What To Do If Your Car Doesn't Fit in Your Garage
There's no better day of driving than the first day you bring home your shiny new truck. There is no worse moment than realizing your prize is a few inches shy of fitting in your garage. If you've come across this nightmare scenario-which is probably more common now that full-size trucks have grown to comical proportions-fear not. You've got a few options before settling on curbside parking.
Measure First
Obviously, you should measure the length of your garage before you go car shopping, and be sure to take into account the hinges on your garage door. It's ideal to have at least a few inches of leeway, though that isn't always possible. Next, don't go by the manufacturers measurement of overall length of the vehicle. Many don't include the bumpers. Best to get out your tape measure, find the exact make and model of your new truck on the dealer lot, and measure that.
Don't forget to measure the height as well, and again take note of the lowest point which is usually the track and arms of your garage door.
Gain Height by Getting Low
There are only a couple options for gaining a few extra inches in height, and they involve lowering your truck. First, remove any roof racks or auxiliary lights to gain some space. You can also swap in shorter tires or lower the suspension. It might be tempting to think that lowering the air pressure in your tires will help, but that won't save you any room and it will degrade the performance and MPG of your vehicle.
Structurally, it's not feasible to raise the roof of your garage, but if you've got no alternative, then you could lower the floor. You would then find a gap where the garage door ends, but hey-at least your truck would fit.
Add Inches
To add a few inches to the length of your garage, you could call in a contractor and assess the cost and possibility of adding a bump out to your garage. If the wall isn't load-bearing, then you could push into a closet or mud room with minimal work. You could install an exterior coil-up garage door that would help you gain a lot of space, but those doors are a bit unsightly and the residential options are probably limited.
If remodeling isn't a solution, you could install short ramps at the end of your garage and gain a few inches by angling your truck upwards. Laser levels can instantly tell you how much you'll have to raise up to gain the space that you need.
Modding your truck by adding a roll pan bumper is another option and could save you at least 3 to 5 inches in space, basically by bringing your bumper flush to the tailgate. This look isn't for everyone, but if you were already planning a mod like this then you'd be in luck. Parking at an angle could also gain you some space, but you need to have room on the approach and a wider garage to attempt this.
Fight the suburban scourge of tiny garages, which shows no signs of letting up, as our appetite for bigger and bigger trucks keeps growing. But if all else fails, you could just move.
