There are moments when you need help finding a suitable and even ground for camping. Wherever you see is the ground extremely gritted with sharp pebbles, or the whole area is extremely wet. Sometimes there is also a situation when there is hefty rainfall that you see a water pool everywhere.
These are the situation when portable tent platforms came in handy. It is easy to build a tent platform on their own. In this article, I will share an easy DIY portable tent platform guide to make things easy.
Easy DIY Portable Tent Platform Guide
Portable tent decks are beneficial for camping. This framework elevates the tent off the ground, protecting you from the impacts of climate, insects, and other potentially damaging elements throughout your stay. The advantage of this platform is that it is portable, and you can quickly fix them using simple tools.
Here I will guide you to build a 12x16 foot platform on which you can fit a 10x12 foot canvas tent. You can also create a 12x12 tent platform for the same size tent, but I have extended it to an extra 4 feet to make a front porch. It will help you to exit the tent without trampling onto the ground.
This lightweight, portable tent platform has a 2/ 4 base encased in half-inch thick external plywood. The platform can be built and removed using a tent platform kit consisting of only a screwdriver and mallet and packed up and placed in most cars and trucks' trunks, a unique feature of this design.
Requirements
Sheets of ACX half-inch plywood:
6 sheets of 4 ft. x 8 ft.
Eight sheets of 8 ft. x 2x4s.
Ten sheets of 12 ft. x 2x4s
Stanley Hinges:
4 Butt hinges with movable pins 3 in. (No. 08-3031)
9 Utility hinges 3 in. (No. 75-2060)
12 Lifespan strap hinges 6 in. (No. 78 -1515)
Bolts:
10 Eye bolts 3/8×8-in. (No. 13-0290)
10 Square U-bolts 5/16x2x5-in. (No. 13-4250)
Nuts:
10 tee-nuts 3/8×7/16-in
20 wing-nuts 5/16-in.
20 insert nuts ¼-20x20mm
20 washers 1-in.
20 flathead machine screws ¼-20×1-in.
Steps to Make a Portable Raised Tent Platform
Link the Frame
Link the 2x4s to one another with a massive 6-inch rope hinge.
Then, cut ten 12-foot 2x4s into 20 segments, each 70 and a half-In in length.
Attach sets of the 2x4s using strap hinges to construct ten plywood subfloors, all 11 ft. 9 In. in size.
Construct the Legs
Take 20 sheets of 2x4s and cut ten into 10 in. and ten into 13 and a half-in.
Attach the smaller sheets to the larger ones to construct the legs.
Secure the legs to the platform's base using a C-clamp.
Drill a hole of about 7/16 inches in both.
Remove the clamp and fix a tee nut into the hole at the back of the leg.
Fix the Floorboard
Use 6 ACX half-inch fir plywood (4/8 foot in size) to make the platform's base.
Attach the sheets using a narrow utility hinge of 3 in. to make three foldable boards.
Attach them firmly by securing the hinges with small bolts, hex nuts, and washers.
Spray the floorboard with marine paint.
Set the Frame
Assemble the platform by first placing its outer structure to make a 12 x 16 feet rectangle.
Bring each end of the 2 x 4 panel together, ensuring the two hinges' sides are locked completely.
Then, put the hinge pin into position, connecting the two sides and tightening the frame's edge.
Do the same with the other three edges.
Fix the Legs
10 legs of 13-and-a-half inch size lift the platform off the floor.
Fix each leg using an eye-bolt.
Insert the bolts into the tee bolt at the back of the leg through the frame.
Tight each bolt with a hand and secure the tent with eye bolts.
Fix the Remaining Legs
A single 2 x 4 leg supports each of the ten 11-foot-9-inch-length floorboards at the center of the bridge.
Use wing nuts and square U-bolts to fix each leg.
Press each U-bolt into holes using a mallet and tighten the wing nuts with your hands.
Fix the Floor
At each connection point, drill an 11/32-inch hole 1 inch deep into the upper end of the 2 x 4 panel.
Put the insert nuts into the holes using a wrench.
Drill 14-inch screw-shank clearing holes into the plywood.
Fix the twenty screws.
Conclusion
So, can you put a tent on a deck? Following the above steps, your portable raised tent platform is ready to use, and you can put your tent on such a deck. You can customize it with artificial grass or other accessories to make your tent feel like a house. You don't have to worry about how you attach/pitch a tent to a wooden platform. The gaps between the wood panel make it easy for you. There are also portable tent platforms for sale, which is also helpful.