frame, much like a rounded or square tube shelter.

After watching this commercial, does anything seem wrong to you? If you didn’t catch it, watch it again a second time and check out where and how the RVs are being stored. Yes – you probably saw it for a few seconds on screen. The RVs are being stored in an open parking lot, which is where they stay during the winter. Although Seaport Storage claims to store boats and RVs, the location of the vehicles is outdoors – left unprotected to the elements. In terms of a long lifespan for your seasonal vehicle, is such a place ideal for keeping it in shape?

As we’ve mentioned before here, seasonal vehicles left outdoors for several months at a time are exposed to the elements. The prolonged exposure causes UV damage to the surface of the vehicle, often in faded paint and cracked parks, and the water damage can lead to mildew and dry rot on the surface. The best solution for keeping one of these vehicles is to put it in storage, either with a portable storage shelter like those at Shelters of America or Portable Garage Depot or, if you own one already, a brick-and-mortar garage. Left outdoors for six months of the year, the vehicle won’t give you as much usage as it could.

This ties into the last post, in which residents of DeWitt, New York, will need to store their seasonal vehicles, and their respective, shelters in the backs of their homes. Keeping a boat or RV in a driveway became illegal as of January 1, 2010, although various neighborhoods around the city without large enough backyards have petitioned the local government. Nevertheless, if you plan to use such a storage facility like Seaport Storage or a similar company, check first to see if they’ll let you use a portable shelter.

Some neighbors have petitioned the city to make an exception for their area, but, at this moment, such a law is up in the air, according to the article linked above. Those who don’t store their vehicle in an inconspicuous place face a fine of $200. At the moment, RVs, boats, and similar seasonal vehicles like snowmobiles can be left in front of the property for ten days, before the owner is fined for breaking the law. However, not all homes, especially those in a city, are equipped with large enough backyards for an RV or boat and a shelter, and what should someone do in this case?

In some cases, the logical step would be to put the vehicle in storage or, especially for boats, to store it near a water source away from home. Not everyone has this luxury, however, and storing such a vehicle on their property is far more economical than finding a storage facility that won’t keep an RV outdoors. At the moment, those in DeWitt are waiting for updates on this law for their neighborhoods but, even if you don’t live in DeWitt, your city, town, or neighborhood could have such restrictions. Like going to purchase a carport, check your local laws in regards to owning such a vehicle and the shelter needed to protect it.

Boats are stored best with an outdoor canopy structure. Whether placed near a harbor or on your property, such portable shelters can be used to store a boat during the winter months. Generally, these shelters should be fully enclosed to protect the boat. If left outdoors for a long period of time, boats will experience UV damage, often in the form of discolored paint and cracked plastic, and water damage if snow and rain start to accumulate inside. A portable storage shelter keeps the boat away from these elements and allows your boat a longer lifespan. But, as we explained a few weeks ago, the boat should still be checked during the months in storage.

But boat shelters aren’t the only way to protect your boat. The portable shelter made from galvanized steel and polyethylene keeps the exterior of the boat in good shape, but maintaining the interior is your responsibility. An article from the Augusta Chronicle describes the best ways to maintaining a boat in winter. Some of these suggestions include:

• Lower the water-cooled 90-hp outboard motor and allow its foot to drain. If water is left inside, this can cause ice to form and damage the motor while being stored in winter.
• Similarly, check the battery. If the battery starts to swell, it needs to be replaced, as the cold is affecting it.
• Once the temperature dips into the 30s, the boat should be put in storage and not used on the water. At this point, ice forming inside the interior is more likely.

A combination of these should ensure your boat lasts for many years. The canopy shelter keeps the exterior of the boat from water and UV ray damage, and keeping the interior of the boat clean from water will preserve the interior from any water-related damage.

Winter is now approaching and many who go boating, fishing, or camping in the warmer months have put their seasonal vehicles in storage. With a few options for storing seasonal vehicles on the market, the best portable options are to use a boat or RV shelter. Much like portable garages but designed with appropriate dimensions, these seasonal vehicle shelters can cover such a boat or RV for several months. As a vehicle shouldn’t be left outside and boat wrapping methods may lock moisture inside, which can lead to mold forming, a structure that shelters but allows air to circulate offers the best protection.

When setting up a boat or RV shelter, these can be placed anywhere on your property. The shelter, unlike a carport or portable garage for everyday vehicles, should have all-around protection. More specifically, this means that the shelter not only needs to have a polyethylene canopy roof but also side and back walls. A zipper or roll-up door should be in front. If the vehicle didn’t come with side walls, a back, or front door, these can be bought separately and attached to the galvanized steel frame. After the shelter has been set up and anchored into the ground, the vehicle can go inside and stay for several months.

But, at this point, the care for the seasonal vehicle isn’t done. When storing a seasonal vehicle, it needs to be checked periodically. As these shelters should have zipper or roll-up front doors, you can unzip or roll up the door and go inside the shelter to check for any small animals that could have gotten inside and to check for any mold or mildew that formed on the surface. While the latter doesn’t happen often because air is allowed to circulate somewhat, small animals like squirrels or mice might have found their way into a boat and will need to be removed.

Some might argue that leaving your vehicle outside exposes it to the elements. Of course, this is actually leaving your vehicle outdoors and not fully protected by a shelter. Any portable shelter for a seasonal vehicle consists of a galvanized steel frame and a polyethylene canopy. The canopy, which covers the roof and all sides, is made from heavy-duty polyethylene and is treated to be UV resistant, waterproof, and rot and mildew resistant. But, as some air is allowed to circulate under the canopy, moisture doesn’t get trapped under the shelter, as it does with shrink-wrapping a boat, and the vehicle won’t have dry rot, mildew, or mold build up on its surface.

These structures, essentially, can be stored anywhere on your property and can last through rain, wind, and snow. Some structures, however, are better for more extreme weather conditions like snow. If your area experiences large snowfalls, a rounded roof shelter is better for long-term protection of your boat, RV, or other seasonal vehicle, as the snow or water will roll off the roof instead of building up on top. With full protection on all sides, weather, including UV rays and water, generally stays away from the vehicle. But, as animals can come in, checking on the vehicle occasionally is a good idea.