S-250's with additional plate on the roof?

I've seen several S-250 shelters that have an extra steel? or aluminum? plate mounted several inches above the roof, covering the entire roof.

What was the purpose? What was mounted on it?
How much extra weight is it?
Can it be removed easily?


See the shelter in the right foreground in the attached picture.

Added some more pictures.

I haven't seen those, but I understand that my shelter was equipped to have a tarp suspended several inches above the roof to keep sunlight off the top. Maybe the metal plate is a more permanent version of the same thing? I don't have the support arms or tarp for my shelter, but the mounting points are still present at the upper corners.

Pics?


Sounds like the tropical roofs that allow air to circulate under the plate and keeps direct sun off the roof keeping the interior cooler. Common climate control device in the tropics on buildings etc.

Here is a link that illustrates what i am talking about.
Tropical Roofs (Double Roof) - Expedition Portal

or Here: Rob Gray :: graynomad :: wothahellizat :: wot2 :: diaries :: diary_17

Metternacht said:

Pics?


Sounds like the tropical roofs that allow air to circulate under the plate and keeps direct sun off the roof keeping the interior cooler. Common climate control device in the tropics on buildings etc.

Here is a link that illustrates what i am talking about.
Tropical Roofs (Double Roof) - Expedition Portal

or Here: Rob Gray :: graynomad :: wothahellizat :: wot2 :: diaries :: diary_17

Click to expand...

I found a picture with one on it.

Thanks for finding a picture! It's hard to say without seeing it up close and in person, but it looks most likely to be there for thermal reasons to me. It looks just about right to form an air gap between the outer plate that bakes in the sun and the top of the actual shelter roof.

I haven't seen this mod myself, but are you sure it's a plate and not a rail around the perimeter of the roof to form a kind of basket? We used to routinely carry camo net on top of our shelters. Perhaps this was a mod to form a kind of basket to carry something on top? Looking further down the line of shelters makes it look more like a lip/rail around the perimeter of the roof. Anyone seen one first-hand?

It is a rail. The one we had in my Squadron had the rail on top. Made it easier to roll the camo net up and just strap it down to the rail. (Kept my personal gear from rolling off the sides when I would set up my cot ontop and sleep up there out at NTC.)

Forgive the picture. Its an old pic I found in my box and just took a pic of the pic with a digital cam. The shelter on the right has the rail.

That picture just gave me a silly idea. If I ever build my custom cab hard top for my shelter carrier HMMWV, I could build a lean-to tent between the windshield and shelter roof, then sleep on the cab roof. The slanted tent might even cut down wind resistance on the freeway.

My buddy could have used a rail like that the day he rolled off the roof of his shelter in the middle of the night.

It was fun watching him dangle off the side of the truck.

My shelter has it as well, it's just a c channel rail with tie down points. Sort of creates a shallow box on the top for storage. Mine is aluminum.

I have an S-250 in my garage that came with what you are asking about. It isn't a plate, its a frame built from thin walled 4" aluminum channel that is bolted to the shelter roof. The bolts go into the shelter's framing using a closed-end 1/4" riv-nut. The frame is designed to store canvas-bagged antennas that are used for the various versions of S-250 radio / teletype equipment. There are footman loops on the top of the frame so canvas straps can be used to secure everything in place. One problem with these frames is that they only have 3/8" drain holes through the channel, and the holes can get plugged with leaves very easily. When I picked up my shelter, it had about an inch of water in the frame until I opened the drains up. I took the frame off my roof to prevent any future problems. I plugged the mounting holes with 1/4 x 1" stainless screws.

There is also an aluminum sheet fastened to the center of the shelter's roof. That isn't a patch or an access port - it's protection for the roof in case the shelter lifting sling gets dropped.

It is multi use

and as far as i know, all the S-250's have the provisions for these rails.