When it comes to building a carport for your RV, there are many different ways you can go about doing it. You may choose to build your carport out of wood or metal, depending on what materials are available to you and which ones suit your needs best.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to build an RV carport out of wood. We’ll cover everything from the materials needed for construction and how long it takes to finish the project, down to tips for keeping the cost low and ensuring durability.
Why Build A Carport Out Of Wood?
Many people who own RVs use them as a second home rather than just as a vehicle they take on camping trips every once in awhile. For this reason, they want their RVs to be protected from elements such as rain or snow when they’re parked outside all year round. Building a carport out of wood is one way to accomplish this goal because it’s easy on the wallet but still provides excellent protection against harsh weather conditions.
If you have a recreational vehicle, then you probably know the importance of protecting it from the elements. By building a carport out of wood, you can provide your RV with ample protection without spending too much money. It may seem like a complicated process if you’ve never attempted something like this before but rest assured: it really is quite easy.
Cut the wood for the RV carport.
Cut the wood for the RV carport using a circular saw. If you don’t have one, you can use a miter saw or table saw instead. You could also use a jigsaw, band saw, or router. If you do not have access to any of these tools, contact your local hardware store and ask if they rent out power tools to customers.
Build two identical frames to serve as the sides of the carport.
- To build the frames, you will need to cut 2x4s and plywood into the following dimensions:
- Two identical frames that measure 4’0″ (or approximately 1.22 m) wide by 8’0″ (or approximately 2.43 m) long.
- Four posts that are 2’10” (or approximately 0.86 m) high, 10 inches square at their base, with a slope of 6° from vertical in both directions (that is, they look like an “8” on its side). The vertical distance between each post will be 6 feet or 1.83 meters; the horizontal distance between each post will be 1 foot or 30 cm less than this measurement—so if you choose to build your carport 8 feet by 12 feet, your posts should be about 5 feet 3 inches apart horizontally for a total length of about 16 feet 9 inches when measured from top of post to top of post across diagonally opposite corners where four sides meet (the diagonal measurements along all sides add up to exactly half of each rectangle’s outside perimeter). You can also visualize how this works without doing any math by taking two rulers and holding them up vertically so they’re touching one another at the ends closest together; now hold them out horizontally so they touch again where those ends were connected vertically just above some marker point like an eraser cap or pencil lead mark before rotating them 90° so they form right angles with one another instead – these are equivalent configurations because no matter which way you turn them around when testing whether something’s still perpendicular after rotation there won’t really ever be much difference unless we want something else happening here so let’s move on before
Mark the posts and install them in a rectangular pattern, measuring 15 feet by 27 feet.
- Mark the posts and install them in a rectangular pattern, measuring 15 feet by 27 feet.
- Starting at the back of your site, dig a hole roughly 2 feet deep for each post (a 2-foot length of 4×4 lumber is a good approximation). Make sure that you have plenty of room to work around both sides of the post so that you don’t hit it with your shovel or driver. The soil should be loose enough for drainage but not so soft that it compacts into concrete when pounded with a hammer or mallet. If you don’t have access to an auger on site, bring along some extra soil so that you can fill in any holes created by digging up dirt.
- Place your first post directly over its hole and nail two pieces of scrap wood to its top as braces—this will prevent it from falling over while installing other posts around it; then drive three 16d nails through each end of this board and into each side of the cross-member (photo A). This will keep everything aligned properly during construction and give added stability once covered with plywood sheets later on (see step 12).
Assemble the side frames on top of the posts using nails or screws.
- Attach the side frames to the posts using 1 1/2 inch screws. Use a drill and screwdriver, level, tape measure and hammer to accomplish this task.
- Attach the cross beams between each pair of side frames in order to form an A-frame structure. This will support your carport’s roof later on.
- Measure out your desired length for each piece of trim (or fascia board), then cut them with either a saw or jig saw according to those measurements; be sure that they’re straight!
- Cut a groove into each piece where it will overlap with another piece (about 2 inches deep). This is called “notching”. You can use either a circular saw or miter box router bit setup if necessary here—it depends on which tool you have available at home
Measure and cut 2-by-2 pieces of lumber to fit horizontally along the sides between 2-by-4 pieces of lumber.
Screw or nail 2-by-2 pieces into place along the interior sides of your frame.
Nail or screw 2-by-2 pieces into place on both interior sides of the frame.
To attach the 2-by-2s, you’ll need to use a drill and screwdriver. You want to make sure that the screws are long enough to go through both pieces of wood and into the frame of your RV carport.
Measure lumber to fit between 2-by-4 pieces on the front and back of your frame.
Measure and cut 2-by-2 pieces of lumber to fit horizontally along the sides between 2-by-4 pieces of lumber. Nail or screw 2-by-2 pieces into place on both interior sides of your frame.
Cut to fit and nail or screw in place to form roof trusses that will reinforce your roof.
Now that you have the wood, it’s time to cut and install it. A circular saw or table saw will be needed to cut your pieces to size. Once they are cut, use a nail gun (or drill) to secure them into place. You want these trusses to be sturdy, so make sure they’re installed correctly by using nails or screws every few inches along each joint on top of each beam.
Measure and cut a piece of 1/2 inch plywood to fit over each truss on your RV carport roof.
Measure and cut a piece of 1/2 inch plywood to fit over each truss on your RV carport roof. Use a circular saw to make the cuts, or use a jigsaw, table saw or miter saw depending on what tools you have available. You can also use a router or handsaw if you don’t have anything else handy.
Nail or screw plywood in place over each truss until entire roof is complete.
You can now add plywood to the roof of your carport, but it’s important that you use a nail or screw gun so that you don’t have to lift each piece of plywood individually. If you don’t have access to a power tool, this is where manual labor comes in. A hammer will do the trick just fine. Just be sure that when you’re nailing or screwing, your grip on the plywood is firm and level so as not to create uneven spots on your roof.
Building an rv barn can save you thousands in rv storage costs
If you’re looking for an affordable way to store your RV, then building an rv barn is the way to go. You can save thousands on storage costs by building your own rv barn.
You’ll be able to get everything you need from your local hardware store and build it in a day or two with minimal tools and skills. It’s not difficult at all! With some basic construction knowledge, it’s possible to build this structure in a few hours.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoy your new RV carport. If you find that this is not right for your needs, consider using our other guides to building a metal RV carport or an RV garage.
