I screwed up.........bad

[kywildcat]

Well I got my garage finished last week, and everything was fine. Its completely wired and all lights up, and its time to start insulating and hanging OSB on the ceiling and walls. Here is the screw up!! A doctor friend of mine said he was going to sell his 07 Ford F-150 Supercrew Truck, and I had to ask what he wanted for it..............well lets just say it was a hell of deal, and I now own it. Good for me right? Maybe!! I took it home and turned towards the garage, and it don't fit so good. I have to turn to the right to get into the garage doors, and I can't swing it out far enough to get it in first time. Have to back it up, and pull back up, and do the same thing coming out. I put 9' wide doors on it, and I dont have very much clearance when pulling in. The Ford Explorer I have goes in fine......I sure didnt think there would be that much difference in them........WRONG!!
My original plans were to put a 18' door in, but the builder and friends changed my mind, and now Im going to have to tear the front wall out, and go to the original plan. COSTLY MISTAKE on a impulse buy!!!!!
Sorry so long of a post.....but I had to VENT to somebody, because the wife dont want to hear it........LOL

 

[littletoes]

I bet she don't! Hope you put a bed in there.....sounds like you'll need it!

 

[A_Pmech]

Doesn't sound bad to me...

I drive a highway snow plow in the winter. The plows are 14' wide but the garage doors are only 10' wide.

 

[Dan Fowler]

Doesn't sound bad to me...

I drive a highway snow plow in the winter. The plows are 14' wide but the garage doors are only 10' wide.

So, uh, when do we get the write-up on hydraulically actuated partitions that open after the garage door goes up so you can get that beast in the garage?

 

[fourfeathers]

Backing in the whole way won't do it?

 

[kywildcat]

Backing in the whole way won't do it?

Well I can get in either way, just a lot of effort. One of the mirrors will be gone in a week. I have a picture of the garage on another thread, but dont know how to get the pic here. Its on page 2 of the garage gallery form under "outside finshed now". I just dont have enough room on the left side of the driveway to turn it straight.
If anybody looks at the pic..........how about a guess on what it will cost to take the 2 9'f doors down, and go with a 18 footer.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Here's the pictures. It's hard to tell, I assume you don't have a straight run into the garage?

 

[jhelrey]

I think I know you. I know it says Minneapolis but do you actually live in Elk River?

 

[kywildcat]

No straight run. I come up the driveway and have to make 90 degree turn to the right. I have about 25 to 30 feet from property line (Fence) to the face of garage. It was my only option in building it, and my car and Explore go in easy. The F-150 is just so much longer.

 

[mmhouse]

Call me crazy, but this just doesn't seem like a big problem to me. I have a double and a single door. I can pull right into the double door but, like you, I need to back up once to get into the single one. It's just not a big deal as far as I'm concerned. Maybe you should give it a little time to see if you get accustomed to it before you go spending a bunch of money to change the door.

Also, can you parallel the fence and get right up against it before making your hard right? If not, can the drive be altered to allow you do do that and get more room to turn?

 

[Shadowdog500]

OUCH!!!

Since it is brand new, is there any way you can at least get a partial refund on the smaller door when you exchange it for the larger one?

BTW Nice garage!!!

Chris

 

[fourfeathers]

Looks like enough room to the left to do a 3 point turn. The F150 has a pretty good turn radius. I think you can do it. (swing the mirror in if you must)

 

[jhelrey]

Just learn how to park it. Just be lucky your garage is deep enough. Mine isn't

 

[kywildcat]

No way to alter the drive, Ive already talked the property owner of the BIG FIELD next to me, and he wont let me take the T-Post fence posts down (No Fence, just posts).
I asked if I could pull them out and mark them with rebar or some metal stake, so we could find them easy if he ever sold. I wanted to put some gravel down on my property, but all the way to the line. He didnt care much for it, so I wont be keeping HIS fence post line mowed or cleaned out anymore......

 

[santagary]

Famous race car neighbor just built a garage with a 12 x 10' tall and then bought a 11 foot high 1.5million dollar motor coach...whoops!

 

[mmhouse]

Just learn how to park it. Just be lucky your garage is deep enough. Mine isn't

When I began reading your post this is exactly what I thought the OP was going to say...that the truck was too long for the garage.

Be happy it's just an inconvenience rather than a 'real' problem.

 

[jpoe]

I have to 3 point turn my truck into the shop. While that is a pain in the ****, I am way to cheap to widen the door. As a side note, most newer vehicles side view mirrors pivot 90 degrees, something I have tested numerous times with no ill effect.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I think I know you. I know it says Minneapolis but do you actually live in Elk River?

Who, me? Nope, I live in south Minneapolis.

 

[dumper]

can we see a picture of the truck. so we can decide how big the problem is?

 

[kywildcat]

When I began reading your post this is exactly what I thought the OP was going to say...that the truck was too long for the garage.

Be happy it's just an inconvenience rather than a 'real' problem.

Good Point!!!!!

 

[scott37300]

I don't see any problem, you have a gravel drive and rear wheel drive truck.

 

[kywildcat]

Dumper....dont have pic of actual truck yet...but it is a 07, Ford F-150 Super Crew.

 

[Falcon67]

You must have a strange layout - I can fit my 2006 Super Crew through an 8' wide door no problem.

 

[BigE]

You must have a strange layout - I can fit my 2006 Super Crew through an 8' wide door no problem.

I think the issue is one of turning radius. It sounds like the drive is perpendicular to the door so he has to drive up and make a 90 degree turn to get in the garage. Normally not a problem, but if I'm reading it right, the edge of his property is only 20-30 feet in front of the garage not giving him enough room to make a sweeping turn into the garage. Due to the length of the truck, he has to back up and straighten the truck before going in. So the door is wide enough to fit through, he just can't do it at an angle.

I would love to be able to put my truck in my garage. However, I'm going to have to rip out some shelves installed by the PO in order to do so. Even then, my truck may be too long. But, I recently discovered my new-to-me truck has a nifty feature that will fold in the mirrors in case I do encounter a door that's not quite wide enough.

 

[archirelic]

this may come across as harsh, and i do not mean it that way at all. but maybe the problem lies with the ability to not handle a vehicle of this caliber?

get a good couple practice runs over the course of a few weeks before you decide to go about a costly renovation to the front of the garage.

 

[kywildcat]

this may come across as harsh, and i do not mean it that way at all. but maybe the problem lies with the ability to not handle a vehicle of this caliber?

get a good couple practice runs over the course of a few weeks before you decide to go about a costly renovation to the front of the garage.

Im not taking it as harsh......but I have been driving for 40 years, and drove a little bit of everything. Im not saying I cant do this, it just a royal pain in the ****. Im really not worried about me, but Id bet within 10 trips in and out of the garage by my wife, and will take a mirror off. I took her out tonight and showed her how to pull the mirror in, and she is OK with it.

I cant make a sweeping turn.....it is a 3 point turn everytime. Ill deal with it, and then see if I want to make the changes. My builder has told me, he will do it for COST..........since he is the first one who suggested not to put in the 18 foot door.

 

[scott37300]

Im not taking it as harsh......but I have been driving for 40 years, and drove a little bit of everything. Im not saying I cant do this, it just a royal pain in the ****. Im really not worried about me, but Id bet within 10 trips in and out of the garage by my wife, and will take a mirror off. I took her out tonight and showed her how to pull the mirror in, and she is OK with it.

I cant make a sweeping turn.....it is a 3 point turn everytime. Ill deal with it, and then see if I want to make the changes. My builder has told me, he will do it for COST..........since he is the first one who suggested not to put in the 18 foot door.

If your builder said he would do it for cost I would just have it done. What are we talking about, a new header and a new garage door. If it was me I would just go ahead and do it if he is going to give you a deal.

 

[what have i done]

i like having 2 doors. can you get a 10 footer for one side instead of the 9?

 

[brownbagg]

garage are not for car parking but shop working. cars stay outside

 

[kywildcat]

i like having 2 doors. can you get a 10 footer for one side instead of the 9?

I think I am going with a 10 foot door.....as I like having 2 doors as well.

 

[hilld]

garage are not for car parking but shop working. cars stay outside

+1

 

[Tantara]

I have known guys who remove or modify the turn stops to get a Ford truck to turn sharper.

Brad

 

[Displaced Hokie]

That's a pet peave of mine about house and garage building in general...if the garage is going to be on the side of the house ample "swing" room is NEVER built into the driveway. The trand toward larger vehicles has been going on for 10+ years and garages have not changed. My fullsize Chevy (reg cab, long bed) will barely fit in one side of my garage. The other bay...no way. And it takes multiple turns to get it straight.

 

[Boyd Who]

garage are not for car parking but shop working. cars stay outside

^^^^^ What he said!

 

[dumper]

why can't the truck stay outside? Is it a "real" truck, or a "pavement princess?" How we doing on the picture?

 

[kywildcat]

why can't the truck stay outside? Is it a "real" truck, or a "pavement princess?" How we doing on the picture?

Would you leave your vehicle out if you didn't have too? It's a nice truck, and I would just soon park it inside, and that's why I built a garage in the first place.

 

[dabirdguy]

Suggestion:
If you can't return the doors..Put one or both of those doors on the BACK side of the garage to make a "drive thru".

 

[mrchuck]

Put the 10' door in. A larger door is always needing adjustment,and also sways in the middle, unless it is a roll-up type.
Opening a small door saves any residual heat you have in there.

 

[mrchuck]

Also, if you do not do this, your wife will SMOLDER every time she pulls in, either driving ,or riding as a passenger.
Yes, she will remember this! So, fix it.

 

[Professur]

just a shot from the outfield .... how about installing a turntable in front of the doors? That way, when you're not using it for turning your truck, you can use it to show off the wax job your wife did on the explorer