camper storage help

[av8rds]

I need some outside the box thinking please.

The picture is of my current garage door set up. The tall door on the left is for my old camper storage. The new camper is taller and wider and wont fit through the door(11'9"x9)

I need to put a taller/wider door in, 12' high I think(precise measurement of the camper havent been made yet). I'm thinking I want to center a 12'x16' or 18' door.

The problem is the inside ceiling height AND header height are 12'3"(which I need most of) so I can NOT put a normal(or even low profile) garage door inside. I was able to get the 11'9" door by using a low-pro system and have double checked with the installer, there is no more room inside(well without cutting the headers and fully redesigning the end of the garage. Even then I would barely have enough room for the door and the camper, if at all.

I have considered 1) an outside roll-up door but they are very commercial looking and also a LOT more money than I expected. 2) I have also looked at bi-fold doors but to get the full 12' I need a bigger opening than 12'3". I could build it out from the face of the building to house just the door I guess. 3) barn doors-everyone recommends against for such a big area. 4) sliding doors-too high, runs into eves/electrical.

So, there must be come contractors, builders, engineers, or plain smart folk here who can come up with a good solution that is reasonably priced.

I dont 'need' the camper in the garage but it seemed like a way to save money up front and ultimately taxes in the long run over a separate building. So yes cost is an issue(such as raising the trusses/lowering the floor)

[av8rds]

cjoseph wrote:

How often do you use AC?

Good luck.

never. dont even have one installed.

[cjoseph]

Just saw a different garage door today and remembered this thread. Haven't seen it mentioned yet so give it some thought.

You might be able to use a hydraulic open out door that hinges just at or even above your opening. The hydraulic lifts could be wider than the camper.

Not cheap either, but it is looking like there is no cheap answer.

How often do you use AC?

Good luck.

[Grit_dog]

Can see with the slope on the apron a dolly wouldn't work.
If you're missing by a hair then air down tires. A pain with a dually though if going in and out many times.
How about a pickup bed trailer?
If u can get the cg fwd of the wheels, would work well and an old truck, bottom out the suspension would be a lot lower than your truck.

[trailgranny50]

Sooo glad we didn't have to deal with this issue. When we bought our place 26 years ago it already had a 30x60 metal barn with concrete floor and 16' tallx12'w overhead door. Annual decraming of stored junk leaves plenty of room to park camper on our of truck and daily work truck in line. I feel for you as no fixes will be inexpensive. Good luck.

[Reddog1]

Kayteg1, I am no contractor, but I will also say your experience is different than mine. You do not need to be a contractor to have the necessary skills to do the necessary reinforcement. Fact is, a contractor is not necessarily, and seldom is, an architect or engineer. You only have to pass a written test.

I suggest the OP get a local to look at his options.

Wayne

[Kayteg1]

I am General Contractor in CA and that garage would never pass inspection in CA due to lack of strong walls on front.
Meaning even with no earthquakes in MA, you do have strong winds that can cripple the frame?
That leads to my point that lifting this construction will only magnify the weak points. Looks like there are living quarters behind it anyway.
I think height-wise lowering the slab will be much easier option, but you still will have the width issue.
Maybe new garage is in order?

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

On our old barn, the RV parking slot had an outside-mounted rolling barn door that slid to the side in front of the car-parking slot's overhead door - inexpensive, and gave us every fraction of an inch we needed for our former Class C.

The new barn has 14' tall doors x 12' wide. SOOOOO nice 🙂

[Halibut214]

Having a bit of a background in building, everything I see here is going to cost a small fortune with possibly one exception.... Changing the grade outside so you can take it off and roll it in. Even that may cost a bit depending on grade around the shop but nothing close to some of the other suggestions. If by chance you do decide to do this DO NOT put a wheel under each leg of the jacks and call it good. They all need to be connected.

[ticki2]

av8rds wrote:

ticki2 wrote:
Raising the garage and rebuilding the door opening and replacing the door would probably be the nicest solution , but not cheap . I store my camper on a trailer which lowers it considerably and is very easy to move around with a front hitch or a tractor .Look around for a used trailer , it doesn't even have to be road worthy . If nothing else it may be a temporary solution .

I'd love to do that but the driveway slope doesnt show in the pictures. its down and to the left(or right looking out from the garage) and I'm not comfortable with the prospect of lowering it so off camber.

I guess I'm not clear . Are you saying there is no place to unload the camper and put it on a trailer ? Once on the trailer it an go any place the truck can go .

[av8rds]

ticki2 wrote:
Raising the garage and rebuilding the door opening and replacing the door would probably be the nicest solution , but not cheap . I store my camper on a trailer which lowers it considerably and is very easy to move around with a front hitch or a tractor .Look around for a used trailer , it doesn't even have to be road worthy . If nothing else it may be a temporary solution .

I'd love to do that but the driveway slope doesnt show in the pictures. its down and to the left(or right looking out from the garage) and I'm not comfortable with the prospect of lowering it so off camber.

[av8rds]

Kayteg1 wrote:

This camper sits good 6" above the cabin.
Is it shimmed up?
I could live without awning btw.

actually thats just the picture perspective I guess. Its only a few inches above.

I like awnings! 😉

Those pics are the old camper btw as the new one wont fit in the garage! yet! :W

Heres the new rig.


Thanks for all the suggestions about lifting the garage. I'll talk to a few contractors this week and get some pricing.

[ticki2]

Raising the garage and rebuilding the door opening and replacing the door would probably be the nicest solution , but not cheap . I store my camper on a trailer which lowers it considerably and is very easy to move around with a front hitch or a tractor .Look around for a used trailer , it doesn't even have to be road worthy . If nothing else it may be a temporary solution .

[Kayteg1]

My friend bought cheap house in good neighborhood, lifted it 10 feet and build second floor under 😄
Looking at the pictures, I wonder why the camper is so high on the truck?
My Fleetwood has overhang so low over the superduty cabin that even removing marker light from truck roof was not enough and I have to shim the camper.
This camper sits good 6" above the cabin.
Is it shimmed up?
I could live without awning btw.

[Reddog1]

Actually, you would be amazed as to how simple raising the/a building is. It is very common to not only raise them, but also load them on dollies and move them many miles, leave them raised, pour a foundation, and lower them. Among the moving projects I have worked on, I have been involved in and personally fabricated dollies to move two story 6 unit apartments over 10 miles.

Wayne