Pole replacement

BuddyS · Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:49 pm

I recently bought a retro trio castle and I need a pole for it. Every photo I see of a castle system, the pole is bent. Seems like there's a serious problem with under sized poles vs weight. Since there are many castle owners here I was wondering if I have alternatives.

Anthony Neira · Wed Jan 21, 2015 12:05 am

Hey Buddy, I couldn't pass up on 8, "BLITZ " tri poles way back in '94. If you can find one, that would work. I use 2 sets of welded chain link fence post hinges, both clamped to a 6 1/2' fence post & the tri pole at the highest & lowest points of the 5 feet of fence post standing above ground level. So I have all my tri poles Double posted. The welded clamped hinges work great! Good luck! Anthony

daveh · Wed Jan 21, 2015 10:59 am

Buddy, I wish Erva Tool made a heavy duty thick walled pole but they don't. I've had several castle and minicastle poles bent in storms. I keep extra pole sections just in case.

About 3 years ago I took my trio poles down during the off season and added pipe and conduit to the inside of the poles. It made them heavier and stiffer and haven't had any bent ones since. I do try and lower the houses 4-5 feet before storms hit and that helps. But sometimes I'm not home when a storm goes thru and that's when I hope the stiffer poles help. Yes, it's a pain to go out and look for pipe to fit inside but I didn't know what else to do. I still believe that a really bad storm can bend these reinforced poles but maybe not to the ground.

Tri poles I think are telescopic poles and would not work. They need to be round to fit the hole inside the house, not a triangle. I don't think they're strong enough to handle a heavy castle. Castles are usually set up on a winch system.

dave

BuddyS · Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:31 am

Hey Anthony, will chain link fencing tubes attached to the posts work or are they too flimsy? Also, do you have photos of your setup?

Anthony Neira · Wed Jan 21, 2015 11:51 am

Hey Buddy, I'll put up pic.s soon. I first get a round 2"x6 1/2' Metal Fence end post cemented into the ground so that 5' sticks out. I then get fence hinge clamps (place your wrist crossed over each other with your thumbs & forefingers making "C"s) Welded at the pivot (fence companies will do it) they will look like 2 Horse shoes almost side by side. I then get a small 1/2 flat brick as a base for the tri pole, hold the tri pole NEXT to the fence post & slide the 2 clamp sets over the poles so one set is bolted at the lowest points of the poles & one at the highest point of the fence post. Your neighbors will think you just set up the tallest Home Rocket project they've ever seen! and then the cops will come by & you plead guilty of having P.Martin fever (a.K.a Martin Nut like the rest of us!) Pics coming!

Anthony Neira · Wed Jan 21, 2015 12:19 pm

Photos added!

any more questions? Anyone ? Feel free to email me at [email protected], thanks AND YES I DO Have Snake guards, just not in the pic.s

DornCounty · Wed Jan 21, 2015 12:26 pm

there's not a real good answer to this one that's cheap. My opinion is the house is too heavy for the pole. That said it does take 90+ MPH to bend them. had several push that here in town that did not bend them. A lot of issues with poles in general is the fact that the pole was not set with drainage properly and the pole filled with water and froze.. causing a break. Then the pole bends easily.

Anthony Neira · Wed Jan 21, 2015 12:48 pm

I'm lucky Andrew, Down here it hardly freezes, my poles resting on TOP of a brick drains water, and we have never had winds over "40 ISH", I have seen my double poles (I left them ALL the way up) sway in REALLY bad storms where trees fell down, & in 20+ yrs of "Double Poling" never had one fail. FINGERs CROSSED X!!
My next project will be that I am going to replace 2 of my tri poles with 2, 2" Multi Purpose Poles BOLTED to my 5' post, I don't have time to set the stakes into the ground Right now, SO I WILL MONITOR THE HECK out if them this season, AND LOWER Them FOR ANY BAD Weather!!