Garage entry camera guidance system

[docprego]

Got a new car (Corvette Stingray) and it's fairly wide, 84" mirror to mirror. My 3rd car garage bay where it will live is 91.5" between the left and right moldings. This leaves me a little less than 4" of clearance per side when entering and exiting the garage.

I had an idea that I thought would make entering and exiting the garage infinitely easier. The basic idea is that I would have a camera on the opposite wall pointing at the garage door. The view would be head on so that it would image my car as it enters or exits the garage. In doing so I could clearly see the car in relation to the garage opening, making entry and exit much easier. I think the basic idea is feasible, I'm just not sure how to implement it all.

A couple of thoughts:

1. The camera would need to be activated when the garage door opens and turn off automatically after the parking maneuver or exit was completed.
2. I envisioned having the video feed sent over my home network and then I could use an app on my iPhone 6 Plus to view the car as I enter or exit the garage. The phone would be mounted so this is entirely hands free.

If anyone has done this or something similar please let me know. All advice, ideas, and suggestions are welcome.

 

[markietas]

Just look at your drivers side mirror and if its more or less 4 inches away from the edge your gtg, no need to see both sides the door isn't going to shrink.

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

Just look at your drivers side mirror and if its more or less 4 inches away from the edge your gtg, no need to see both sides the door isn't going to shrink.

Common sense isn't so common anymore.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Just look at your drivers side mirror and if its more or less 4 inches away from the edge your gtg, no need to see both sides the door isn't going to shrink.

This is exactly what I do now with my car when I go in and out of my garage.

I pull up slowly to the opening of the garage door, and I watch the space between my drivers side rear view mirror and the door opening.

I know that if the space is the width of my hand or less, then I will not hit the passenger side mirror on the opposite side.

If you want to install a camera, it won't really help that much unless it is installed just a few feet away from the door.

If you install it all the way at the back of the garage, then it will be VERY hard to see the tiny image and the even tinier space between the passenger side mirror and your door opening.

Have a friend or family member help guide you into the garage and stop the car when your mirrors are even with the door opening.

Then take a mental note of the space you have at the drivers side mirror, and just make sure you always have that much space or a bit less so you can get in and out.

Jim

 

[docprego]

Just look at your drivers side mirror and if its more or less 4 inches away from the edge your gtg, no need to see both sides the door isn't going to shrink.

I realize that, as I said it would make entry and exit much easier.

Common sense isn't so common anymore.

Apparently neither is common courtesy. Really, if you have nothing constructive to add then please stay out of the thread. I've noticed this twice on this forum now, tough crowd.

This is exactly what I do now with my car when I go in and out of my garage.

I pull up slowly to the opening of the garage door, and I watch the space between my drivers side rear view mirror and the door opening.

I know that if the space is the width of my hand or less, then I will not hit the passenger side mirror on the opposite side.

If you want to install a camera, it won't really help that much unless it is installed just a few feet away from the door.

If you install it all the way at the back of the garage, then it will be VERY hard to see the tiny image and the even tinier space between the passenger side mirror and your door opening.

Have a friend or family member help guide you into the garage and stop the car when your mirrors are even with the door opening.

Then take a mental note of the space you have at the drivers side mirror, and just make sure you always have that much space or a bit less so you can get in and out.

Jim

Thank you Jim, very logical and appreciated.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Your welcome.

The last thing you want is to take out the mirror of a brand new Corvette!!!

Is it at all possible to remove the existing moldings and put on something thinner to get you a bit more room?

I have a friend who just bought a new Vette and he trusts NO ONE with it. Not even his wife, to help guide him into the garage!

What he does is he drives up the garage, starts to pull up to the opening of the door, and then he gets out and looks to make sure he is not going to hit the door frame.

He said that he did not spend all that money on his dream car, only to have it have the mirror ripped off!!

He says that since he always drives it in nice weather he does not mind getting out of the car and spending literally 10 seconds to make sure it won't hit the garage door.

I can agree with that.

Jim

 

[Falcon67]

That's not a bad idea overall. However, with practice you should be able to just drive in/out. I have to park the F150 in the house garage by folding the right mirror in and skimming the right side of the door frame by about 4~6", no more, then swinging the nose slighty right and leaving room between the nose and the wall. There's about 18" on the front and about 12" to the door on the reart when it's in.

I have to back the F350 dually into the shop through a 16' door, half of which is occupied by a race car. I come in at an angle using the mirrors and roll the nose just by the right hand door frame, then back until the bumper hits the rear wall. Fun stuff. My grandson says I'm the "worlds best parker"

 

[chops101]

There are many brands/flavors of laser-assist parking devices...And they are cheap.
Research this direction to see if there is anything that will serve the purpose of pulling in straight.

 

['sallgood]

Bolt the appropriate channel down and weld a "Y" to guide the wall side tires in.Think "car wash"clearance.

 

[inphx]

I strung a rubber ball down the center line to find the max pull in point to not damage front bumper - it helped me to be on center as well. I would pull forward til it bumped my windshield.

i imagine one set earlier could be a first alignment and you could pull forward to the next ball.

A tennis ball and fishing line was used.

 

[socal77]

Got a new car (Corvette Stingray) and it's fairly wide, 84" mirror to mirror. My 3rd car garage bay where it will live is 91.5" between the left and right moldings. This leaves me a little less than 4" of clearance per side when entering and exiting the garage.

I had an idea that I thought would make entering and exiting the garage infinitely easier. The basic idea is that I would have a camera on the opposite wall pointing at the garage door. The view would be head on so that it would image my car as it enters or exits the garage. In doing so I could clearly see the car in relation to the garage opening, making entry and exit much easier. I think the basic idea is feasible, I'm just not sure how to implement it all.

A couple of thoughts:

1. The camera would need to be activated when the garage door opens and turn off automatically after the parking maneuver or exit was completed.
2. I envisioned having the video feed sent over my home network and then I could use an app on my iPhone 6 Plus to view the car as I enter or exit the garage. The phone would be mounted so this is entirely hands free.

If anyone has done this or something similar please let me know. All advice, ideas, and suggestions are welcome.

You might want to take a look at the Chamberlin laser parking aid http://www.homedepot.com/p/Chamberlain-Laser-Garage-Parking-Assist-CLLP1/100431679. I use one for parking an F-150 into a small garage. Just verify that the dot is centered on hood as you pull in. If not you know to back up & move over.

 

[bloomingtonmike]

To do it your way mount the camera and either use a relay with its coil closed by the light circuit on your garage door opener or the coil triggered by a proximity limit switch and code a timer.

Ifyou want to fully diy, Have those on an input of a pi or arduino. A Raspberry pi would do the web server interface needed and there is a header for their camera built on the pi. A raspberry pi and camera and relay or an input switch of some kind would be about $75. It would do everthing required. It could be your online vette baby monitor display if you ran it 24x7 and left off the input switch.

Id just use the windshield and mirrors and I know how to do the above. It is easier.

 

[CJ7VFR]

You might want to take a look at the Chamberlin laser parking aid http://www.homedepot.com/p/Chamberlain-Laser-Garage-Parking-Assist-CLLP1/100431679. I use one for parking an F-150 into a small garage. Just verify that the dot is centered on hood as you pull in. If not you know to back up & move over.

That is cool! And its pretty cheap too! I bet it would work with other brands of garage door openers other than Chamberlain that have the safety sensors.

Jim

 

[z28dude38058]

You could also try a long mirror layed horizontal against the front wall. My uncle uses this to help him line himself on his home car lift.

 

[rkstr]

A buddy uses a 15" fish-eye mirror on each side of his 4-post lift, works great for pulling on to it.

 

[BLUE72CAMARO]

4" per side should be pretty darn easy to hit in IMHO. My truck only clears by 2" per side going into my shed and I have to come in on an angle because the driveway is 90 degrees in front of it.