Outsunny UPGRADED Polytunnel Build, Review, AND DISASTER... 

The ground being so wet would make it even easier to to dig a hole to bury the plastic, That poly tunnel had no chance with a few bricks thrown here and there to keep the plastic down. Take it as a lesson for the future. Keep the videos coming, your a likable lad

2 Were erected on a site near us at the weekend and were both destroyed by the winds yesterday, less than 48 hours later. They were trenched in and stayed in place, but the frame folded and broke all over the place. I have three 3 X 6m Feelgood/Birchtree/Foxhunter tunnels, the oldest of which is about 13 years old. They have metal L straps set in concrete holding them down, all supplied bolts replaced with longer roofing bolts so the frame can be fixed to holding down straps, internal bracing timbers, timber door frames each end and has drum tight proper poly covers fixed with battens to perimeter border edging boards (bolted to frames, so when the bottom horizontal tubes go rusty they can be discarded) and to door frames. They don't shift one bit in the strongest of gales.

Next time putting up a cheaper tunnel like this I would recommend having the trench already dug out where the frame will sit, if trenching in. Otherwise if making the cover tight using a timber framework then have the timber at the ready to secure the plastic cover. If the conditions aren't right to do any of this then consider delaying until the conditions improve. The frame really needs to either be buried or anchored down with ground stakes ie strong rebar, and/or fairly small and cheap wooden stakes hammered into the ground and cable tied to the frame. The plastic cover never really gets mega tight like on a higher end tunnel, but getting it as taut as possible to stop it catching the wind and flapping around really improves things. The frame can be strengthened reasonably cheaply (£10-15) by adding roofing battens or something similar as an extra support running the length of the tunnel, between the top centre bar and the side bar, again these could just be cable tied to the frame with anti hot spot tape over the cable ties. These are also useful to tie in twine for training tomato plants etc. I am really gutted for your mum and you that you lost your tunnel so soon after putting it up, you both must have been really excited for it for the coming growing season. It's right what you say, these cheaper polytunnels don't have the strongest of frames and they really do move around a lot in the wind if you don't add extra support and over time it takes its toll on the frame. They also seem to rust quite quickly despite being galvanised. It's a shame there doesn't seem to be any sort of middle ground does there? It's either get a cheaper tunnel approx £150, or the equivalent size would be £1k or so from a high end tunnel supplier. Only other thing I could suggest would be to try and source a strong frame second hand from ebay or elsewhere from ex commercial tunnels and then build your own doors, buy the requisite plastic etc and build your own that way. Probably a bit too time consuming and more labour to put it up though, so there's that. Very best of luck with the next one you put up, I hope you and your mum do another one soon if you can!!

Thanks for sharing this. I'm so sorry it happened, and before you even got to use it. I hope you can find the motivation to keep going. Would be interesting to know if the manufacturer would offer a refund, but I suspect they wouldn't, because with the number of times I've seen it happen they'd probably be out of business.

Get yourself two old ten foot trampolines matey theyll make a good strong tunnel they’ll last you a lifetime 👍😎

🐝Thanks for the great video🌻 owmy even before the storm it looks already realy flimsy... Still sorry for the tunnelloss

Oh that is gutting 😢 but you just have get ya chin up and soldier on. Next one will be better. Chin up.

Brilliant video James, going to look at all the others!

Sorry to see your polytunnel got trashed. I think Peter Trenmouth did a vid about the exact model and he wasn't impressed. Blow aways are okay but if the wind gets to them, the fun starts. It was a battle to keep ours for two years.

Oh no! I'm sorry you've had this experience! ♡

Thank you for this

So sorry that your mums polytunnel got destroyed. Hopefully she will get her mojo back and try again. Couple of tips from me. I have a budget polytunnel too and use sleepers to keep the cover taught. I bought stakes and hammered them in at corners nd along long sides and taped the polytunnel to them. Finally I put straps over the polytunnel and secured with corkscrew ground pegs. I know you probably had things in mind but the storm got their first. Again so sorry.

Watching this video james is heartbreaking for me, I certainly hope I get my motivation back to get down on the allotment

Wish you had seen my build/review and subsequent videos about this Outsunny tunnel. It’s NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE and even if you had trenched it in, the three hoops in the middle would have collapsed at the joints. Don’t know if you noticed the yellow tag on the inside of the cover, but it states 24mph is it’s wind loading. That’s a complete joke. It also states no compensation will be given for any damage caused by severe weather. I feel so sorry for your mother.

Gees Jim ,I'm really gutted for your mum

Hi James if I had the space for a polytunnel I would spend the money and go for a more expensive one, its an investment and will last for a good while without worrying about the wind, gutted for your mam, Steve

I am so sorry for your experience with the tunnel, but the pipe work looked very flimsy. Maybe have a look at first for tunnels.

Sorry it was destroyed so quickly but…It would of been fine if you’d have buried the cover and fixed the frame to the floor.. mine is on an open site and was unscathed throughout the winter storms.. granted these are not the best quality of polytunnel by any stretch but as long as they are installed properly they are fine, as the ones in your plot testify

Usually i like to see things that go wrong so i can avoid it happening to me but NOT this so disheartening don't know what to say such a shame

There not built for a storm now if you pay over a grand you might be lucky you have got to strengthen them yourself not just use what you get in the box mines got fence post holding it down I've learnt my lesson lol