How to build a Caterpillar High Tunnel greenhouse kit (2020 edition)

[@jordanmaxwell5200]

I'm going to add my experience so far. I installed my 50' gothic pro according to the directions and videos. 1 year in: I've had the top/ends of my gothic tunnel tear on the wiggle wire channel on both ends. It wasnt as bad as a tear in the top because there is enough slack to use to cover it up. All of the channels on the outside ribs have stripped out the self tapping screws. If I had to do it all over again a bolt/nut instead of self tapping screws would have saved alot of headache. Granted I live in Oklahoma and the tunnel is in a pasture with little blocking the wind. The ends face south and north. After about 3 months I had to adjust each end so that it wasnt blowing around in the wind. I've had to do this more frequently as the plastic starts to stretch over time. Hope this helps someone.

[@willowcreekfarmcenter]

When installing the wiggle wire channel, it's best to pre drill the holes first. That worked for us!

[@FarmersFriend]

Thanks for the tip!

[@thefemalefarmer]

Thanks Farmers Friend for a more in-depth assemble of the Cat tunnels..we love ours here on the farm. This video really will help others building out theirs the first time.

[@FarmersFriend]

Thanks for the positive feedback Peggy!

[@pepper24able]

I wish every flat pack had an easy to understand video with it like this!

[@FarmersFriend]

Thanks for the encouragement! We hoped it would be easy to understand!

[@lunkerpond9765]

Mount the wiggle wire channels on the end bows before you stand up the bows. Much easier to work it on the ground.

[@dig_grow_cook]

Damn wish I would have read this comment before. We are installing the channels now 😭

[@KuvTsev]

This video is very helpful in deciding if we want to purchase the tunnel. Thanks for the tutorial!

[@FarmersFriend]

You're welcome!

[@reformvideos4303]

What a brilliant product

[@aseasonoftomatoes1572]

Making a jig out of a two by four helps make it easy on the purlin. Bows go into the slots in the wood every five feet or whatever your bows are spaced

[@FarmersFriend]

Great suggestion!

[@Mrmejuice]

We need an end wall kit from y’all next! 🙏

[@FarmersFriend]

Stay tuned! We are so close to releasing them!

[@loverboy18k]

@@FarmersFriend Excellent! i will be purchasing a gothic 100ft or 50ft some time around 5-15-2020. Hoping you will have an endwall by then!

[@fancentral4662]

This is well produced. Good product. Success is deserved.

[@FarmersFriend]

Thank you!

[@acctsupsvc6454]

Thanks for the wonderful video🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲👍👍👍

[@rudrarishi2523]

Excellently demonstrated, Thank you 🙏

[@lrhcconrad2230]

Try feathering the trigger on the gun while applying diffrent pushing power with your arm and shoulders . that will most always work for applying tek screws

[@FarmersFriend]

Great tip!

[@Rocksolidhandyman]

Excellent demonstration video on how to do this!!! How much do you suppose somebody would charge to completely set up one of these?

[@elgatoguapoofficial]

If you ordered the ground post upgrade, you’ll need to flip half of them over so that the swedged end can point down on one side.

[@alexandrbondarchuk6417]

Hello! if a strong wind blows, the greenhouse will not be torn from the Earth?where the ropes intersect, the film will not rub to the holes? in 2 ,3 years?

[@emilaliyev7004]

very interesting. i need to install this caterpillar to my farm.

[@FarmersFriend]

We'd be happy to help get you set up if you decide to do that!

[@emilaliyev7004]

@@FarmersFriend i live in Luxembourg 🇱🇺. Farr «)))

[@babsoneverything3060]

What do you do with the excess plastic on the bottom? @Farmers Friend

[@pennyarizzio2824]

How far down would you pound the rebar without a lift kit?18"..?

[@briantrout7051]

Something I wondered about... Why couldn't you install the wiggle wire channel on the end bows while they were on the ground? Seems like it would be a whole lot easier not having to do that all on a ladder. Maybe there's a reason. (?) But I don't particularly care to be on a ladder any more than I need to. Just something I thought about while watching. Appreciate the video!

[@FarmersFriend]

Hey @Brian, I don't see why you couldn't. It may be hard to get the Spring Wire to bend over the top bow when it's just laying on the ground, but it's certainly doable.

[@dannyjr374]

Very informative

[@oblioyou]

Why would not slide on the brace band where it is needed before you screw the frame together?

[@ascensionranch3213]

We finished ours today. Our biggest struggle was the wind. We had to get out at 5am to get the plastic up and the rope. Now we are experiencing 30 mph winds. It is holding up so far. It is very noisy though from the ends flapping.

[@FarmersFriend]

Yes, the wind can be a big challenge when trying to tug a 100x28 sail around! Which tunnel did you get?

[@ascensionranch3213]

We have 2 14x50 Gothic Cat tunnels. It is just my wife and I so it a struggle. I put on earth anchors to help strengthen the ends. We had strong winds yesterday and it only loosed the rope. That was gun trying to get retighted. All is well so far.

[@FarmersFriend]

Yeah, it can be a struggle with 2 people but glad you guys were able to get it at an early hour. :) Hope all continues to go well with your experience with them! Don't hesitate to reach out to our customer service team if you have any questions along the way!

[@pookinsp2324]

Would it be "ok" to leave both end walls open and not close the ends? I just need to protect my trellised tomatoes from rain. Would the gothic caterpillar tunnel be more vulnerable to winds if the ends were allowed to remain open?

[@FarmersFriend]

Generally if you are expecting a wind event, the tunnel needs to be closed up and the ends secured with sand bags to have the best chances at protecting it from damage. If the end walls are left open it can sometimes act like a sail if wind gets underneath them.

[@nancynisbet4883]

How long do you think it took to put together? Trying to figure out labor cost to hire someone to help me build two of them.

[@mitchellcole7098]

How do you know steel particles didn't fall on products putting it up

[@countrylife392]

How did you attach it to the ground so the wind doesn't pick it up

[@ATappin]

This guy reminds me of Home RenoVision DIY.

[@Survive1985]

How do roll up sides to vent?

[@gardankoi]

What is best way to get all those sharp Aluminum shards from putting in tech screws out of soil, out of those greens already planted?? Seems very dangerous, someone could eat one!!

[@blanknoriega5726]

Will the gothic pro be able to withstand coastal maine weather\snow? Would I have to take plastic off in winter?

[@FarmersFriend]

We've written a couple of articles about the wind resistance of our Caterpillar Tunnels that I think you'll find helpful (see links below). The short answer is that there are many factors that affect how much wind your tunnel can withstand such as how saturated is the soil, from what direction is the wind coming, what support upgrades do you have on your tunnel, etc. Our most wind resistant tunnel is the 16ft wide Classic Pro with 4ft bow spacing. All of our 16ft wide tunnels come with 40% thicker steel (14 gauge vs 17 gauge), which will really made this a solid tunnel. Even with our 14ft wide 17 gauge steel tunnels, we've heard from customers that their tunnels withstand 50+ mph winds on a regular basis. Also, in the unfortunate event that your tunnel did suffer damage from wind or snow, we always extend a 50% discount on any replacement parts to get your tunnel back up and running! Hope that helps! support.farmersfriendllc.com/kb/article/18-what-is-the-wind-rating-on-your-caterpillar-tunnels/ support.farmersfriendllc.com/kb/article/125-how-can-i-reduce-the-chance-of-wind-damage-to-my-caterpillar-tunnel/

[@moneymikegotuvideos312]

I want to order one and come scoop it up next week visiting my sis in Nash. Anyway one could pick up after 12 on Fri or saturday? Cheers

[@FarmersFriend]

Awesome! The best way to check on this would be to give us a call [phone], or email [e-mail]. We don't do any business on Saturday, but it's possibly that you might be able to arrange something Friday afternoon, especially if it's closer to noon.

[@moneymikegotuvideos312]

@@FarmersFriend thanks I will call them

[@hendonfarm1015]

Was there anything for support at the base board or was the plastic left hanging?

[@FarmersFriend]

Sorry, I'm not sure what the "base board" is you are referring to? Could you clarify?

[@babsoneverything3060]

How do you push up the plastic?

[@alarry31]

How do these hole up to snow weight

[@deepankerkhosla1085]

Hey Johnathon , can we recieve shipping for equipment at tunnels to Thailand ?? Dyu have an agency that can do that , building a new farms and would love to get some caterpillars and gothics

[@FarmersFriend]

We unfortunately don't ship our tunnels overseas...

[@HsingSun]

Thank you for the video. Question: How do you handle "ants" colonized in your farm areas?

[@wishesandrainbows7937]

I has excellent results getting rid of ants with an old farmers remedy of pulverized white sugar mixed with borax. Pulverize the two together and spread it around the colony, they’ll eat it and the whole colony will be wiped out. Once the queen is dead, they won’t return.

[@wishesandrainbows7937]

I had excellent results getting rid of ants with an old farmers remedy of pulverized white sugar mixed with borax. Pulverize the two together and spread it around the colony, they’ll eat it and the whole colony will be wiped out. Once the queen is dead, they won’t return.

[@jamesbates8078]

Why go through the effort of a rope when you can just use a hip channel? ...Without film support on the sides/bottom that thing would shred in one of our high desert breezes...so am I missing something?

[@leonardoborges3648]

Hi from Brazil... I Want buy this estructure. Its possible send to me?

[@AbidAli-bv2gl]

Exceelent

[@DeadStump1]

Are the bows anchored to the rebar at all? I'm worried about the wind lifting up the tunnel.

[@FarmersFriend]

When the arched bows are placed over the rebar, the rebar tends to "grip" the sides of the arched bow enough that the bows being lifted off the rebar is an extremely rare case. That being said, if you wanted to make it even more secure, we also offer ground posts instead of rebar which can be cemented into the ground. Hope that helps!

[@danscholl9972]

How do you keep wind from getting under the plastic along the sides?

[@FarmersFriend]

Generally this isn't an issue when the ropes are properly tightened down, but the plastic included does have enough extra width that you could place some sandbags along the edges in more extreme wind situations.

[@davianjos3462]

Brasil precisa urgente de empresa nesse seguimento de proteção.

[@mahadevmadane5950]

Give information or link for small caterpillar tunnel

[@FarmersFriend]

The smallest we currently sell is a 14'x50'. You can learn more here: www.farmersfriend.com/caterpillar-tunnel/buy

[@Goodellsam]

What are the side curtain clips for?

[@FarmersFriend]

We've designed the side curtain hooks to easily hold up the plastic on the sides of the tunnel when you want to vent it. They can also swing out of the way super easily when you want to lower the plastic.

[@davidorcutt9246]

Hello Jonathan, we are very interested in your kits. We live in an area that normally can have winds are kind 15-20MPH and gusts typical around 15-30 MPH. Not much snow but some. We are thinking the gothic pro, but it would most likely fight with out an aluminum closed in ends. A man door and some way of getting in a John Deere series 2 tractor to rototill would be best for us. Is this something that Farmers Friend can do? If so I don’t see those options, how soon til it would be ready, how much more cost etc? Is it possible to get a 20’ or 30’ wide or wider with the 100’ long? This would be for our family farm business we will be starting. We like what you stand for and who you are. Would like to purchase from you if possible. Thank you. Dave

[@FarmersFriend]

Hi Dave, thanks for the comment and your interested in our tunnels! Regarding wind, I have to mention the caveat that there are multiple factors that affect a tunnel's ability to withstand wind (such as ground moisture, wind direction, tunnel orientation, etc), but we definitely have customers who are in much windier environments than you are with great success. We only sell tunnels at 14' and 16' widths and can't make them any wider unfortunately. Our current lead time on tunnels is 3-4 weeks until shipment due to the massive influx of order we've been receiving. You can find all our prices on our website, farmersfriendllc.com. If you have any other questions feel free to write to our customer support team at [e-mail]. They are swamped right now with emails, so it will be several days before they get to your questions most likely, but you will get a response back eventually.

[@phaedragardeness]

Hello, we are in Australia and wondered if you have a supplier over here? We really love your tunnels! Or do you ship to Australia?

[@FarmersFriend]

Unfortunately at this time we won't ship our tunnels outside of the USA and Canada. So sorry! You could check this place out that offers something similar in Australia: www.activevista.com.au/category/tools-equipment/greenhouses-crop-covers/cocoon-tunnels/page/1/

[@phaedragardeness]

@@FarmersFriend Thankyou

[@bins9902]

Hi! Do you ship the product overseas? Thanks!

[@FarmersFriend]

Some of our products we do, but we don't ship Caterpillar Tunnels overseas unfortunately. Shipping just costs too much for it to make sense.

[@bins9902]

@@FarmersFriend oh ok. Thanks anyway I'll just build something myself. I got some ideas from your designs anyways. Thanks!

[@desiman289]

This is really great help! btw instruction manual link is not working. can you please provide the working link. thanks!

[@Jiggalo252]

How much does this tunnel cost? Do you ship internationally? Thanks!

[@FarmersFriend]

We only ship to USA and Canada unfortunately, but you can view our prices on our website.

[@talkandeattv]

do you all offer installation

[@FarmersFriend]

Generally, no. We have made a few exceptions for customers who live within an hour or two from our headquarters in Williamsport, TN. Thankfully all of our tunnels are super easy to install, and even if you aren't physically able, it's something that most any friend or neighbor could easily do with/for you. Hope that helps!

[@jeffccr3620]

Technically its called a ridge not a perlin if you attached it to the collar tie that you measured 39" down to install it would be a perlin / rat run, just saying

[@Aa-gc9gl]

What is the life of plastic. How long does it last.

[@FarmersFriend]

All our tunnels come with 6min, 4 year plastic.

[@Dav3523]

I'm curious about the bows for the Quonset tunnel - are they in two pieces as well? Shipping is holding me back from ordering one (we're in Canada), but I have a family cabin I can ship to in Washington state. I was concerned about getting a large pipe into our SUV. If it's two pieces like the Gothic tunnel, it would probably fit.

[@FarmersFriend]

Hey David, both our Quonset and Gothic bows come in 3 sections. The only difference with the Gothic is that the center bow has a peak instead of being completely round. Each bow section is about 90" long. (For more precise measurements, you can call our customer service guys [931-583-0397] who will be able to help you know for sure if you'll fit it inside your SUV). Hope that helps!

[@sesa005]

Hi sir am suresh fro india at south zone, very nice video i like this video want details about solar poly tunnel dryer with parameters 28x70x10 cost of product with very very low cost

[@Josegarcia-kl5nw]

how to buy.

[@FarmersFriend]

www.farmersfriend.com/caterpillar-tunnel

[@avgjoe6485]

Looks like a pain the ass this is the best you could come up with for install?

[@FarmersFriend]

We're all ears for practical ideas for improvement. :)

[@avgjoe6485]

@@FarmersFriend Well you could start with predrilling holes through the pipes and supplying bolts and nuts with lock washers instead of those stupid self tapping screws. It would save a lot of time and trouble would also make it easier to move and install.

[@joshbest-green27]

Bolts and nuts would take much longer in my experience self tappers are much faster if you are handy with tools.

[@gardankoi]

@@joshbest-green27 I would prefer bolts and nuts because all that tap drilling is leaving metal shards in the soil which could get in your lettuce which could get into customers mouths no easy way to get rid of all those I don't think.

[@kapilvishwakarma8711]

How much costly is it

[@FarmersFriend]

We have different styles and sizes, but prices start at $825.

[@FarmersFriend]

Visit our website, farmersfriendllc.com for more info!

[@ronaldreaganrimjobs9327]

20:11

[@SleepyKittens]

You need to wear safety goggles, not just on top of your hair. Metal shards will cut up your eyes leading to blindness.

[@johnlogan1179]

Worry wart ! lol

[@khapia_pachamama_festiva]

Hellow

[@jhoelApaza97]

ouuu jejeje engordaste mucho

[@PabloRGNRNDO]

T V M !

[@mebcool]

Screw the background music, I can't hear this man talking.