Garage Door Size for Airstream

[Julison]

Hi,

I am designing a new garage that will attach to our home.
I'd like to be able to put our 69 Caravel in it.
I'm trying to gauge what size the door should be.
It is either 9' or 10'.... hard to measure.
Has anyone ever done this? If so, what size of door do you have.
I am hoping it is 9'....as I think a 10' door would look to industrial.

thanks in advance,

Julison

[Friday]

I think you'll be looking at 11' for clearance... with roof top air most Airstreams are around 10'6"...

[wkerfoot]

Julison,

My feeling is as large an opening as you can make.

Bill

Originally Posted by Julison

Hi,

I am designing a new garage that will attach to our home.
I'd like to be able to put our 69 Caravel in it.
I'm trying to gauge what size the door should be.
It is either 9' or 10'.... hard to measure.
Has anyone ever done this? If so, what size of door do you have.
I am hoping it is 9'....as I think a 10' door would look to industrial.

thanks in advance,

Julison

[Protagonist]

I'm an engineer, not an architect, so take this for what it's worth, which may be nothing…

If it was up to me, I'd make the door opening two feet wider than the trailer at a minimum, and one foot taller than the highest fixed point of the trailer, so you have a full foot of clearance all around. Inside, I'd make the length and width of the garage at least eight feet longer and wider than the trailer, to give you a full four feet of clearance all around when the trailer's parked, to provide maintenance space. More on one side if you're going to have a workbench or storage cabinets inside the garage. You don't want to have to pull the trailer out to give yourself enough elbow room every time you do maintenance on it, and four feet all around gives plenty of working space even if the work involves lying on a roll-around creeper to get underneath.

And I'd put all of the garage lights around the perimeter of the garage, not in the center, since shining a light directly on top of the trailer puts the sides and ends in the trailer's shadow, and that's a waste of light. Fluorescent fixtures, high on the walls instead of on the ceiling, would be good, so the lights shine on the trailer, but above your head so when you're working you're not blocking your own light, either.

And I'd add a sewer line outside, with an above-ground cleanout plug right next to an exterior door, so that it's within easy reach of the parked trailer, for when you have to work on your trailer's plumbing system.

And in a perfect world, I'd make the driveway long enough that you can fit the entire tow vehicle and trailer in a straight line between the street and the closed garage door.

But then again, being an engineer and not an architect, I'd probably make it functional but ugly; that's how engineers usually do things.

[AirsDream]

Mine requires a little over 10' - not sure exactly, but about 10'4" ...

But my axles are original, so probalby sag a bit ... what if I replaced them? It'd probably get taller. And if I were to add better-ground-clearance-axles for better off-roading, then what? If I were doing it, I'd make it somewhat oversized so you can get that "new" trailer of tomorrow in there, not just the one you own today, even if it were to look a little "industrial."

[Sphere Guy]

Julison, I just build my AS storage, I had a pull thru built. My doors are 10 ft wide x 12 ft high. The AS wll pass with plenty of room. All I have to worry 'bout now is watching for the truck mirrors, they fit but with just 6 inches to spare. My AS is 9ft 6 high but if I upgrade at some point I wanted the room.


Sphere

[Denis4x4]

This pull through is 22' wide with a 12' opening at both ends. There's 30 AMP service and lights.

[tkasten]

My 65 Safari is 9' 10" w/ roof air and new axle. I installed a 10' door on my barn and it works great.

[Stefrobrts]

Cute little barn, Tim!

[Julison]

Thanks all for your input.
I don't (currently) have ac on the top of my Caravel, so I think from what I've tried to measure and what I have seen here that I need a 10' high door at a minimum. The problem is that the garage I have designed is attached to our house so I have to try and make it fit the look as best I can. The front elevation in the dwg I have doesn't look to industrial but every garage I have seen with a 10' high door looks some what out of place for a garage on a house. I don't want to spend the money only to feel that I have a loading dock in my yard. Hmmmm.... If anyone has a picture of a 10' garage door on a garage that is attached to their home....post a pic if you don't mind.

[wmarsha]

Today, most folks think roll-up door; how about a side opening door(s) with the extra 1-2 ft above on a separate hinge?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by wmarsha

Today, most folks think roll-up door; how about a side opening door(s) with the extra 1-2 ft above on a separate hinge?

Rather than side-opening doors (the hinges always end up sagging and you need added clear space in front of the doors for the swing radius), you might go with with a sliding barn-style door on an external flat-track rail. You end up with a rustic look rather than industrial.

[tkasten]

I found a few pics in the forums:
Hope they help.

[A W Warn]

It might be a good idea to go to your local door supplier to see what sizes are available, then design around standard size that fits your needs. If you go with a non-standard size your selection will most likely be limited to a few wood door styles.
Keep in mind the trailer will pivot on the axle when moved (if the hitch end goes down the rear end goes up) so you may need some extra door height if your driveway is not level.

[tkasten]

By the way - the pics I posted in #13 are both 10' doors. The owners said something about taking the antenna off.

[Safari-Rick]

Very informative. A guy here in Lakewood, CA, built a garage for his ONB (other name brand) Class A. Blends in well with home and neighborhood. Now, that being said, not all of us have the space/lot size etc to build an oversize garage.
For those of us that want cover for the AS, does anyone have a recommendation on "RV tents" ? that work good in heat and won't tear apart in one season?

Thanks in advance

[Phoenix]

There are several companies that make metal carport-type covers. We have been looking at them to protect our Bambi from baking in the sun. However, since recent (forced) early retirement, we have found a better solution: In the summer, head north where it's cooler!

[richinny]

Originally Posted by wmarsha

Today, most folks think roll-up door; how about a side opening door(s) with the extra 1-2 ft above on a separate hinge?

i would go this route too. there are many ways to set up a decorative panel. it can hang on a hook, chain or spring loaded barrel bolts mounted on the inside that are accessed when the door is open, etc., etc.....

now if money is no object you could put a zip dee awning across the top of the doors :-)

[robert claus]

Go bigger than you think you need. I have a commercial building with a big overhead door. Recently, there was a hail threat, and I decided to put our Bambi inside. Visually, I thought it would be no problem. Actually, it was tight, width and height. Fortunately, the Bambi is not a wide body, or it would not fit. Plan for the future - you don't know what size your next A/S will be, but it will probably have a rooftop unit. You never know....
It's funny, the Bambi looks small compared to most other units, but inside a building it is HUGE.

[Jammer]

Julison

My Airstream with air conditioner is 9' 8" high. Most new and old units, with air conditioners, are roughly similar in height.

In talking to builders and overhead door companies be sure you understand any difference between opening size and clear height. In some cases a 10' high opening may not have 10' of clearance because of door components hanging down even when the door is open.

If the approach driveway or apron is not flat some allowance should be made for the extra vertical clearance needed when the rig is tilted, although this is usually more of a problem with longer trailers. There should also be some allowance for bounce. Any pitch to the floor for drainage should be considered.

I would allow a 10' door without air conditioning and an 11' door with air conditioning.