New take on tennis ball park assist

AndyL · Apr 8, 2012

Saw this the other day, figured I should share... we've all seen the tennis ball on a string, so your wife doesn't hit your toolbox... but retracting is a new take on it

Door open, its waiting to hit your windshield, closed, tucked up tight to the ceiling.

Just don't drill a hole through your door like this guy did... :wtf:

Stainless169 · Apr 8, 2012

Good idea.

I attempted to do this for my wife but she saw it more as an insult than a means of prevention. Go figure.

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Krash Kadillak · Apr 8, 2012

I've got the 'ole tennis ball for the wifey. This setup wouldn't help me, though. It's when the wife's car isn't in the garage, and the door is open when I'm roaming around - that's when I bump into it.

After I get the garage all set up, there will be reference points marked on the walls - no ball.

AndyL · Apr 8, 2012

Now heres the funny part... notice theres not any extraneous holes in the ceiling?

Buddy had a gawdy gold ring on... tells me this was calculated exactly... tennis ball was 1/2" below the ceiling closed, and perfectly located height and distance for this crv open... the math makes my head hurt thinking about it

Kadillak - thats when the factory laser modules come in handy

Shadowdog500 · Apr 8, 2012

The Genie tennis ball parking system that they sell at lowes works like that.(Actually that looks like the Genie One) The ball retracts to the ceiling when the door is closed. I just hung the ball because I was afraid if there was a problem and the ball didn't fully extend when the door opened, someone may drive the car into the back wall while focusing on the tennis ball.

Chris

NUTTSGT · Apr 8, 2012

Doesn't matter if the ball goes up/down or stays in one place. What matters is if the wife stops when she pulls up to it and not a foot farther foward.

02chuck · Apr 9, 2012

Been using parking mats for years.
Put a small mark on floor to place the mat.
we had a shorter garage in the previous home and
where the car stopped mattered.
Plus the tennis ball is not smacking you in the head when out in the garage.

ovilla · Apr 9, 2012

I always just set the motion sensor for the exact height of my bumper. Then I drive in and hit the remote. If it blinks, I"m not in far enough. Otherwise the door closes and I know it's going to clear my bumper.

Chief Geek · Apr 9, 2012

ovilla said:
I always just set the motion sensor for the exact height of my bumper. Then I drive in and hit the remote. If it blinks, I"m not in far enough. Otherwise the door closes and I know it's going to clear my bumper.

That would make the "hit the button and run" mad dash interesting (c'mon, i know you've all done it).

riskyvt · Apr 9, 2012

I'm using a motion-activated laser pointer device purchased thru Amazon. Didn't cost much, and works really well. I stop when the red dot aligns with a spot on my dash. Neat trick with the tennis ball though...

TONE · Apr 9, 2012

No offense to anyone, but if you can't park your car without needing a tennis ball on a string helping you, then you really have no place driving on public roads.

peterhf · Apr 9, 2012

TONE said:
No offense to anyone, but if you can't park your car without needing a tennis ball on a string helping you, then you really have no place driving on public roads.

X 2......... :shocking:

APEowner · Apr 9, 2012

No offense to anyone, but if you can't park your car without needing a tennis ball on a string helping you, then you really have no place driving on public roads.

I normally would agree with this but where my wife parks there's literally 6 1/4" total clearence front to back. I bolted a chunk of aluminum to the floor. With the right front tire against it the front bumper is 4 inches from the milling machine. In the winter the door will sometimes leave a track in the snow on the back bumper!

509SC · Apr 9, 2012

TONE said:
No offense to anyone, but if you can't park your car without needing a tennis ball on a string helping you, then you really have no place driving on public roads.

Well, you're probably right, but the state disagreed with you and gave her a license anyway! As stated above, it's not such a silly idea based on needed clearance.

bugnout · Apr 10, 2012

I tried the tennis ball before. wife could only get the concept that it needed to make contact with the windshield, she often ended up further in than neccessary. A small sandbag for the right front tire has worked better for my wife.

New take on tennis ball park assist

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