Motorhome Garage or Car Port

k9jkfham · 01-19-2021, 12:47 PM

I have a 36 foot Vista motorhome. I am looking at adding either a car port or garage or overhead something. What size should I consider? How wide should we be? The unit measures 13 foot 2 inch tall with all the stuff on the roof.

deckape · 01-19-2021, 02:05 PM

I would say about 14' high and as wide as your side outs go plus a foot or so. If your doors open pass your slides then even wider. This is a port I had build for my class A. 40' X 40' with a 16' bay for coach, 12' X 30 " guess cabin and a 12' 30 ' covered patio for our outdoor living room.

sjcopy · 01-19-2021, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deckape

I would say about 14' high and as wide as your side outs go plus a foot or so. If your doors open pass your slides then even wider. This is a port I had build for my class A. 40' X 40' with a 16' bay for coach, 12' X 30 " guess cabin and a 12' 30 ' covered patio for our outdoor living room.

Thats awesome, I hope to do something like that in 5 years

gabbyh · 01-23-2021, 06:10 PM

we have a 36 journey , being in the greenhouse business , we just took a 16 ft wide grnhouse frame and raised it up to 14 ft X 42 ft long . we have swing up side doors and there is room on both sides for them . covered frame with 4 year white poly to cut down in UV.. we have loved this set up for 3 years . however we ARE in the grnhouse business so replacing the poly is no problem.

1237dmctlc · 01-24-2021, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k9jkfham

I have a 36 foot Vista motorhome. I am looking at adding either a car port or garage or overhead something. What size should I consider? How wide should we be? The unit measures 13 foot 2 inch tall with all the stuff on the roof.

Actually I started a thread on similar question a few weeks back. I have the land and would prefer a garage but with landing clearing, concrete work for pad and driveway along with quotes for steel or concrete, I was looking at $40,000 and upwards for a 50'x18' with 14' sidewalls. So we decided to go to canopy with gable ends and 3 side panels giving me 9' sides of the 14' sidewalls upgraded to withstand 180 mph. winds. Have several quotes wtg. For one more then I'll make a decision as I'm wtg. For my land clearing permit to be approved in the next few weeks. Unfortunately with the canopy I have to get land clearing and concrete work myself separate from the canopy order. I have a 40' DP but might go up to a larger tag axle in the near future so its better to be prepared, IMHO.

BobC · 01-24-2021, 08:18 AM

How about some recommendations on the minimal side for those of us without a ton of room and with a relatively modest budget?

hank857 · 01-24-2021, 09:36 AM

We had a 40X50 garage put up with 17ft eves, 14 ft rollup door for our Aspect. Plenty of room for other vehicles. Have stored the rv, our old TT the F350 PU and my ranger pu at the same time. It also will hold some household good for storage. total cost with permits etc was around $65K, yes it is a steel building but that was the install price for everything less electric (installed later about $1500). No water or toilet inside.

So if going for a garage look at the net as there are places that will sell metal buildings fairly cheap, but the costs will be shipping and install. The carport type things can run up costs also and normally do not have side walls or even an end wall and they are not really cheap and the vehicle is still exposed to the elements! We had these installed at one place I worked for the maintainers but really they were not happy with them since they were still hot in summer and cold in winter, just something to think about.

forgot to add the building is fully insulated so it stays approx 20deg cooler inside than OAT. Winter does not really require any extra heat as temps not that bad. Do have a portable propane heater if needed.

1237dmctlc · 01-24-2021, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

How about some recommendations on the minimal side for those of us without a ton of room and with a relatively modest budget?

Where you live and your building codes dictates what you can use. Another method that might work would be canvas awnings. Probably the least expensive approach but who can say in the long run. In florida each county has their own codes to follow but most, especially along the coast has to meet 160 MPH and if your in a flood zone other regulations especially a garage. Because I'm less about a mile from Charlotte harbor and the ocean its tougher. Thus is what drives the cost of a garage up significantly. If you can go canvas top and gravel pad and driveway then I'd think it would be the cheapest approach. Though realize a canvas top even if Sunbrella will eventually need to be replaced. For what I mentioned for a steel canopy concrete pad and driveway, permits,land clearing,etc., I'm still going to be about $20,000. No electricity cost included not sure if i will add it since I'll probably bring it back to the house pad to load food, etc.. when heading out camping.I had an RV pad next to my house with water and 50 amp service but I want a larger structure hence putting it on my land away from the house driving up cost. You need to carefully check out whomever you look at to make sure you're getting something that won't rust through. Some build their roofs to run horizontally so it traps water and rust quicker especially near the ocean. You need to make sure that the roof doesn't trap water. The one I'm looking it has a 20 year rust on roof and structure. Cost a little more but will probably out last me. 12g steel galvanized inside and out certified for 180 mph. IMHO you really need to do your homework to avoid have a pile of junk in a few years.

Dibbsvtx1 · 01-27-2021, 04:50 PM

I have a winnebago journey 2000 36l, I built a 28x44 foot garage with 14 foot high ceiling. Unit is 12' 3" high. Works great. The work I have been able to do on it the past 2 years have more than paid for the investment of the garage. Its heated and I run an dehumidifier in the summer. Unit is dry to the core.

Bobn1957 · 01-27-2021, 06:42 PM

I'm looking at getting one of these https://multisheltersolutions.com/ap...s/rv-shelters/ it was posted on a previous message. You can put it on a concrete pad or just nail it to the ground with steel stakes.

moabdds · 01-27-2021, 07:09 PM

If I had the space and the money, I would definitely go with a heated garage. It doesn't have to be heated like your house, but enough to prevent freezing. Then, there is no winterizing, no Adco covers, no sun damage to roof/paint/tires, and it is always ready to go at a moment's notice.

If you want to go really first class, put in a floor drain and sewer dump so you can wash it inside even in the winter when you get back from Quartzsite! If you are having to pay $15 each time you dump your tanks when you get home before storing, having your own free sewer dump will pay for a $60,000 building in only 4,000 trips! I should live so long. I can see I should have retired much, much earlier.

The big "if" is space and money.

Just my dos centavos worth.

HappiHenri · 01-27-2021, 08:17 PM

As much space as you can build. Keep in mind that for roof clearance in particular - you may have enough to drive in your RV - but will you then have enough to be able to climb up onto the roof for inspection/repair/cleaning/mods?

Theoretically - depending on where you live and the climate - you could always back out your RV for all that rooftop work.

Bobn1957 · 01-27-2021, 09:35 PM

When I buy the tent I will put some pond liner on the gravel to keep everything drier.

Dibbsvtx1 · 01-28-2021, 06:27 AM

Another data point worth mentioning is the humidity factor. Before I had the garage, the rig had a smell, every rv has it's own unique smell bc of humidity. Once garage was finished, the smell was gone. Most likely buildup inside the walls was occurring

nova 42qd · 01-28-2021, 07:59 AM

My MH is 43' long, 13' high. I built a 48' by 16' wide garage. Since I am in a rural area I did not need any permits as I call it a barn. Agricultural buildings where I am do not require permits.

The "barn" is big enough to allow me to open the slides. Two factors to consider. The size you need and dimensional lumber sizes. As your lumber sizes get longer the cost increases considerably. Also determine what garage door you want if you are building an enclosed garage as you need to make sure you have adequate head room for the door, room for the garage door opener as well as the RV to fit.

Also determine how you will get power to the structure and if you want a full hook up.

Finally there is UV rays to consider. UV rays kill tires and paint. If you have an enclosed garage make sure you have windows, etc. that block out the UV rays.

peggwn · 01-28-2021, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

How about some recommendations on the minimal side for those of us without a ton of room and with a relatively modest budget?

If you are looking at just enough to enclose and on a budget, we spent about $18,000 for a wood framed 24' x 40' x 14' walls to park our 2000 32' Itasca. That cost included a 5-1/2" reinforced slab, a side walk-in door and a 14' x 14' roll-up door. By centering the overhead door we have 13'6" top clearance in the door and plenty of room to back in and drive out. We can fully open the awning and the slide (plus the bay doors in the slide), and still have room to walk completely around. I can stand upright on the MH roof, but have to navigate the rafters. Still made it easy to work up there.

The structure is treated 6" x 6" lumber with treated 2" x 6" strapping covered by colored, seamed metal. The building is rated to 150MPH winds. My only regret is that we did not go 30' x 40' to give a little more room in the front or back, otherwise we have been very happy. A word of caution about the size - get a commitment from the DW that she won't insidiously begin slipping in a box or two now and then to the point that the shed now becomes her place and she allows you to park the MH in.

With the help of a local moonlighting electrician (cost me $650) I brought in enough electrical for a 16 slot 100 amp panel for lights and power equipment, and included outlets for both 30 amps (for our current MH) and 50 amps (for guests or a future MH). By using Harbor Freight LED 5000 lumen 4' shop lights it is well-lit. I ran some leftover 10ga romex (12ga would have been fine if I had it) around the inside to have 10 outlets.

The Five Starr Builders who installed the barn cover an area from Tyler to Weatherford to Austin to Houston. The are quick, thorough, reliable, and fairly priced (endorsement only, not an ad).

Good luck.

peggwn · 01-28-2021, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

How about some recommendations on the minimal side for those of us without a ton of room and with a relatively modest budget?

If you are looking at just enough to enclose and on a budget, we spent about $18,000 for a wood framed 24' x 40' x 14' walls to park our 2000 32' Itasca. That cost included a 5-1/2" reinforced slab, a side walk-in door and a 14' x 14' roll-up door. By centering the overhead door we have 13'6" top clearance in the door and plenty of room to back in and drive out. We can fully open the awning and the slide (plus the bay doors in the slide), and still have room to walk completely around. I can stand upright on the MH roof, but have to navigate the rafters. Still made it easy to work up there.

The structure is treated 6" x 6" lumber with treated 2" x 6" strapping covered by colored, seamed metal. The building is rated to 150MPH winds. My only regret is that we did not go 30' x 40' to give a little more room in the front or back, otherwise we have been very happy. A word of caution about the size - get a commitment from the DW that she won't insidiously begin slipping in a box or two now and then to the point that the shed now becomes her place and she allows you to park the MH in.

With the help of a local moonlighting electrician (cost me $650) I brought in enough electrical for a 16 slot 100 amp panel for lights and power equipment, and included outlets for both 30 amps (for our current MH) and 50 amps (for guests or a future MH). By using Harbor Freight LED 5000 lumen 4' shop lights it is well-lit. I ran some leftover 10ga romex (12ga would have been fine if I had it) around the inside to have 10 outlets.

The Five Starr Builders who installed the barn cover an area from Tyler to Weatherford to Austin to Houston. The are quick, thorough, reliable, and fairly priced (endorsement only, not an ad).

Good luck.

becken63 · 01-29-2021, 11:18 AM

We have a 2008 35A Winnebago Adventurer in Iowa. Built 24 X 48 with 14 ft sidewall. put liquid heated floor in 6 inch concrete. water, toilet and sewer dump. stick built 2x6 walls and 24 inches of blown in ceiling. steel siding, interior walls and roof with 6 inch insulation in walls and wrapped the exterior before the siding. Did a lot of work myself with 2 carpenters. $45000. but it is heated. Keep it at 45 degrees.