Caravan Canopy Review

The Caravan Canopy can be a good addition to your craft booth, particularly if you are planning to attend several outdoor shows.

When I was in the market to buy a craft show canopy, I did a lot of research before investing my money. I wanted to buy a craft canopy that was cost effective. That is, I didn't necessarily want to buy the cheapest craft show canopy I could find, but I wanted to find the best value for my money.

One show organizer directed me to a company that sold canopies for many thousands of dollars. Although my business was making a good profit, that was just way out of my price range. However, after hearing about plenty of professional craft artists who bought the cheapest tent they could find, only to discover they had a tent with moving parts that didn't move, bent legs, leaky roofs etc. I also knew I didn't want to go for a very low end canopy.

I finally narrowed down my top choices for tent canopies to either a Caravan Canopy or an EZ Up tent. Both brands are commonly used at craft shows, and although people do have the occasional issue, both brands have a very good reputation among craft artists who are experienced at selling at craft shows.

• It's easy to put up. I can even put it up myself without any difficulty.
  
• It's a reasonable weight.
  
• It came with a wheeled bag which makes transportation and storage easy.
  
• It came with four zippered side walls which give me extra display options and protection from the elements. Also, although I have never left my items overnight at a show, I have left my display tables, which I could not have done without the zippered side walls.
  

I have heard some people have mention that they've had problems with the wheeled bags coming apart. I have not had any problems with mine, and I can say I haven't exactly been gentle with it. Do keep that in mind, though, when you're looking at buying a Caravan Canopy.

Caravan makes a variety of models of tent canopies, so be sure to read the specifications carefully and purchase one that meets your needs. A few things to look for are:

• 10x10 canopy size
  
• White color (some people debate the need to use white canopies at craft shows, I think they look the most professional and show your work off in the best possible light)
  
• Straight, not splayed legs
  
• Zippered side walls (four if you want to be able to close up the entire tent)
  
• Wheeled carrying bag
  

Caravan instant canopies are available at Costco, so if you have a membership, you may want to have a look there. You can also occasionally buy Caravan Canopies on eBay and at Amazon.

I initially assumed that shipping costs would make it unreasonable to buy my craft show canopy online, but once I took a closer look, I realized that after I factored in the cost of gas to drive an hour to buy my canopy, the shipping costs were completely reasonable.

If you don't live close to a store that sells Caravan Canopies, the gas money and time saved, combined with the convenience of having your canopy delivered to your door can make ordering your Caravan instant canopy online a smart choice.

Caravan Canopies on eBay