Garage Door Installation

The garage installers came by yesterday to raise the header on my garage door to 8' so that I have clearance to park the T@B camper indoors. They were a great crew of 3 out of Denver that worked hard from about 9 a.m. to 4:30. In less than 8 hours, they removed the old 7' door and opener, cut and raised the header by over a foot, installed a new Amarr triple layer steel door with insulation and windows, installed a Liftmaster 3800 side mount opener and keyless entry pad, and added outside trim. At the end of the day, the only thing left for me to do was to paint the new trim pieces.

It is really nice to be able to park the camper at home instead of miles away on an open storage lot exposed to the sun, rain, and snow. Now it is in covered and secure storage, out of the elements, and convenient for packing, cleaning, repairs, and modifications. I am looking forward to being able to just hitch up and go when camping season rolls around again!

Here are a few more project pictures.

Garage Door Project

I'd like to be able to store my camper inside my garage to keep it out of the elements instead of in the outdoor storage facility several miles away where it currently resides. Unfortunately, my garage door height is only 7', but the T@B's height is 7'9". So I've been gathering estimates for the cost to raise the header by a foot and install an 8' door.

I've had several contractors come by to evaluate the project and bid estimates. Turns out it can be done, but because of a beam that runs down the center of the garage, parallel to the door, the project will require a side mount opener, which unfortunately is more expensive.

Estimates to take out and haul away the current door, raise the header, and install an 8' door with side mount opener range from $2900 to almost $4000. Seems like a lot of money just to store a camper, but it would be nice to have convenient access to the trailer, and I figure raising the header would add value to my home not to mention help keep the camper in better condition. Also, since indoor storage costs in this area are well over $100 per month, this project would pay for itself in a couple years or so.

So, long story short, I've decided to move forward with the project, and the install is scheduled for a couple days from now! I'll post pictures once the project is complete.

Making it Fit

Call me cheap, but I hate having to pay a monthly storage fee to have my brand new camper sit outside in the sun, snow, rain, and wind.

Although I knew it was a few inches too tall, I wanted to see if I could get the camper to fit in my garage (7' opening) by taking the wheels off and sliding it in on modified tire skates.

After much measuring and checking, and carefully lowering the trailer onto the skates, I slowly pushed it into the garage with just a fraction of an inch to spare. Once inside, the tires were put back on and the trailer was nice and cozy in its new home. Mission accomplished!

After I got the hang of it, I got to the point where I could move it in or out of the garage in about a half hour or so. I figured it was worth the effort, but, to be perfectly honest, by the end of the season, this exercise got really old.