How To Make a Canopy Taller (Pop Up Tent Leg Extension Ideas)
When you want everything to work together. It is a great goal to have unity in your campsite or RV. However, not everything is made the same height and you have to make adjustments. Canopies always need a lift when you want to use them for different purposes. Making them taller is a challenge.
There are items called leg extenders that will give your canopy a boost. But most people seem to look for DIY options as those are cheaper and it is easier to get the exact lift you want. There is an EZ lift system but it does not work for everyone.
To learn more about giving a lift to your canopy, just continue to read our article. it has the information you want to know about. Take a few minutes to see if these ideas and suggestions will work for you.
How Tall Is a Standard Pop-up Canopy?
This will depend on where you buy it and who made it. Some EZ lift-like canopies can reach almost 11 feet high. But inside the tent, you have a metal framework that takes up about 3 feet of space. What you are left with is about 6’ 7” of clearance when everything is set up correctly.
Then some models of canopies come with adjustable legs. That means you get a variety of heights in one product. You get to set it at whatever height you want up to the limit.
Then some standard canopies may only give you roughly 7 feet of clearance while others will give you up to 9 feet of headroom. Plus, if you go large, then you will get a lot more headroom space. The headroom you get will also depend on the size of the canopy you buy.
One 11 by 11-foot canopy can provide up to 9 1/2 feet of headroom due to the EZ-lift system inside the roof. The best thing to say is that the standard height will depend on the size of the canopy as larger ones will provide more height than the smaller ones on average.
The clearance is just how much height you have when the side walls at the top are taken into account. If you are taller than the average size you may have to duck before you can enjoy the headroom inside.
How To Make a Pop-up Canopy Taller
If your canopy comes with adjustable legs, then your problem may be solved. That solution will depend on how tall those adjustments will go. You may get only a few inches of lift or a lot depending on the manufacturer of the canopy.
If you don’t have that feature, then you can always look for leg extenders. These are specific devices made to help boost your canopy to fit your height needs. They are very reasonably priced as one set only costs $25.
Once installed, they provide your canopy and you with a 12-inch boost. or you can try to find some bed risers that have had success in college dorm rooms. They lift up the twin bed so there is more storage space underneath.
You can always check the stores to see if they have these items in stock or check the classified ads at your local university to see if any graduating or moving student is selling their set.
if no store is selling extensions or bed risers in your area, then you are left with a lot of DIY options. One of the simplest would be to lay down some blocks of wood or pier blocks then attach your canopy’s legs to those items.
These items will get up to a good 8 inches of lift and make sure the canopy does not fly away. You may have to devise a secure locking system to make sure the wind doesn't move the canopy on you.
Another homemade option would be to use a PVC pipe, some bolts, and a little concrete to lift those canopy legs. The cement provides the weight while the bolts hold the legs and the PVC pipe provides the lift.
Pop Up Tent Leg Extension Options
There are not many available. In fact, we found only one company so far that makes these items. Their leg extensions go up to 1’ in height adding enough room for most people and their activities.
You can view their product at this link. So far we have only seen one model on that website which tells you that either leg extensions are not a popular product to own or people make their own.
We did see some water weights designed to hold canopies at Amazon. You may be able to use those to boost your tent a little bit. These items use Velcro straps to hold the legs to the weights so you might be able to lift the canopy leg up enough and still get the benefit of using the weights.
It also seems that many canopy-making companies make their canopies with adjustable legs. That means you will not require a leg extension. This company makes those and many others may have the same type of adjustable legs.
The best we can say is to look at any RV parts & supply stores, home improvement outlets, and camping stores to see if there is more of a selection available to you.
10x10 Canopy Leg Extensions
The company link we provided at the end of the last section was for a 10 by 10-foot canopy. What we have found is that the availability of leg extensions is as sparse for this size of canopy as it is for other canopy sizes.
However, all hope is not lost, while unavailable at this time, there are adjustable length replacement canopy legs you can buy at Amazon. These replacement legs can adjust almost another 40 inches giving you plenty of height for whatever purpose you have in mind.
Just click on this link to find the company name that makes this replacement leg then contact them directly. There is no need to wait for Amazon to get them back in stock. This particular replacement leg is for a 10 by 10-foot canopy.
Finding adjustable replacement legs may be your best option when you need to raise your canopy up a little bit. Check with the canopy brands to see what they have to offer and if their replacement legs will be compatible with your brand of canopy.
Keep in mind that not every business advertises every product they have on the internet so double-check the different stores to see if they can find some for you. If not, you may have to make your own.
Easy DIY Canopy Tent Leg Extensions
Speaking of DIY options, we have mentioned several already. The problem with the blocks of wood, the pier blocks, and even the PVC pipe with cement inside is that they add lots of weight to your trailer or RV.
If you are camping and want to use your canopy while out in the wilderness, you have to factor in the weight of those extensions as well as the weight of the canopy. Some of the DIY options you have available require guy wires to prevent the canopy from flying away in the wind.
The material options you have to make your own are fairly limited. They need to be strong, sturdy, and able to last a long time. Wood blocks are your most flexible as you can drill into them for added security.
A 6 by 6-inch woodblock can give you between 4-5 inches of extra lift just by drilling the hole large enough to fit the canopy’s legs. That is as simple as it gets. Concrete is easy to pour but you need a mold as well as bolts to make it all work. The problem is that concrete is very heavy.
How To Keep Your Canopy In One Place
This is not always an easy challenge to solve. You may not want to put holes into the walls of your trailer just to accommodate the different bolts you can use to secure your canopy.
Canopy leg weights are the best option but like the DIY leg extensions, these weights add more poundage to your overall total and may make you leave out needed supplies.
The lightest but not always the most convenient is to add guy wires. These wires or ropes can be attached to trees or other heavy objects and hold your canopy in place. The main problem is finding those trees and heavy objects near your campsite.
Some Final Words
It seems that commercially made leg extensions for canopies are few and far in between. That is because it is simpler for the company to make adjustable legs. Look around and see what options are available.
