how to build a cheap low tunnel hoop house

90 Degrees

45 Degrees

Problem with the first attempt was that there was too much tension on the 1/2 inch pipe (the ribs). The ribs were attaching to the base pipes at a 90 degree angle which made the base rise off the ground and broke a corner connector, etc. What I needed were just 45 degree angles instead of 90 degree.

So I turned the T-shaped connectors to 45 degrees and bought a few pieces (see top image) and with a few modifications it worked and within just a few hours we had our first oversized caterpillar/low tunnel.

45 Degree Angle

Right Side Connectors

The Frame

Once the frame was built we put the plastic cover on and Steve came up with the idea to make clips from 1 inch pieces of pvc pipe to hold the plastic in place.

We cut 1-in. pipe into 3 inch sections and cut out 40% of each piece horizontally using a dremel. This made the pipe more C-shaped than round and created clips that would fit over the 3/4 inch base pipes to hold the plastic in place.

marking the pvc to fit

dremel to size

finished & in place

Go to this post for an image of the finished hoop house.