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.

There are some tips that you should follow for RV safety and here are a few of the most important:

Tire Check – RVs are much bigger than normal vehicles on the road, so obviously, tire pressure is of major concern to the safety and efficiency of a drive. Tire problems can be easily avoided as long as you keep the load light and drive within the speed limit. This will extend your fuel usage and overall safety on the highway.

Blinded – If you think that the blind spots in your sedan are difficult to deal with, get ready for more in your RV. The size of RVs makes for a lot more blind spots with bigger areas. Use your mirrors to navigate any tough spots and be especially careful when sharing the road with other large vehicles.

Belt It Up – Even though it may be more comfortable for your passengers to move freely throughout the RV during a ride, make sure everyone is wearing their seatbelts whenever possible. Sudden movements and stops can make for serious falls and accidents if someone is standing up and walking around.

Store It – The best way to ensure that your RV is in perfect condition when you take it out for the summer is to store it correctly in a portable garage. By sheltering your vehicle from the weather in an RV garage, you can guarantee that it will be as pristine as it was the year before.

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!

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.

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.

In general, a vent kit comes with two durable injection molded vents. These plastic vents are designed with UV protection and weather resistant resins. This way, the vent won’t be damaged when outside for an extended period of time. Each vent comes with pre-drilled holes so that it can be attached to the canopy easily with basic hardware. As mentioned before, a hole large enough for the vent will need to be cut into the polyethylene material. Additionally, two vents can be used at once, depending on your or the shelter’s needs, or one can be used as a replacement.

Why would a canopy need a vent? Although canopies are designed to be waterproof and mildew and rot resistant, some water still may find its way inside the shelter. Without enough ventilation, the shelter could cause dry rot or mildew to build up on a vehicle while in storage for several months. Although canopy shelters like portable garages and sheds allow for some circulation, additional ventilation may be needed for a shelter. Adding one or two vents to a portable garage will allow additional circulation to lessen the chance or dry rot or mildew building up on a vehicle.

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.

Two options are available for at-home RV storage if you don’t own a brick-and-mortar garage: an RV tarp or a portable garage. While custom fitted RV canopies are available, a portable garage shaped for your RV, much like the rounded roof portable buildings seen in the video above, gives the vehicle more breathing room and, when the RV is in use, the shelter can function as a carport or as additional storage during the summer months.

When picking out one of these shelters for an RV, the one thing to consider is how large the structure should be. First, all of the dimensions of the vehicle should be taken into account, and this includes the height, width, and length of the vehicle. Any appendages to the vehicle, such as roof ventilation should be added to the overall dimensions. As an RV will be in storage for several months, the building should be slightly larger than the vehicle, or large enough that the vehicle and a person can fit inside. Although the building itself is designed to protect the RV from UV and water exposure, the vehicle should still be checked for dry rot, mildew, and if any small animals crawled inside.

With portable garage kits, one of these shelters can be expanded by adding additional components to the frame and adding a new roof. However, various other models are available to already accommodate two or more cars. These designs can house two cars in a peaked-roof shelter, while others can be large enough to hold four cars. For outdoor events needing parking, some of these shelters can cover up to six cars. But, if you plan on covering a car and a seasonal vehicle like an RV in the same structure, having a larger portable shelter should be designed with the height of the RV in mind.

Aside from the width and length of one of these portable shelters to accommodate multiple cars, a large-sized portable shelter is capable of accommodating multiple seasonal vehicles, including boats and RVs. For the latter, certain taller portable shelters are designed for these vehicles, including both rounded and peaked roof structure designs. In terms of expanding a shelter to accommodate more vehicles, a peaked roof shelter is more ideal in this case, but, specifically for RVs, the length can be expanded to house one vehicle in front of the other in a tunnel-like structure.