Finally got settled in the new house so now its time to build my RV garage. I am going to have a 40ft wide by 50ft deep. My question is that I think I would like to have only one door 12 wide by 14 high in the center verses putting in one high door for the rv and a smaller one for my boat.If I go this route will I be able to put my trailer in all the way to the back ( 32ft ) and still be able to angle my bass boat in and out fairly easily? I use my boat alot and the trailer not as much. Any thoughts would be appreciated and pictures of what you have built would be even better. Come on guys, show us your man caves!

Maybe you could but if it's 40 feet wide, why not put a second 10 ft wide door alongside the other one? Then you could back straight in with the boat. Besides it's hard to back into a darkened garage if it's light outside and then turn as well to miss the RV.B.O.

It will be 40ft wide. A 40x50. Never really thought about having to back into a dark shop in broad daylight. Although I will have lots of floresent lights in there. Good thought to ponder though.

Definitely put in two doors, both sides of center, and both should be as high as they can be. RV's command 14 feet high now, and a lot of boats are the same. Why not make it fully usable on both sides, and if you really need it it will be a lot easier to get three lanes out of two doors than one.

Put the tall door in the center, and a 10' wide boat door to one (or both) sides. Use scissor trusses to gain extra height at the center, and it will help to keep the eave heights lower to save $$$.

I am finishing up a new 30 x 80 x 16' high RV Garage now. I put in 16' x 14' doors in both front and rear to allow me to pull through. I installed skylights every 4th panel on the metal roof ( polycarbonate roof panels) these help a bunch for lighting.

Building a RV garage input needed. Pictures helpful

Jerrybo66
Explorer
Nov 09, 2013
Just a thought if you are planning to concrete the floor. On my Son's plans I sloped the front 25-30'? of the floor to drain if he ever wanted to hose it off. Maybe washing the truck out of the rain or cleaning up after a messy job. I sloped only half, figuring the back part would be mostly for storage. He had to use a couple shims to level a lift he installed but other than that the drainage works fine. FWIW.
Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Nov 09, 2013
Re: backing into an enclosed space: We added conspicuity tape (the red/white reflective tape used on the back end of trucks) on the polebarn posts at the same height as the taillights. The brakelights were enough to light those up nice and bright; and let us know we were backing in straight.
1surveyor
Explorer
Nov 09, 2013
make the building as big as you can and i would put 2 doors , built mine before we had a camper we are on our 4th camper and none of them have fit in the building :( , my building is 40x60 and not big enough . that being said good luck and finish it on the inside like you want because if you wait and do it after you move into it makes it hard do after it's full of stuff
Jerrybo66
Explorer
Nov 08, 2013
I (THINK) there is a minimum clearance door hardware that you can get for maximum height to sidewall clearance. Yes, they are more expensive but if you consider the extra expense to raise the walls to accommodate the standard door hardware, maybe it's cheaper ?? I don't think the door, the part of the garage you use most, is the place to cut corners. If you have all the space in the garage but have to juggle around an opening to use it, it could get agitating ...... IMO...
fly4fun
Explorer
Nov 08, 2013
Good idea Dale.
Dayle1
Explorer II
Nov 07, 2013
My door is 14 ft wide, much easier than 12 ft wide when backing into a dark (even with lights on) garage. Door is 13.5 ft tall. I decided that skylights was a bad choice in the Texas heat. Instead with the side walls being 15 ft tall, several wall panels are just 8 ft tall with an 8 ft Lexan panel above it. These are on the south and east sides and provide good light in the winter months but minimal heat in the summer months.
45Ricochet
Explorer
Nov 07, 2013
Well since your house is already built you most likely won't go this route like my uncle did.

And you most likely not going the route I did either.

I already had they one on the left so we just added the one for the 5er. It's a 16 x 40 just enough to extend the slides. Yours sounds really nice, your RV will thank you. I'll tell you mine still looks like new being out of the weather 24-7. I go with double doors in something that big. Have fun building it.
Farmer_David
Explorer
Nov 07, 2013
The area I put my camper in is 51 feet long which is plenty for my trailer but there is several times I wish it was long enough to leave my truck hooked up and shut the door. If I was building one today it would be long enough to put the camper in with truck hooked up.
glazier
Explorer II
Nov 07, 2013
RCMAN46 wrote:
I believe Polycarbonate is the old GE Lexan. GE sold the lexan business to a Saudi Arabia company SABIC. I suspect as a result almost anyone can now make the stuff besides GE as they sold the patent.

Anyway good stuff. It is what bullet proof windows s made from.

I own a Contract Glass company here in Kentucky, hence the name Glazier. Polycarbonate is the plastic, Lexan is GE's name. And yes some bullet Resistant Glazing is made up from Clads of Polycarbonate, and Acrylic (Plexiglas trade name). I sell several sheets of both Polycarbonate, and Acrylic every month in our retail division. Yes the polycarbonate roof panels are good stuff, not cheap by any means, but good.
RCMAN46
Explorer
Nov 07, 2013
I believe Polycarbonate is the old GE Lexan. GE sold the lexan business to a Saudi Arabia company SABIC. I suspect as a result almost anyone can now make the stuff besides GE as they sold the patent.

Anyway good stuff. It is what bullet proof windows s made from.

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