2. The skeleton of your Gorilla Hut is SCH40 PVC pipe.
CONSTRUCT THE GORILLA HUT.
Unlike standard monkey hut designs, the Gorilla Hut does not require 10ft PVC pipes.
Using only 5ft pipes, this design fits inside a midsize car.
Layout your materials and find a good spot to cut your PVC.
Cut the PVC. (Figure C1)
Cut (10) thin pipe in half. These will become the Gorilla Hut rib segments. They are done, so set them aside.
Cut (1) fat pipe into (10) 1 foot lengths. As you measure these, mark a point 6 inch along the length. These pieces will become rib joints, connecting two rib segments.
Take (1) fat pipe and cut 1 foot off of the end. Measure 4ft6in, half the remaining length, and cut. This is a spare rib joint and the short sections of the spine.
Cut (3) fat pipe in half. These become the Gorilla Hut spine segments and spine joints.
Cut (1) fat pipe in half, and cut the end of (1) half off at a 30° angle. One half goes to the spine, one half becomes a support column.
Cut (2) fat pipes in half on a 30° angle. These become support columns. Don't worry if they are not all perfectly the same size.
Cut the PVC. (Figure C1)
Figure C1. Cut the PVC
Next, add tape to hold fittings in place.
The PVC pipe is smaller than the fittings, so wrap the pipe with tape to create a snug but flexible fit.
Gorilla Tape works best because it is thick, reducing the total number of wraps needed to make to achieve a snug fit.
Crossbeam Fittings
Wrap tape on spine joints. (figure c2)
Select (2) 5 foot sections of fat pipe and (2) 4ft6in sections of fat pipe, then wrap tape around the ends of the pipes until they fit snuggly into a 1-1/2in X-fitting.
The tape wrap should be 1/8in thick.
They should slide in relatively easily, and they should not be able to push through the fitting entirely.
Figure C2. Wrap tape on spine joints
Figure C2. Wrap tape on crossbeams
Spine Sections
Slide fittings over tape on spine segments. (figure c3)
Select (5) 5 foot sections of fat pipe.
Wrap tape around the precise middle of each pipe until the wrap is slightly less than 1/8in thick.
Slide the X and T fittings down over the tape wrap, pushing through until centered. The fitting should hold snugly, but if forced the joint should wiggle back and forth.
If you are struggling to get the fitting over the tape and can pull the fitting off, do so and remove some tape.
If you are struggling and cannot pull the fitting off, spray the inside of the fitting with WD-40 and gently hammer the fitting over the tape.
Figure C3. Slide fittings over tape on spine segments
Figure C3. Slide fittings over tape on spine segments
Add bolts to fat pipes to hold thin pipes in place.
Add bolts to rib joints and spine. (Figure C4)
Since the thin PVC slides inside the fat PVC, you will need to add bolts to prevent it from sliding as far as it can.
Every bolt is located 6 inches from the end of the PVC pipe it goes through. Mark the location where the bolt will go and pre-drill a hole through both sides of the PVC.
Be sure the hole goes straight through the pipe by checking from all angles.
Find the middle of all (11) of the rib joints, and put a bolt through them.
Mark 6 inches from each end of all (5) spine sections and put a bolt through both ends. The X or T fittings must be in place by now. Both bolts must be facing the same direction or they will damage the tarp.
Figure C4. Add bolts to rib joints and spine
Figure C4. Add bolts to rib joints and spine
The skeleton of the Gorilla Hut shelter is now complete!
3. The Gorilla Hut is held together with rope, ratchet straps, and 100% UV blocking tarp.
Thread the rope through the 20 foot edges of the tarp.
Run rope through tarp. (Figure C5)
The right rope is essential to this build.
The rope must fit through the holes in the tarp, which are around 1 inch.
Para-Cord is too stretchy and cannot be used.
Climbing rope can be a good option since climbers often buy new ropes, and sometimes you can get used rope for cheap. You want the sturdiest rope that will fit through the grommets in the tarp, so shop around a bit. Rope can be surprisingly expensive, so make sure you don't have to buy it twice!
The first step to preparing the tarp is to cut the 120 feet of rope into (4) 30 foot sections. Cauterize the ends using a lighter, stove, or blowtorch.* Set (2) aside. *If the cauterized ends must fit through the tarp grommets, so cut the rope ends at an angle and press the melted nylon against a hard surface using a rolling motion. Imagine you are sharpening a pencil... Also, don't burn yourself...
Identify the shorter 20 foot side of the tarp. Thread the rope through the first grommet, leaving 5 feet of rope at the end. Proceed to thread the rope through all the grommets on that side, using an over/under running stitch. There should be about 5 feet of rope on each end.
Repeat this process on the other 20 foot side of the tarp.
Figure c5. Run rope through tarp
The tarp is finished, so here is how to put it away!
Fold the tarp. (Figure C6)
To store your tarp, fold in half so that the two ends with ropes are together but the ropes are not overlapping.
Fold in thirds, then in half, until the width of the tarp will fit in a 27 gallon large plastic tote.
Now simply roll the whole tarp up, leaving the ropes outside of the roll.
The objective is to tie loops in the ratchet straps
This allows them to attach to your Gorilla Hut skeleton more easily.
First, set aside (2) 15 foot ratchet straps. These will not be modified.
Take the remaining ratchet straps. Identify the side with a hook but no ratchet, and measure 2 feet from the end. Mark this place on each strap.
Pinching the marked location and tie a basic overhand knot without twisting the strap. This creates a small, 2-3 inch loop. Do not over tighten this knot.
Separate the ratchet straps by length.
For 15 foot straps, measure and tie a loop 7 feet from the first loop. Be sure the strap does not twist. Do not over tighten this knot.
For 8 feet straps, measure and tie a loop 3 feet from the first loop. Be sure the strap does not twist. Do not over tighten this knot.
Figure c6. Tie loops in ratchet straps
Figure C6. Tie loops in ratchet straps
Congratulations!
You are ready to deploy your Gorilla Hut!
We recommend you practice deploying Your new shade structure in a familiar environment first.
