What do you do when the wind is threatening to turn your umbrella inside out?
George asks…
Steve,
I have been up and running for 6 straight weekends. I am just selling on Saturday and Sundays. Things have been going well. The question I have is about wind. The place I am set up at is in a pretty open area and it pretty much always has a breeze to being very windy. This last weekend, the wind was blowing about 15-25 mph, which is pretty common. The problem is my umbrella, it has been able to handle it most of the time, but this weekend it just couldn’t handle some of the strong gusts of wind and it broke. I was wondering if anyone has had similar issues with wind and figured out a way to strengthen their umbrella or thought of a way to deal with wind, other than to close the umbrella, or to shut down. The reason I cannot just close the umbrella is that it is so sunny, I would have to shut down because the sun makes it unbearable. Having an umbrella is a must.
Let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks,
George Huntoon
*************************
I hate closing my umbrella when it’s too windy. Here is a great solution:
https://hotdogprofits.com/blog/hot-dog-cart-umbrella-wind-solution-update/
George also told me he is using an 8′ umbrella. If he drops down to a 6′ umbrella, the wind has a whopping 44 percent less surface area to grab – and that makes a
HUGE difference!
I just know you folks have some super creative solutions to this common problem. Let’s hear them in the comments!
-Steve
the better brand back yard umbrellas are way stronger but wont fit the hole in the car with out work. You could use bungee cord connected at five ribs of the umbrella this gives it little play ,gale force winds will lift it out of the cart be careful good luck.
I’m working a gig on Friday with 40 MPH winds in the forecast. I need the money so I’m working the event with a cheap Sam’s umbrella.
Hello George,
I have found that if I lean the umbrella slightly into the wind it will handle the gusts much better.
I wear a chef hat, at all times durning business hours. Also, it builds a fun character to the customers ad they like originality. Another fact, the hat tells customers your in the mood to cook.
Tim Diaz
The Convenient Citizen
I just drilled a small hole through the poles and placed a bolt through. Solved all problems of it closing in the wind.
Seems like you might be a candidate for a portable canopy to cover your complete operation. Then you would have more protection from the sun. I don’t have a cart but love HOT DOGS with a passion. Good luck!
wear a big hat.
I’ve had to deal with replacing umbrellas for two seasons now and just recently I had enough. I called Frankford Umbrellas – from whom I had purchased all of my vinyl umbrellas – and explained my wind problems to them. They suggested an acrylic umbrella with fiberglass ribs that I could have customized to my color and design specs. You can reach them at (866) 222-4134, ask for Bill Nixon. They were very helpful. I haven’t purchased mine yet but the pricing was very reasonable – they gave me a “drive out” price of around $150 for my specs.
I have only had to drop my umbrella at a couple of events due to wind. I have lost 3 umbrellas’ in the past and currently have 3 in stock, one in use and two back ups. I use the El Cheapo’s from Sams now because they hold up better than the ones I have paid $100.00 for. Always remember location, location, location, you can always turn your cart around, drop your umbrella, block the wind from your cart with your 6×12 trailer (if you have one), move the the other side of the parking lot or building. Think outside of the bun………
Duggs Doggs
“Good!! Good!!
Hey George,
Go to this website and check out the video..click on the construction tab and watch what these things can with stand..not sure what they cost but you can customize them also with your logo too..here’s the websites addy..
http://www.fiberbuiltumbrellas.com
got one in my backyard and i leave it open all summer..and i live in the windy city Chicago..ain’t found it yet in my nieghbors
yard yet…
Good Luck.!!
Winds sucks but it is part of the game. I have a permanent base that is attached to my cart. No way that is going anywhere. Unfortunatly it only fits at a time. The umbrella snaps into the secure base and now you just need to have a strong umbrella that won’t blow out. Mine has a steel spine and is really strong. This company has a great selection, give them a try.
http://www.umbrellasusa.com
Hope that helps.
what i have done is simple, I cut the pipe in half and stuck a wooden dowel inside the pipe, this will stop the pipe from bending in half, now the other day I to had problems, the wind took my top half and turned it inside out. what I did not know was the umbrellas from sams club are plastic ribs, i just turned them back to outside in and they where ok. If the dowel from the umbrella is to large for the whole in your cart yo must find a way to inlarge that whole. if you have any problems I build carts juest email me a line and I can help you one on one
Tony
i am looking for replacement burners for my cart
any ideas where i might purchase a good set of burners maybe ss thanks bill
Hey George!
I have the same wind problem on the corner where I set up! (anything more than 6 mph in wind is miserable!) (And as a blond-haired blue eyed Dixie Gal, I understand the sunshine issue!)
I bought the cheapy 25 dollar umbrella from Sams, because it has the fiberglass ribs that will pop out of their slots rather than break! Then I went to Kmart and bought a pack of 20 tiny bungee cords, about the thickness of a pencil and about 1 foot long. (4.99) Next I put small eye hooks at various locations all around my cart. I hook the bungee cords to the eye bolts and then to the umbrella ribs. It can withstand up to 25-30 mile winds easily. We also drilled a bolt hole in out umbrella stick (below the surface of the cart) and put a bolt through the hole and into the wood of the cart, keeps the brella from floating away)
Hope this helps. Good job toughing it out! Wanda Swan, Dixie Kitchen Hotdogs and Concessions!
Make Lemonaide from those windy Lemons hurled at you at 40MPH! One of My Umbrellas fell victim to the Wind while Operating on a snow-Mobile Trail. I took the Cloth off the Ribs and Replaced it with Rope Lights! Its powered by a Car Battery~The wind whistles right through the open Ribs and I was Very Visible for the Snowmobilers at Dusk! ~no problem with the Health Department because who would think some idiot is selling Hot Dogs on a Snow-Mobile Trail in the Middle of a Pocono Winter!!
Thanks so much for all the awesome responses!!! I have the 8′ umbrella from sams, they really are great umbrellas, especially since they sell them for less than $30. and when the wind does turn it inside out it does not ruin it becasue the skeleton is no metal. i did just order one of the metal frame umbrellas from ebay for $130, the ones that say Hot Dogs and Cold Drinks on them. i hope this works. i am going to check out the websites that were recomended above.
My first year was a real bear of a time with wind. Take the umbrella down? Put it on the cart but don’t open it? I have learned to just ride it out with the umbrella down, sun or no sun. I have found that now that i have been in the same spot for a couple of years the umbrella really doesn’t matter for me. If they see the cart they know i am open. I had to make a decision. Put up a canopy, don’t open the umbrella or deal with the fact that the umbrella can go at anytime. I decided that on heavy wind days i don’t open the umbrella. This decision came after the umbrella broke and smacked a customer in the face. I really don’t think there is a perfect answer to this. Weather is king, we are all in for the ride
I actually had the umbrella lift up and land on my wife, upside down and point first! LUCKILY it did no harm – that time. I realized that when the 9′ umbrella was fully extended to the uppermost pin ole that it had a greater tendency to lift rather than absorb the wind. I have since put the pin on the lowest point on the umbrella shaft to minimize lift. No incidents in the last 3 weeks or even close. Hope that helps!
I have a (name brand hot dog) umbrella that is high wind resistant. Basically, it has several 3 inch hole near the center with a round flap covering the holes. The wind passes threw the holes releaving the stress. Works well and can be adapted to other umbrellas. The problem I have is keeping the burners on; even tried rotating the cart. Last Saturday the gusts were up to over 40mph. I had to shut down when the pan lids blew away and hot water sprayed from the pans all over me and the cart. Should have seen me chasing my Tiki statue down the street! Tikiman
I agree with all of the comments, the wind can be a challenge. We have lost one umbrella to the wind since we started in February. I got a portable pop up canopy that helps, and it is tethered to the cart…just in case. I have a harder time now keeping the napkins and the dog trays from blowing away now.
I have lots of experience with wind. The thing that I do that makes your umbrella handle much more wind is to rachet strap from the top portion of the center pole to the front of my cart. put some tension on it and face into the wind. Works great.
I’ve seen other vendors handling the wind issues by having long bungee cords with hooks, they then took one side of the bungee hook and got a coffee can(or any size can that you can cut away and weightwise will work) sunk one end of the hook into concrete while in the can, then let dry. After, cut away the can. You now have a bungee cord in which you can hang the hook end up in the rafters of your umbrella while dangling the bungee cord with the concreted end down along side your umbrella. Another thought, paint the concrete to resemble a coffee cup or soft drinks or paint your business name or phone number on it…use it for advertising, etc! Hope this gives you some ideas.
Hi There,
I have been roadsiding and doing State Fairs etc for 15 yrs and soon to be doing Hot Dogs. We have been up in 50 mph winds with the following:
I would suggest getting a straight leg canopy for those extra windy days. A heavy duty one at Sam’s Club is approx$ 199.00. You use an aluminum stake ( 4 pack at Wal Mart Sporting goods =$2.00) and a rope at each leg if on grass. If on concrete or asphalt use weights such as dumbell weights to hold the canopy down.
As per someone else’s suggestion , park your car or truck on the windward side of your Hot Dog stand to block some of the wind .
Hope this helps.
Ken
I have the same deal going on. Major wind I have the portable canopy 10×10. I use cement blocks to anker it down.I’ve had the whole portable canopy flip over from wind, before I used the blocks. Wind can be one of our biggest problems. Good luck!
cut some small flaps in the top to let the air blow through it.
Go to Harbor Freight – they typically have 6′ fabric umbrellas for 7-8 bucks. Also, If you have an Academy Sports in your area – they have a great umbrella for $20 in a variety of colors. I always carry a spare – it’s cheap insurance for those windy days! Never had the wind eat more than one!!
As others have stated, either put Your umbrella down in high winds and/or wear a sun-blocking hat. A word of caution: Don’t do as I did with My first cart. I bought a beautiful, wood umbrella. The first windy day, it was ruined. Also, if You put a bolt half way up the pole, it will keep Your umbrella from departinf and You can hang stuff from it that You want to be in easy reach. Good luck.
george
i use to use the umbrella but now use a ez-up canopy U can see my set up on my face book photos, butlers hot dogs but i still fight the wind in some location.
good luck
mike
I bought a $30.00 dollar beach umbrella from wallmart.It has vents on top the wind sales through it. I also put several cords tied to my cart, never had a problem in 2 years
I use a canopy with 4 five gallon buckets half full with drainage stones. Put the legs into the bucket and ancher your line from the canopy to the bucket handles. You’ll be surprise how sturdy your canopy will be. Don’t forget to drill some holes in the bottom of the bicket to allow water to drain in case it rains. GoodLuck
I am no longer slinging dogs but I have a funny story. One day I set up in front of a Junk yard and the wind was ferocious. I set up my cart as usual and was getting ready to plant my umbrella (It always reminds me of the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington ) when a huge gust of wind followed by a tractor trailer suddenly lifted my umbrella out the hole with me attached to it and I probably flew a good ten feet. I bet you the people driving by thought I was Mary Poppins, The umbrella survived the crash and I couldn’t stop laughing my butt off.
Tims “Get Grilled Foods” has the best idea whith his E-Z built set up. It’s and E-z up canopy with PVC pipe filled with sand and attached to the legs. He also ties his umbrella at an angle.
You can pick up an E-Z up canopy for about 70 bucks if you shop around. They have more expensive ones also. The 10×10 weighs in at 31 pounds.
Ok, this is a universal problem. Umbrellas help make up the novelty of the cart besides providing you shade in the work area. Like the rest posting here, I have lost several umbrellas to the wind. The Sam’s multicolor beach umbrella holds up the best in the wind. It’s cost is about a 1/3 of the crank up wood umbrellas. When the wind gets above 15 mph you need to bungy to your cart. If the wind gets much worse then 25 mph its time to go home.
I have not had ploblems with wind and the $30 Sam umbrellas. E-mail me and I will send a picure and information to keep the pole and umbrella from being destroyed. I had restaurants for 32 years and in hot dog business for 2 years. Thanks———-Joe
jknernschield@cox. net
I think the ez up is a very good option.
Regarding EZ up comments. Yes, there are cheaper ones as was mentioned here with legs that go at a diagonal. They are too light and will fall apart in any kind of heavy or gusty wind. Go with the straight leg heavier duty ones. This is based on 15 yrs experience with 32 Independant Dealers who used to work for me over the years. We only lost 1 canopy during this time when it wasn’t secured well enuff. Hope this helps.
Best,
Ken
I FACE HIGH WINDS DAILY! EZ-UPS CAN BE
A PROBLEM. I USE A TIE DOWN ON TWO
OUTSIDE RIBS AND MY POLE IS BOLTED
TO THE CART. SOMETIMES THE WIND SO
STRONG THAT IT MOVES MY CART BUT
THE UMBRELLA STAYS PUT.
Having the cart in Alaska last summer we learned a lot about wind and rain! E-Zup and umbrella vital! Wind and umbrellas not a good mix. Have seen the E-Zup go tumbeling across the softball field. Not fun but funnier then —l! (keep it nice, kids are reading this) Answer! Must have a cover in this kind of weather so–anchor E-Zup with blocks and let the umbrella stay down. Didn’t think about the ones with holes in them, duh! Always learning!!! We had to have cover so ez up good answer. Rain was our enemy–still had to feed the masses, the deal was, “You play, we cook!” Doing the softball games 4 nights a week gave us all the challanges we needed! Wind and burners too! Burners were worse for us then umbrella. We could and did just take it down, they still knew we were there. Keeping the burners going was our real challange! Got creative and built wind blockers with other pans and lids and turn the cart and use your body to block the wind!
By the way , not one person melted in the rain, and we sold more dogs on rainy days. People still eat when it rains! They think you are nuts and we are and it works. More tips too, just because you are there! Love the business!
I use bungy cords from the spoke of the umbrella to the cart. However, I sell [name brand] and they give me my umbrellas also with a slot already set with a lock to snap into place. But, the bungy cords work great.
In the past, I must’ve lost three or four umbrellas to the wind before I found a solution. I simply bought a sturdy backyard umbrella with a heavy base. I place the base near the front side of the cart (under one of the empty propane holders) and bungee the umbrella to the underside of the tank and to the full propane tank. Works well even in high winds. Of course, if the wind is too high you’ve got to use your best judgement. But this has always worked for me.
No one seems to talk of loosing supplies and even hot dogs off the cart in wind. It is usually ok during steady winds, as this you adjust your umbrella and supplies to handle that. It is the sudden gusts you get from time to time. I have had things fly off the cart, heavy things like extra buns, etc. Oh, and how do you keep the burners lit? I have used duct tape to block vents, but that drives the heat back to the ice cooled stuff in the middle or other side of the cart. Wind also makes it very hard to keep the gas jets adjusted. At times, getting enough heat to boil water is almost impossible. I try to avoid the windy days when I can, as I am at the same place all the time. If you do affairs, this is really a problem. You have to choose between safety, damage and money making. It is not for the faint at heart, but hotdoging never is.
Hi Rick, I found that by pointing the front of the cart directly into the wind I can avoid 90 percent of the problems you are talking about.