This may seem a little more costly than you want to do but I like to use baseboards (ground level 2x4" boards)to hold the PVC from twisting. Pipe clanps will then secure the arches and then you can anchor the base by more methods. An angled steel bar attached to the baseboard could have concrete blocks set on it to hold the framework down at intervals and you can also somewhat secure your plastic/row cover by this method if you prefer not to fasten it. The baseboard allows for fastening a cover and even would permit the whole unit to be lifted and moved.

Hi Jen, It's good to see you online again. After 25 years on the same motorcycle (1980 BMW R100t) I've now had two in about two years. I loved the Honda ST1300, but on Christmas eve someone turned left in front of me at an intersection and totalled it in my first accident in 35 years. I'm now on a silver 2005 Honda Goldwing. So far this year I've been down to the southeast corner of SC twice. I may head down to Texas in May, and more definitely over to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in June. Both trips will be a mix of camping and motels. Over the last year, the main changes in equipment are a Sierra Designs Sirius 3 tent which is lighter and more compact than the Eureka Timberline 4, and a Dell Inspiron 700m laptop. The screen size is not ideal at 12 inches, but it is about half the packing size and weight of the old one, so a lot easier to carry with me on the motorcycle. Brian

I have not been on this site for very long, but I want to say what admiration I have for all of you. Your camping is real camping. My husband and I are 'city slicker campers' I guess. We stick to the state parks where we have all the amenities. The last time I was close to a grown bear was in the 50's when I worked for the summer at Giant Forest Lodge in the Sequoia Nat'l Park. A few of the tips I have learned through the years are as follows: If you have an Aloe Vera plant at home, cut off a long leaf blade and wrap the cut end of it in tin foil. Keep it in a plastic bag in the ice chest. If you have a bite or minor scrape, cut off a slice of the Aloe and rub the gel over the affected area. Sorry, it doesn't seem to work on poison oak or ivy. We are Italian and have to have our pasta even in a camp- ground. Since we use Basil as seasoning for both the sauce and in salads, I usually just transplant a Basil plant into a 1 gallon plastic container and leave it on the picnic table. Animals aren't interested and it seems to do the plant some good to have a vacation. If you have kids with you and will be near a lake or river(at least in Central Calif.) bring string to catch some Crawdads. You tie some bacon to the end of the string and let it lie in the water near some rocks in a shallow stretch of water. When the crawdad crawls out to grab the bacon, wait until he has a good grip and then slowly pull the string up. A crawdad is so tenacious that he will not let go until he is dumped into a bowl or coffee can. The kids like to catch them, but my husband was the one who always had the water boiling. Crawdads are small, but delicious. Long ago when we went camping with other families, a friend showed us how to make hot water bottles from the bags that come from the "wine boxes". I don't know if they even sell the wine packaged in this way anymore. It is a cardboard box that has a spout in the side for pouring the wine and after it is empty, you tear open the box and use the strong "aluminum," looking bag inside filled with hot water. It stays hot all night and we never had one break. Sorry I am so long winded, it's the Irish in me, I believe. Lina.

I like your design far better than your architect's. It is a small space, but you have used it well. Would you consider a pocket door at the main entrance to the space? And would you consider having no door at the threshold between the utility closet and the sink? This might open up the space visually, and make it more accessible. Would you also consider a more European look in which the floor is all one piece, tiled, with a slight slope toward the shower drain? I do not think you would need an actual shower door, unless you wished to have it. At a minimum, a Euro-screen would be sufficient. Although they have not caught on in the USA, they give a much cleaner, more open look. Arc and Aqua Uno are, to my knowledge, the only companies that supply them in the USA. I've linked one below. I think you are wise to go with the tankless water heater. My plumber will not install anything else. As soon as mine dies, I will be switching. We have our laundry room upstairs in our current home, something I had always longed for. I love it. Yes, water containment is simple. Not to point out the obvious, but the most effective you thing you can do is to install the best supply hoses money can buy on your faucets, and make sure your water shut off is easy to get to. I have been looking at laundry room renovation, and my plumber tells me this is the biggest mistake he sees people make -- they use basic hoses, and then stack their units with the shut off behind them. I hope this will be of help to you. Here is a link that might be useful: Ark shower screen