Community Forums

ThePowells · 12-21-2018, 09:27 PM

In planning the coach garage, I found that the expanded width is 12'4", but how far past the edge of the slides does the cargo bay doors extend? Would 24' be wide enough and have 3-4 feet clearance on each side to walk around?

mike625 · 12-21-2018, 09:44 PM

your slide width is going to be smaller that the basement door / RV width - i want to say the large doors are 3 1/2 to 4 foot wide on both sides - so you are looking at 15 to 16 feet just to open them fully -

ThePowells · 12-22-2018, 01:11 AM

Thank You... I'm already anal about scratching the paint.

Lee Linda · 12-22-2018, 11:13 AM

We built an insulated, heated, rv garage 24 foot wide plenty of room with slides out, open bay doors, and have a few feet on each side.

fla tom · 12-22-2018, 06:43 PM

Our building is 40x60. 20 ft is wide enough any wider just makes it nicer(you will need room for storage)

MRUSA14 · 12-22-2018, 07:40 PM

Mine is 20 wide and works well. A little tight when opening the basement doors but very usable. I can open all the basement doors and store things on shelves along the garage wall. 24 feet will be not only adequate but luxurious.

ThePowells · 12-22-2018, 08:07 PM

Thank Y'all. There will be plenty of storage space as this will be where we will also be storing all of our "stuff" when we are gone most timing. I don't really want to store much beside the coach since it will be getting bathed in there also.

Matt D · 12-23-2018, 09:08 AM

Jerry congratulations on the upgrade and on your pending garage project.

When you get some time, please update your signature to describe your current coach.

I have a few random thoughts I wanted to share, on the shop issue. Having used a 15’ X 50’ storage facility for a long while, I can assure you that 24’ wide would be my personal minimum for a single bay shop.

With that being said, I’d really suggest doubling the width and going with at least a 50’ X 50’ dimension. This leaves the coach in its own space and plenty of room for future storage and projects. Financially, there is a slight edge in going big, early. I know of few shop/garage owners who have too much space, and quite a few with too little space.

Secondly, I would strongly encourage you install 14’ X 14’ (finished dimension) entry doors for the coach.

We currently have a 12’ X 14’ door and the lateral dimension requires close attention to avoid clipping a mirror. My neighbor has a 14’ door on his GarageMahal (60’ X 80’), and the 14’ width is much more forgiving.

Whatever material you use, stick or metal spend the money to have it well ventilated and insulated. Evidently un-insulated buildings sweat a lot.

Go big on the electrical service. Personally, I’m planning on at least (2) 50A outlets. One where the coach will rest under cover, and a second by the mouth of the garage, on a separate circuit. The idea is that I want to be able to offer friends the ability to plug in when they visit without disconnecting our coach.

Potable water, and some type of drain are also planned.

Good luck and have fun.

-Matt

Nowabeachbum · 12-23-2018, 10:29 AM

Just a reminder, when planning a building, the measurements are almost always taken from the outside. So a 50’ x 20’ building may actually be 48x18 on the inside. If you have a 45’ coach with a towbar and front mirrors sticking out, there is very little space left to walk around.

ThePowells · 12-23-2018, 09:25 PM

Matt, With everything that we are doing at once, this is rapidly turning to an exercise in herding cats.....

We don't have the coach, yet... We have settled on a 45" Anthem and our price point will put us in a 2014 +/- 1. Her requirements are a tile floor, king bed, double vanity and a seat in the shower. We have one I am focused on right now.
The building plan is for a 42X80 with a 14X14 door for the coach. The garage will be 55 feet long with the last 25 feet being living space. We are still talking to builders about the shop, but the shop will be a little later in order. It will have water, septic, electric, and gas. We are looking at metal carports as a temporary measure for the summer and it will still be hooked up to all services.
We have a 2100 SF house that we will be moving out of and renting, and we already have a tenant lined up for it as soon as we do. We shall then be "full timing" until the building gets done or the doublewide gets done.
Then the last part of this puzzle is replacing an older vacant trailer with a double wide and it will also be a rental.

We will be going to the Tampa Show in January and will be expanding our horizons as far as lenders, then to an Ag show last week in January and talking to more builders. The fly in that ointment may be SWMBO changing plans and going to pick up a coach instead.