Are you trying to design your new garage but need to make sure it can fit your larger vehicles? Cars can fit easily in standard garage doors, but when it comes to larger vehicles such as an SUV pickup, or RV, you'll need to start looking for larger doors. The standard size of a garage door is 9' by 7', which isn't likely to allow you giant vehicles to come through.
Don't worry, though! We can make a garage door that's customized to your vehicle size. In order to determine the size you need, just follow our guide to figure it out!
Wanting a door for your sedan and your RV in the same garage? No problem here! Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Picking a Garage Door for Your SUV or Truck
1. SUVs and trucks are larger than standard sedans, so it's important to figure out what size garage door they can comfortably fit through.
JD Power lets us know that most SUVs are somewhere between 5'5" and 6'4" in height, depending on the brand. Of course, if you've changed the tires, rims, or other options that affect height, this can potentially make your SUV taller.
In comparison, standard pickup trucks tend to be between 6' and 6'5". Again, this is without any type of modification that affects the heigh. For average SUVs and trucks, you need at least a 7-foot tall garage door. If you want to make sure you have plenty of room, consider one that's as tall as nine feet. Fortunately, most everyday vehicles will fit through an 9-foot wide garage door, so you don't need to look for a special size there.
With the measurements you need, it's time to decide what style of garage door you want to choose. If you're having a hard time deciding, our image gallery can give you an idea of what other customers have chosen.
Is your garage attached or detached from your home? If it's attached to your home, it's a good idea to choose an insulated garage door. Choosing an insulated door can help regulate the temperature in your garage as well as help you control your electric bill!
We offer insulation levels varying in R-value so you can find the right amount of insulation for your climate. Fortunately, insulation changes nothing about the exterior appearance of your garage door, so you don't need to consider that at all when choosing a style. If you need high insulation, check out the R-16 category, with options like the contemporary Vog or the more traditional North Hatley LP.
The Standard+ Vog garage in Charcoal, window layout: Left‑side Harmony is shown here. With an impressive 9' by 7' size, these garage doors will allow you to fit basically any truck or SUV through!
If you have a 2-car garage, you need to decide whether you'll have a double door or two single doors.
What is the right width for a double garage door?
A lot of this decision comes down to how comfortable you are with your ability to park two cars side by side. If you have two small cars in your garage, you can likely fit them easily through a 12' garage door. However, with larger vehicles or uncertain drivers, it can be better to go with a wider garage door. Our most common width that we sell is 16', allowing ample space to pull two cars through the garage door. Of course, we custom build every garage door to your preference, so you can choose the width that works for your garage!
The Standard+ North Hatley LP design, 16' x 8', Moka Brown, 4 vertical lite Orion windows shown here gives you plenty of room to drive two cars into your garage and park them next to each other.
2. What garage door lift should I choose?
The most common type of lift is the standard lift, which can be installed in any garage that has at least 12 inches about the garage door. You'll need at least 14 inches if you want to install your opener on the ceiling.
If you don't have the 12 inches needed for a standard lift, consider a low front headroom lift. If you have ten inches or less above your garage door, this lift style is perfect for you!
If you have a sloped garage ceiling, there's a special opener option for you as well! An inclined track can be installed by following the slope of the top of your garage.
3. What hardware do you need for your chosen garage door?
Even though SUVs and trucks need taller garage doors, they still only need residential hardware. As long as your garage door is eight feet tall or less, you can move forward with the residential route. We have two residential hardware options for you to choose from: Dura+ and bolted.
Here, you can compare the 2 styles:
Our garage door models come with one of the two hardware styles standard. However, you can ask your garage door expert to change your style if you prefer one over the other. If you aren't sure which one you'd rather have, talk to your garage door dealer, and they can help you make the decision!
4. What garage door opener do I need for my larger vehicle?
Most SUVs and trucks fit into garage doors that are no taller than eight feet, so you can pick any of our residential electric garage door openers based on your preference!
We offer a variety of garage openers that each have their own benefits, so you can pick one that meets your need!
- The LiftMaster 87504-267 opener is a great option for anyone who wants a high-tech garage door opener. It comes with an HD camera and a two-way microphone. Both of these features can be monitored from your smartphone, so you can keep an eye on your garage from anywhere!
- The LiftMaster 8500W opener is wall-mounted, which allows you to have your ceiling open for storage. This is a great option if you want to use your garage as a living space because the opener being on the wall makes the garage feel like another room in your home. Plus, this style can be used with garage doors up to 14 feet tall!
- The LiftMaster 87802 garage door opener has a chain drive system that can be noisier than a belt drive. It's perfect if you have a detached garage and don't need to worry about the noise level or if you're looking for a high-quality budget option. It also has a built-in battery backup, so you can still open your garage door if the power goes out.
No matter which model you choose, they can all be controlled from your phone with the myQ app! This lets you make sure your garage is closed no matter where you are, giving you added peace of mind.
The LiftMaster 87504-267 is super quiet! It has battery backup, a camera, and a ton of high-tech features!
Now, let's look at how to pick a garage door if you have an RV!
1. What size does a garage door need to be for an RV?
The first measurement you need to figure out is how tall your RV is. From there, make sure to add headroom to the total, allowing you plenty of space to pull in easily. If you don't factor in enough headroom into your garage, it can make for a scary parking experience!
The G-5000, 16' x 18', Ice White is a commercial garage door that works perfectly for someone wanting to park their RV in a garage.
If you're considering upgrading your RV before long, it's a good idea to consider the height of the biggest new motorhome you're considering, to make sure it would fit in your garage door as well!
Even the fanciest of Class A RVs can fit through a garage door if you take the time to plan and measure correctly! Image: Camper Report.
Consider the type of motorhome you own to determine a good starting point for your garage door.
According to Camper Report, there are four different classes of RVs:
- Class A – These are the largest RVs. They are often the most roomy and comfortable and most like a true home on wheels.
- Class B – The smallest class of RVs, but still offers a spacious area for driving. These won't need near the garage space to store.
- Class B+ – The middle ground between B and C. These are larger than Class B, but they don't have as many features and luxuries as a Class C.
- Class C – Similar to a Class A but on a smaller scale. They are built onto a modified pickup truck chassis, giving them a similar make.
Imagine taking your Class C RV on a great trip and then bringing it home to be parked in your own garage! Image: Pixabay.
Every RV class has a different size, so you need to consider the averages of each when designing your garage and picking a garage door.
Jeffsetter Travel lets us know the average heights of each class:
- Class A –12 to 14 feet
- Class B and B+ – 7 to 10 feet
- Class C –10 to 12 feet
Depending on the size of your normal residential garage, you may be able to fit a Class B RV through the door. Image: Unsplash.
Ensure you're accounting for any accessories your RV has that will affect the height, such as a roof-mounted air conditioning unit. With the final measurement, you can begin looking for your perfect garage door. Take your RVs measurement, then factor in a little of headspace to allow it to fit comfortably.
Next, you need to consider the width for your garage door. You'll need 10 feet or more for a Class A vehicle. Most people opt for a 12-foot-wide garage door to make sure they have plenty of space. For Class B, B+ and C vehicles, you can pick an eight or nine-foot wide garage door.
These Standard+ Shaker-Flat XL are 10' x 9', making them a perfect fit for your Class B or B+ motorhome.
Having the right measurements for your RV and adding in the extra space that makes you comfortable will allow you to figure out the size of garage door you need. Then, give us the measurements, and we'll design the perfect garage door for you! If you're not sure how much space to add, it's always better to have a bigger garage door than one that's too small.
Image: Houzz. Garage doors with a style like our Shaker-Flat CC garage door are perfect for fitting a large Class A RV into.
2. What garage door lift do I need?
Since RV garages are much taller than residential garages, your lift options will be different from as standard lift.
If your garage has a lot of wall space above your garage door, consider a full vertical or high lift track. Going this route will let you still have plenty of space above your RV when it's parked in the garage.
An inclined track is great for sloped garages like those with a cathedral ceiling! This style follows the angle of your ceiling, which allows you to have the maximum amount of space possible for your RV.
Choose a low front headroom lift if you have ten inches or less above your garage door. This will let you have a lift in your garage if you don't have enough space above the door for other styles.
3. What hardware options do I have with these garage doors?
Any garage door that is eight feet tall or more you will get commercial hardware instead of residential. This will help make sure your garage door functions properly, and your hardware is able to stand up to the weight of a larger garage door.
There are 3 options for you to choose from when it comes to commercial hardware, depending on how often you use your garage door.
Keep the weight of your garage door in mind when choosing your hardware.
4. Time to pick your garage door opener!
With the choice of garage door done, it's time to choose your garage door opener. With tall garage doors like the ones needed for RVs, it's crucial that you choose an opener because it's basically impossible to open them by hand. We suggest an industrial-strength LiftMaster garage door opener.
With really tall garage doors, it's a good idea to get a wall-mounted garage opener.
When you pick a garage door opener like the LiftMaster H, there are tons of benefits!
- Your ceiling space is free for storage instead of being used for a garage door opener.
- You won't need to climb a tall ladder if you need to program the opener!
- Way less vibration and super quiet.
- Can be controlled with myQ!
The LiftMaster H is that it is compatible with the myQ app. This gives you the advantage of being able to open and close your garage door from anywhere!
LiftMaster garage openers are high-quality and guaranteed to let you relax, knowing your garage will always open properly!
If you're worried you didn't close the garage door after you left and don't want to bother anyone to drive by and check, it can be really stressful. This is even worse if you're enjoying an RV trip with your family because you can't relax! However, with myQ, you can check the status of your garage door right from your phone. If it's still open, you can close it from the app too!
The myQ app lets you monitor your garage in real-time from any location.
You can even set the app up to send you notifications if your garage has been open for an extended period of time. That way, even if you've not thought about your garage at all, you can still make sure the garage door is closed while you're away!
When a notification pops up on your phone, all you have to do is open the app and close your garage!
Time to shop for the perfect garage door!
We offer a wide range of garage door styles, colors, and sizes, so we're your choice for every garage project you have!
Not to mention, all our garage doors are custom made. Simply let us know the height and width you need your garage door to be, and we'll make sure it fits into your garage perfectly! No measurement is too unique!
If you need help measuring for your garage door, check out this guide or contact us, and we'll be happy to help! We can even have an expert come to your house and take the measurements for you to ensure they're done properly!
The Eastman E-11, 16' x 8', Black door and overlays, has four vertical lite Panoramic windows and is a beautiful, modern option for most residential vehicles.
You get to design your garage door to meet your style!
Check out our Design Centre. Here, you can look at the many garage door styles we offer and see what they look like. We currently offer more than 35 designs in over ten colors! No matter what you're envisioning with your garage door, you're sure to find a style that meets your dreams!
You can even do this from your phone, so you can design a garage door from anywhere!
If you really want to know what the garage door will look like on your home, upload a photo of your garage, and you can see the designed door with it! After you choose a design you like, we can send you a free quote by email.
Give us a call at 978-342-3344, and one of our A-1 Overhead Door Systems experts
Can help you with any questions you have! From planning to installation and everything after, we're the garage door experts for you!
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