Any way to temp shave 9 inches off the top to squeeze under a car port?

[Jason in TX]

Hello! I'm a new user and seriously considering a Flying Cloud 25FB. I see that the overall height with the A/C is 9'9" tall.

We have just had a new car port installed that has a 9' 0" clearance on the front. Once past the front header, there is about 8 or 9 " of room. We tried to build it a little taller and wider at first, but a grumpy neighbor who has a house he never takes care of suddenly didn't like the looks of my construction project and called the city and they made sure it was not a spec higher than 10' tall on the top due to city code. This whole process took a year of arguing and so therefore, the carport is a fixed part of the equation. No raising, modifying, etc. Has to be altering the vehicle that goes under it.

My wife says that if we pull the trigger, the trailer needs to fit under the carport.

I saw on one site that someone said you could remove the A/C cover to get an inch or two more off the top and I'm toying with an idea to find very small rims with no tires just to roll it under the car port and then stabilize, or maybe even make a custom tiny steel wheel that can bolt to the drums when stored. This is on a concrete driveway.

Do you think I can get a Flying cloud to shrink 9" in height temporarily or is there just not that much wiggle room since they have such a low center of gravity already? Can the under belly, or better yet, the bare brake drums even go down 9" if a special wheel was made?

Thanks all!

[Hittenstiehl]

Take the wheels off and put it on casters or dollies.

How about modifying the carport section on the crossbeam.

[pcskier]

Would you really consider jacking up and removing 4 wheels and replacing with smaller wheels every time you wanted to take the trailer out...and then again when returning? That does not sound practical but I don't know your level of patience...

In any case, assuming removing the AC shroud gave you 2" (if it even does), you need another 7". That would mean a 14" reduction from the current combined tire and wheel size. You'd need some pretty small wheels.
And assuming that worked...you have spare tire carrier, battery box, and most importantly, dump valves, that would be getting awfully close to the ground, if not on the ground, with that kind of height reduction.

I appreciate the creative approach but it might make more sense to raise the carport if possible.

[25Twin]

Can you lower the concrete where the trailer would be parked?

[Jason in TX]

Pic of the carport. Current trailer under there would come out and Airstream would go in. That trailer has a vent on top that is exactly 9'

My year long fight with the city and neighbor prevents me from modifying the carport.

[Jason in TX]

I fought with a neighbor and the city for a year. I cannot change my carport.

The trailer under it now is 26' long and 9' tall.

[pcskier]

I don't have my trailer at home, maybe someone who does can help by going out and measuring the distance from the edge of the brake drum to the ground. That will tell you how much you'd shave off sitting on the drums, subject to tire size, which varies. If more than the required distance, then you know the size of the wheels you could fabricate.

Just guessing right now but if they're 10 inch drums and 15 inch wheels, removing the wheels gives you five inches, plus the tire height, maybe another 5"? It would be close--but I'm pretty sure the dump valves would be on the ground by then.

[Jason in TX]

Perhaps that front header could be notched a couple inches. The height cant change.

I appreciate any measurements anyone can take! Thanks again!

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Jason in TX

I fought with a neighbor and the city for a year. I cannot change my carport.



The trailer under it now is 26' long and 9' tall.

Move. Not because of the carport, but because your neighbor [emoji3]

[Jason in TX]

Originally Posted by SteveSueMac

Move. Not because of the carport, but because your neighbor [emoji3]

That thought has crossed our minds many times!

[PKI]

The port roof could be raised for entry and exit. Pat

[waninae39]

do what NASA did in the 60's and 70 with their SIX 35' AS.
take the wheels off
place it on a skid

[mikeinca]

The Flying Cloud comes with 225x75x15 tires which should have a sidewall height of about 6 1/2" so 15" wheels without tires would gain you that much. I don't know the diameter the brake drums but let's say they're 10". Even if you removed the wheels and ran on the drums (not practical) you'd only gain another 2.5" (1/2 times the 5" difference), the point being that if you obtained smaller wheels and ran them without tires you wouldn't gain more than an extra inch or so. Then there is the hassle of changing out wheels every time you wanted to take the trailer in or out and ground clearance concerns with the battery box, rear bumper skids, etc. etc.

IMHO, as already mentioned, your best choice might be to tear up the existing concrete and slope down to a lower floor. It doesn't sound like a very attractive solution but at least it would be one and done.

[SteveSueMac]

Originally Posted by Jason in TX

That thought has crossed our minds many times!

Don’t blame you [emoji3]

So is the ordinance that you can’t go higher? Is there anything that says you can’t dig down a couple feet? Of course - that creates a whole ‘nother set of problems (whole new driveway, grading, drainage, etc. - cost an arm and a leg).

You could also build it up an inch at a time and in 2 years you’re ready to use it [emoji3]

Or how about a very ugly tarp system hanging off the side of it and when he complains about that - he really left you know choice but this ugly temporary housing - which would he prefer? [emoji3]

Sorry for the situation. Would love to park my trailer at home but ordinances and actual space don’t make it practical. Good luck!

[DKB_SATX]

I get that altering the roof line of the carport is an issue. (Just for fun, I recommend reviewing all potentially-relevant city codes looking for violations your neighbor is likely to be committing. I'm the vindictive type.)

I know this is a non-trivial undertaking, but there's probably no regulation against excavating a bit and lowering at least the middle of the right-hand bay's floor. You could leave the strip of concrete under support posts alone, cut out the middle part of the concrete and some of the driveway. You'll have to think about drainage and approach angles... like I said, a non-trivial undertaking.

[Wayne&Sam]

Just pull in and park it. The next time it will fit perfectly.

[rmkrum]

As long as “customizing by crunch” is acceptable to you!

[SilverWind]

Originally Posted by pcskier

Would you really consider jacking up and removing 4 wheels and replacing with smaller wheels every time you wanted to take the trailer out...and then again when returning? That does not sound practical but I don't know your level of patience...

In any case, assuming removing the AC shroud gave you 2" (if it even does), you need another 7". That would mean a 14" reduction from the current combined tire and wheel size. You'd need some pretty small wheels.
And assuming that worked...you have spare tire carrier, battery box, and most importantly, dump valves, that would be getting awfully close to the ground, if not on the ground, with that kind of height reduction.

I appreciate the creative approach but it might make more sense to raise the carport if possible.

Aristocrat did that with their LoLiner in the late 1960s. Each trailer came with small wheels that could be installed so that the trailer could fit in a typical residential garage.

[brick1]

I doubt you will be able to drop 9 + inches by removing the wheels.

[55AS]

How much height would you lose by removing the A/C unit?