Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 15:34:46 -0800
Reply-To: Tobin Copley <tcopley@MAIL.UNIXG.UBC.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Tobin Copley <tcopley@MAIL.UNIXG.UBC.CA>
Subject: Design ideas for small garages?
In-Reply-To: <199803292050.NAA04826@yiff.azaccess.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(Building the ultimate small garage)
Everybody,
Okay, okay: Christa and I just bought our first house. (*ulp!*) So I've
got seriously conflicting emotions (elation / horror), but let's talk about
the most serious problem with the place.
It doesn't have a garage.
What!? I *bought* a house without a *garage!?* (smack!) Clearly, I gotta
build one. Gotta build one quick. Like this summer.
So, here are my beginning specs:
--------------------------------
1) I've signed my life away, mortgaged up the wazoo,
so it's gotta be fairly low-priced.
2) I only want a small one. Big enough to park the bus
and do a bit of work on it. Need a bit of workbench
space, some shelf space, room to store a push lawnmower,
not much else.
3) Gotta have at least 6' 8" clearance at the door,
preferably 6' 10" or better.
4) Gotta be able to have both driver & pasenger doors
open at the same time while bus is inside.
5) Want it to look nice from the outside, too.
6) Concrete floor
7) Gonna install a woodstove in it so I can be toasty
in winter. (The main house is heated with wood, too).
8) To keep costs down, I'm going to do most (all?) the
work myself, and I'm hardly a master carpenter.
Okay, so what I'm looking for here are tips from folks who have, have
built, or want to build a small garage. OBLIGATORY VW BUS CONTENT: Because
of the extra height of a bus, building a bus garage may need special design
features (for the entrance, the inside height, other aspects?). Also, many
of us are (budding?) mechanical enthusiasts, so we may need different
features than a typical suburban garage would provide.
So: ideas / tips for general design? Layout? Minimum floor space and
dimensions? Garage door type? Neat space-saving ideas? Lighting? Source
for plans, books on garage design, etc, etc? Digital plans taking up space
on your hard drive? ;-)
It might be interesting to get a thread going on this. Thanks for the
bandwidth!
Oh, I'm on type2, not vanagon, so if vanagon folks want to reply, please
cc: me on your emails. Thanks!
Tobin
(Looking forward to not fixing things lying in mud in the rain anymore!)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobin Copley tobin.copley@ubc.ca
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
'76 Westy Deluxe (still unnamed!) =============
'97 son Russell /_| |__| |__|:| putta
1995: 'Round US, Mexico, Canada 15,000 mi O|. .| putta!
1996: Vancouver to Inuvik, NWT 7,400 km ~-()-==----()-~
