Just how High?

[Flyflicker]

We have a 2014 FC 20 and are going to build a shed/carport for it. Just how tall do I need to make it? Specs say 9.5 tall to top of A\C for the 2014 and a little taller for the 2016. I'm thinking 12' would be nice. What do you think?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Flyflicker

We have a 2014 FC 20 and are going to build a shed/carport for it. Just how tall do I need to make it? Specs say 9.5 tall to top of A\C for the 2014 and a little taller for the 2016. I'm thinking 12' would be nice. What do you think?

Do you ever intend to climb on your Airstream's roof do do maintenance? If so, plan accordingly and allow yourself as much headroom as you want. In my case, I'd make it at least 4 feet of headroom to work on top of my Airstream, but you may need more or less.

[kb0zke]

I'd go with a 12' x 12' door. Yes, you can fit in a 10' x 10' door, but that opening will look awfully tiny when you are trying to back up your brand-new coach. I hate banging my head so I'd want 15-16' inside height if I was to get on the roof.

[McDave]

If the roof is pitched so it is lower at the edges than it is in the middle, the edge height might be more of a limiting factor than the center height. For example, we constructed a shed for our 23' FC, which is 11 1/2' tall at the peak, 9' tall on the edges, and 12' wide. There is comfortable clearance all around, but more clearance in the middle than at the sides. You would think that 12' wide would be more than enough for an 8' wide trailer, and for someone with more experience than I have, it might be, but I worry about it every time I have to back into it, and have scraped the side poles from time to time. Now, I get out of the truck several times in the course of backing in and make sure I still have clearance. I've found in most cases that if I'm too close to one side or the other, it works best if I just pull the trailer out and start over again rather than try to correct things when I'm halfway in.

[HiJoeSilver]

12' sounds good, if it's got open rafters above you could move around on them pretty easily to work on things on top of the trailer. Plus some breathing room.
I know newer models are probably made a little better, but after seeing the sheet metal to rib fit in my 79' I'm not to comfortable walking around on top of mine.

[J. Morgan]

14' will make it where any legal height vehicle will clear with half a foot to spare.

Who knows, maybe someday you or a future property buyer will want to park a big ol' class A under that roof.

Just food for thought.

[slowmover]

The doors at Blue Beacon are 12x15. Anything will fit

[BAB]

I was concerned about architectural compatibility so elected to not have it so high that it'd look like it didn't fit with my home, pool house, etc.

[dkottum]

BAB makes a good point, consider the overall appearance of the property. Keep things in scale. Twelve feet is fine, you can pull it out for the few times you need to work on the top.

We would like to build one as well but the house is very low toward the road, I can fit to the lot just fine and I can match the materials, but fitting it to the scale of the house is difficult. We've got another nearby property and may have to put it there, would rather have it at home.

Four years outdoors is showing on the caulking, the shell and fitting finishes are like new.

[BAB]

No doubt about it. Keeping the trailer under cover, out of the sun and rain, adds to keeping it looking new. Since I elected to put a sat. antenna, WiFi and Cell antennas and solar panels up there, I am less concerned about the dreaded water incursion -- even though everything was carefully sealed/caulked....including the Maxim Skylights. I do NOT have enough room to get on the roof when my trailer is in the shed.