FWC Eagle and garage door height

[buckland]

It made just that much difference.... I moved on from my faithful 2001 4 cylinder Taco to a new Chevy 2016 mini-max diesel Colorado. I am pleased. BUT ... that extra bed rail height meant a lift in the bed for the Eagle. I am a woodworker and can swing a hammer so was wondering if any decided due to similar problem to increase the opening in the garage? Especially those that keep it on all the time. I have a garage with a door opener. I have a substantial header above the door. I know I could move the header up six inches and was thinking ....why get a new door and mechanism? I could leave all as is door wise and increase opening.... and have a piece of ...very nice looking.... wood that would be able to be removed from the opening above where the door sits thus taking up the space.... or conversely raising the door and having a....very nice looking.... bottom piece of wood below the door? Option 1 does keep us from moving the door mechanism height as I believe that is still sufficiently high enough to fudge.

If there is anyone as crazy as me out there who has tried this... tell me either it can't be done... or it is not worth it .....or you have had a tremendous success and we should start a company.

thanks in advance

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

It made just that much difference.... I moved on from my faithful 2001 4 cylinder Taco to a new Chevy 2016 mini-max diesel Colorado. I am pleased. BUT ... that extra bed rail height meant a lift in the bed for the Eagle. I am a woodworker and can swing a hammer so was wondering if any decided due to similar problem to increase the opening in the garage? Especially those that keep it on all the time. I have a garage with a door opener. I have a substantial header above the door. I know I could move the header up six inches and was thinking ....why get a new door and mechanism? I could leave all as is door wise and increase opening.... and have a piece of ...very nice looking.... wood that would be able to be removed from the opening above where the door sits thus taking up the space.... or conversely raising the door and having a....very nice looking.... bottom piece of wood below the door? Option 1 does keep us from moving the door mechanism height as I believe that is still sufficiently high enough to fudge.

If there is anyone as crazy as me out there who has tried this... tell me either it can't be done... or it is not worth it .....or you have had a tremendous success and we should start a company.

thanks in advance

Rob a neighbor of mine has a boat that he attached some sort of tube structure above the bridge area.
The "new" boat now was to tall for the old opening.
He remover the header,raised it to fit the boat then used the old sectional door but had a door company add a new section.
Works great.
Might be some thought there.
Frank

 

[buckland]

Hadn't thought that route... another section for the door is about 16" ... will have to measure that out after ice out. I think the ceiling joists are at 10 feet ... hmmm depends on the header height and what I can finagle ... good idea though as that would keep all door mec's the same. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Mark G]

Need more info. Is this a two car garage? Is there a gable above it? Living space?

It's a pretty routine job to raise the header if you're a carpenter. If there's a roof eave over it, it's load bearing and you have to support the load with a temporary wall or header, and there's probably no where for the header to go.. If there is a gable over it it's probably not load bearing.

Adding a door section is a good idea if you can find a matching one.

 

[buckland]

Yup am a carpenter and yup too it is a two car garage but with separate headers.... 2 foot space between. Yup on gabled end ..no living space..
I think Frank might have a good idea... just gotta be sure cross my "t's" and not hurt that load bearing wall. Thanks for the reminder ...that would be a bad day ... one the I would love to avoid!

 

[buckland]

Trouble is after measuring the door panel it is 19 inches.. too much to add. So I am leaning now to raise the header and install a nice looking 8" oak board which can be easily removed...or a series of top hinges that lets me tip it up out of the way and then back in place with barn bolt locks on each side. At this time it is a comedy watching me use a tractor and a cable on a snatch block on the back garage wall. The cable is hooked to the Camper base platform. My road and driveway are dirt/gravel with a good 2" rise into the garage cement floor so I have to first situate the platform on 2, 8 ft 2x10's that i screwed 2" edging on so the wheels can't slip off. So I am motivated to stop these shenanigans and be able to one day again back my truck in with camper and unload like normal people do!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Rob still wouldn't hurt to check with a door company,you would think a different size panel could be made.
After all they put a man on the moon.

You said 2 doors? That might make it easier to remove the header on the just one door and move it up.
Frank

 

[Santiam Camper]

I have a Fleet on order that is scheduled to be completed on May 15 for my Nissan Frontier. My bed height is 30" and the camper height is 54" (I have a solar panel and Yakima racks only) for a total height of 84". My garage door opening is 82". If I remove the trim piece that holds the sweep for the top of the door I can get the opening up to just about 84". I'm hoping that the truck settles at least an inch with the weight of the camper.

If not, there is a 2" piece that looks like it is a non structural wood trim piece that I think I can remove and modify to refit after I get the camper and truck into the garage.

Wish me luck. It looks kinda close.

Mike

 

[Wallowa]

Just saying...if it is a matter of 2" or less...letting the air out of the tires and the air bags, if you have them...might be sufficient.

Kinda like lowering the swamp rather than raising the bridge...

Phil

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I have a Fleet on order that is scheduled to be completed on May 15 for my Nissan Frontier. My bed height is 30" and the camper height is 54" (I have a solar panel and Yakima racks only) for a total height of 84". My garage door opening is 82". If I remove the trim piece that holds the sweep for the top of the door I can get the opening up to just about 84". I'm hoping that the truck settles at least an inch with the weight of the camper.

If not, there is a 2" piece that looks like it is a non structural wood trim piece that I think I can remove and modify to refit after I get the camper and truck into the garage.

Wish me luck. It looks kinda close.

Mike

Welcome to the group.You might find that the truck will settle about 3" or more.
So if you have added air bags/springs and that is the measurement you have @ 84" then you might be OK as the camper settles the truck to a "level" position.
Frank

 

[nikonron]

I have a 7' high garage door and if I let the air out of my tires can get my lifted Tacoma with Eagle inside. Tight squeeze. Ron

 

[Bseek]

I almost posted this in the thread "low cost mods" because it is so not, but we are buying a new house and here is the reason why.

Well, snow removal is a big part of the reason, too. In the Sierra foothills ten miles downhill can make a big difference.

 

[ski3pin]

What, leaving behind all the fun with snow removal, clean up and such?

Congrats with the new house! It is great having the camper and truck tucked away in the garage.