Buehler?I’m about to build a rack to hold my 4 sunfish and two sailfish. I’m trying to decide if 1.5 inch schedule 40 PVC Is strong enough to support itself and the boats or if I need 2 inch pipe. No span will be longer than 5 feet, except for the side supports that I’m hoping to leave as 10 feet each.
Does anyone have experience or thoughts on whether 1.5 inch will be strong enough? I can of course add additional side vertical posts, but the cost of the additional T-connectors is not insignificant, so if I can avoid that I’d like to do so.
Below is my model I had fun putting together last night. The BLUE bars will have an additional support section down the middle exactly like the yellow end supports on either side, and I may put in wood or plastic slide rails as well.View attachment 54000
I so wish I could have it indoors. It’s going to be outdoors, however I do plan to reconstruct my 10 x 10 x 20 tarp carport into a 10 x 10 x 15 over the whole structure.Crickets chirped because I don't remember seeing anyone using PVC to build a big rack that would hold 400-800 pounds of boats plus its own weight.
Will you have helpers when putting boats in the rack? If there is a helper we'd go with a tree rack style, 3 per side and use wood and deck/lag screw construction.
What surfaces do you have to work with? If you have a smooth floor I'd put the two bottom boats on furniture dollies. We've been storing more boats on their side on dollies recently, very easy to move around.
Can you use walls or overhead structure for racks? Maybe bottom boats on dollies/carts and top boats on hoists?
Inside or outside?
Show a photo of the storage space if you can.
View attachment 54027
Eeeeeeek! Okay, earlier today I was feeling okay on just forging ahead, but now I’m realizing that I’ve got almost $350 in PVC invested in this, but not a single cut yet made. I’m going to return it all and go the lumber route. It’s simply not worth the potential disaster. Thank you to everyone!!My Google engineering degree comes up with this. At 40” span with supports, sched 40 1.5” is rated to hold 143# per table 3
Not sure I’d go the 1.5” pvc route as main supports. Lumber came way down in price. Right way would be to do concrete footings, use pressure treated 4x4 for vertical posts and 2x6 for horizontal. Either through bolt with washers or use deck hangers. Rip pvc on table saw and screw down as sliders. Could do a little roof out of corrugated steel instead of having to get carport. If you live anywhere with wind having all that weight hung on pvc won’t end well.
Alternatively you could keep eyes peeled for cantilever pallet rack and slide boats in from sides. They come up cheap on CL or marketplace.
Erm - what about my just using two of these?Eeeeeeek! Okay, earlier today I was feeling okay on just forging ahead, but now I’m realizing that I’ve got almost $350 in PVC invested in this, but not a single cut yet made. I’m going to return it all and go the lumber route. It’s simply not worth the potential disaster. Thank you to everyone!!
Would you believe that I don’t have a garage any longer?? We moved on September 15th. No garage. :-(Skipper wants to know "Can't you get rid of some of your crap?" and store them in the garage