Garage clearance

Haibike

Looking for information before making the plunge.  My door opening is a bit shy of 89 1/2" but really a 88 3/4" clearance from the floor to a rubbery edge which bends about 1/2".  Is that enough to fit a Tab?  Has anyone taken air out of the tires to lower it by 1/4 inch or more?

I want to make sure it will easily fit in my garage.

thanks.

Nomad

Several discussions about this - with pics - about different techniques used. Try a search for "garage" or "garage clearance" or some varient and I'm sure you'll find what you need. If not, report back and someone may be able to steer you to them.

2canoe

I put in  "room in the garage"  and got good results.

Haibike

Thanks for the search ideas.  I tried a few variants on my own without luck.  I am not really interested/capable of the truly extraordinary efforts by some owners.

The specs for the T@B list it at 89". I went over to my dealer and we measured one just shy of 89" but the a/c vent and fan vent are sticking up maybe 2 to 3". Can these be removed without too much trouble?

If I can keep it at 89" and maybe take some air out of the tires - I would be okay.

Verna

Haibike said:

Thanks for the search ideas.  I tried a few variants on my own without luck.  I am not really interested/capable of the truly extraordinary efforts by some owners.

The specs for the T@B list it at 89". I went over to my dealer and we measured one just shy of 89" but the a/c vent and fan vent are sticking up maybe 2 to 3". Can these be removed without too much trouble?

If I can keep it at 89" and maybe take some air out of the tires - I would be okay.

Look for a discussion with the title of "Room in the garage". The search box is in the upper right corner of this page. I used "raise the garage" and was able to fnd the discussion that will answer all the questions you have asked. 

Sgtjohn

I personally wouldn't take anything off of the roof due to a fear of leakage.  Sooner or later those screw hole will become stripped and won't hold.  Even if the screw holes lasted a lifetime, you'd have to seal the area before you took it on the road.

CCPICC

My two cents, don't touch your T@B keep its integrety, enlarge your garage headder to 8 feet and add a garage door pannel and your trailer will go right in. This is what I did and my T@B stays warm and dry all winter, I use my truck to back it in and it is so easy. So for the past 7 years I have had no issues, worth the money to get this done.

Sgtjohn

CCPICC has a point, if you can afford to have someone do the work it is the best idea.  Taking off the wheels after a trip is tiresome and I'm thinking it might reduce the life span of the studs on each wheel.  Having the wheels off will make you think twice of a weekend trip, you can't just pull it out of the garage and hitch it up and go.  You have to replace the wheels, tongue them down and the book says re-torque after 50 miles and again at 250 miles I believe.

Mouseketab

Best thing I ever did was build my T@B garage with 8 ft doors out back. I can play with it endlessly in the dry, keep it plugged up, keep the windows open so I don't have that "closed up camper" smell, and no rush at the end of trips to clean it out, defrost and dry out the fridge.

jctangney

For those of you that do have 8 ft garage doors, will an S model with an Aeroflow vent cover fit, or will I have to remove the cover on my way/out of the garage (expecting delivery in Feb).

Ratkity

You have 96" to play with, minus how far down the door you have hangs.  Most garages have a lip from the driveway up to the concrete pad inside the garage that's about an inch or so (to prevent water entering).  

I remember having to be careful with a standard garage when I had my full-sized Chevy pickup with a wedge-shaped camper shell on the bed. If I drove into the garage too fast, the rear suspension would bounce a bit and the shell could tap the door (there were decorative rails on top of the shell, so it never actually hit the shell itself). If your garage is a tight fit, try not to bounce your camper over the concrete pad lip!

jctangney

It looks like 96" to play with will likely not make it (and I measured actual of 93"). I just got confirmation on the height of the Aeroflow from Camco. it is 9" tall. That plus the 89" of the T@B would be 98". However, I do understand that the 89" is to the top of the vent cover, so that subtracts 2-3 inches making it 95-96 inches. Either too tall for an 8 ft garage, or at least too close for comfort. I would have to remove the Aeroflow before putting it in the garage.

Mouseketab

Yes, I don't have the vent cover, so mine clears just fine. There is a vent that some folks put on that folds down flat and includes a rain cover in the design. It's called a Maxxfan Deluxe

http://www.maxxair.com/products/maxxfan/maxxfan_deluxe.php

Ratkity

That's so cool, Mouse!

jctangney

Thanks for the info Mouseketab! I checked with Maxxfan and the height of the MAxxfan Deluxe when closed is listed as 5 inches. I will wait until I have my T@B S and see if that 5 inches will fit. If so, I will go that route as I want a fan that can use less amps than the standard Fantastic Fan anyway.

Michigan_Mike

Pretty hefty price tag for the Maxxair on Prime 

jctangney

Yes, it is expensive, but if nothing else fits, then what are the options? For me, I am waiting until I get my T@B S, and then will see how much clearance I have while moving the T@B in and out of the garage!

Nomad

Fifty bucks cheaper for the manual version. Still spendy though.

Photomom

If you are ordering your T@B, you can order it with a Maxxair Maxxfan Deluxe as an upgrade. Should work out cheaper than replacing it later.

jctangney

I would order it that way, but the fit is going to be close, so that is why I am going to wait.

Ramrod

Did you get the Maxxair Cover to fit in your 8 feet tall garage door?

jctangney

Just recently had my dealer install the Maxxair Deluxe fan. I had tried a 5 inch box on top of my tab first and it fit. Coming home from the dealer also backed in very slowly with my wife watching from a ladder. It fit just fine!!! Heading out to Eastern Oregon tomorrow (John Day Fossil Beds NM) to give it and bed slats a try!

LorieT

Read through the forums, but just want to clarify -- T@b S with Fantastic Fan clearance -- height I should be looking for is ...?  On the hunt for mini storage unit that will fit. thx. 

Mouseketab

minimum 8', but most storage units I've seen have 7 ft or 12 foot

got2blee

Can a CS-S overall height of 92 inches clear an 84 inch / 7 ft garage doorway? I don't know how to "Drop" 8 inches ,  really want to store it in our garage. Has anyone managed to get it to fit ? I would to see your pics

Cbusguy

That would be a neat trick

Taruuk

I was able to fit it into my parents garage after I removed the header! It was a little more involved than I originally envisioned but not the unit is protected from the Canadian winter.

Also had to let air out of the tires to just squeak in. It's a 2008 T@DA

got2blee

WOW!... that's impressive, we have HOA so unfortunately that was not an option for us. Congrats  and also on Huge Savings on storage fees 

ScottG

Now that is dedication. Having installed the headers in my garage, I have no intention of removing them!  :-)

However, as a public service message to casual carpenters, don't attempt this unless you understand basic structural physics. A header in a gable end is probably not supporting much of a load. Try this under an eave (non-gabled side) and you might be picking up your roof from your driveway...  :-0

ScottG

Ok @Taruuk, so I gotta' ask...  Are you going to put the header back in for the winter and pop it out back out in the spring, or will this be finished off as a permanent modification?

GatorEgg

You chopped up your parents garage for your trailer?  Why not your own house?  My parents got [upset] when I marked up the walls horsing around when I was a kid.

(Mod note: edited for language.)