Customer Reviews

ARS 10-Foot x 10-Foot Aluminum Shelter (Blue)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great canopy. Set up is simple and I was able to do it all by myself. I was looking for a cheaper model but chose this one due to it's better reviews and higher quality. One word of caution though, fully collapsed the legs still stand 5 feet tall. That might be tight if you're going to cart it around in a car trunk or a back seat. I have a Jeep and no problem with it. I'm a singer/songwriter and use it for outside gigs -- it's perfect.

In our experience with canopies, none were as easy to set-up as the ARS.

INSTRUCTIONS:
These are less than detailed setup instructions--I'm sure a less experienced user would have some frustrations. But I think one can get through to understanding without damaging oneself or the canopy. This, and the lack of available sidewalls made by the manufacturer, are my only complaints for the product.

DESIGN
First off, I can see why my buddies wanted our club to get an aluminum frame. At 42 lbs total weight, it's half the weight of my own previous canopy. It is also larger, owing to taller legs than I've ever used before. Nice!

Locking pins on the upper corners and legs are of a pull type, with an internal spring. This is my favorite feature, as the pins slip in and out of the locking wholes on the legs very easily. Even at full tension, releasing or setting the corner pins is very easy to do. Nice

In comparison, the push buttons on my previous canopy hurt my hands, so I became used to using a standard screwdriver to force them in.

The cover has both an interesting use of velcro to tie the sides down, and also has a velcro strip (loop side) all the way around. Presumably to put up sides, which I cannot find made by the manufacturer. If I could find them and at a reasonable price, I'd enjoy having fitted side-walls attachable by velcro.

DURABILITY (guesstimated)
The frame is comprised of aluminum extrusions and some sort of plastic brackets, held together with bolts and nylon/steel locknuts. It seems robust enough for the application. If there would ever be a failure, I would guess a bracket might fail if the canopy gets caught and thrown by the wind before tiedown. The scenario I've seen (so many times) is a dust devil (rising column of hot air) or a wind gust grabbing a canopy and taking it airborne for awhile. All canopies should be staked in place, and if necessary tied down with guy lines going to separate stakes. I rarely do the latter, but use 10"-12" nails as stakes every time.

The canopy cover is a durable, heavy canvas material. I didn't do a burn test to figure out what synthetic it is, but maybe it's nylon. My initial thought is that if the canopy is well-treated, the cover will wear out before the frame, mainly due to UV rays. That could be many years of occasional use. There seem to be replacement covers available at this time, though they do not mention ARS.

Looks good to me.

I purchased this canopy because of the reviews claiming high quality and easy setup. Yes, it appears to be well made, but it is NOT easy to setup. The setup instructions are a joke: one step shows the cover hanging over the frame and the next step show the canopy completely setup. The text and diagrams do not state or show HOW you raise the canopy. My wife and i could NOT push the frame up and I think we would need 2-3 more people to force it up. There must be an easier way to set this up.

I'm getting concerned that the reviews we are reading are put there by the people representing the people selling the items, rather than real people buying and using the products. All of the sales literature and all of the reviews speak to easy setup - not by what I can see. We've setup tents, canopies, and various other kinds of shelters, but we've NEVER had this much trouble. I have a call into the company, but I get the impression from their email address (juno.com) that it is a small-time import operation without any real customer service staff. You can't get any product support from Amazon.com, so this may be a case of returning it. I can't get this thing setup, so I'll have to update this after I get it completely setup or returned to Amazon.

UPDATE: 11-6-10
Well, we've setup the canopy several times now and I've increased my rating to 4 stars from teh original 2 stars. The canopy is not easy to setup, but we at least got it setup within a few minutes. It's difficult to expand the legs and braces and raise the canopy. Two of us got it done, but it was a chore. Tear down was easy. Better. detailed instructions would help some, but a well done video on YouTube would be the best way to demonstrate how to setup this canopy.

The canopy construction and performance in use is excellent.

I recommend a buy with the caveat about setup being difficult.

We had been using an inexpensive folding canopy on our camping trips for several years. When it began to deteriorate we looked for a better quality canopy. The ARS shelter is incredibly well made using "aircraft grade aluminum" for the legs and frame. It goes up much easier than our old canopy, is rigid and sturdy when the wind blows, and looks very attractive. The first time we put it up other campers commented on its looks and asked where we got it. While it seems expensive, the quality of the materials used as well as the design and workmanship make it a very satisfying purchase. It's kinda like the iPod of canopies!