Tips for entry into single wide garages?

[tshephard]

I do something similar with backing to the trailer, and loading the tractor on the trailer.
You need 4 reference marks - as fine as possible, yet visible - 2 in the garage and 2 on the truck.
2 points to a line, when both lines are lined up - only depth is an issue.
Maybe a windshield sticker - hole sight to hood ornament and then a hanging ball and a wall mark.

 

[Andrew1972]

My backup camera works great on Honda Pilot when I marked two lines in narrow garage floor to line up on screen backing in. 1996 likely no camera but guessing mirrors and lines on ground would work.

 

[supton]

Wife backs in, just goes slow. When I do so, same story, not sure what i’m watching—other than everything. But on my side I pull in, otherwise my door is on the wrong side.

I thought about the tennis ball trick but when I looked at how to hang, and locate, I elected to just screw a 4’ 1x2 onto a 1 foot square board. Pull in until it tips, then let it roll back. Sometimes I can stop in the right spot without touching, one inch away or so. (license plate hits stick, if i am angled properly, although on this car i would not care.)

 

[c502cid]

I get the alignment of a ball, but do you have other example of reference marks?

seems the best bet until I decide about going to a wider door… which is hard to find one that isn’t either much uglier than the old original wood door, or, uber expenaive…

The reference point I use the most is a "+" that I check my left front tire against. If I'm backing up and my left front tire is aligned on or to the right center line of the cross, I'm going right in. Another I use is when my drivers mirror, tucked in, aligns with another reference point on the garage door frame, I have a foot to go back, also the mirror has to be 2" off the frame when I'm at that point.

Yes, if it's snowing or raining it's a whole lot slower process!

 

[dlundblad]

Fold the mirrors in and pull straight in.

May not be a bad idea to have someone guiding you if possible.

 

[JHZR2]

Fold the mirrors in and pull straight in.

May not be a bad idea to have someone guiding you if possible.

Usually do. But it’s nice to be able to come and go without, and with less stress and need to get in and out a bunch of times to check.

Maybe some convex mirrors might be useful…

 

[TnT_M]

People are probably doing a double look… huh? Like driving into a garage?

yup.

Every garage bay door I own, and that is 14 of them in total, is single wide. That means 8-9 feet wide, roughly.

My new to me Dodge Ram CTD is 79.4” fender to fender, plus mirrors, and is 22+ feet long. It fits through the garage bays that are long enough to house it, with about an inch on each side at the mirrors. I fold one mirror in, and pull in head first. It’s still tight and stressful. It’s hard to get a truly straight shot. Add to it, the truck is MT. While it goes beautifully in low with no throttle input, Instill need to work the clutch too.

So all in all, it’s more strenuous than I’d like, because I’m always an inch or two away from damage.

So I’m looking for tips regarding the menial task of pulling a giant vehicle into a narrow garage opening. Should I be backing it in? This has crossed my mind because I have better rear view vision of the sides of the truck and the opening from the exterior mirrors than I do looking forward. Should I do something else to help me ensure that I don’t hit either side of the entrance. Maybe hang weighted strings on each side a couple inches from the side? There is very little margin of error with such a big, wide, long truck in such narrow entry openings.

Recommendations?

I pull my Ram 2500 into a single car garage every day. It is SRW so if you have a dually then a whole other story.

My trick is to fold in the drivers side mirror, leaving more room on the passenger side. This works for me because it allows me to get around between the wall and truck on the passenger side better. The driver side opens up to the other part of the garage.

just my $0.02

 

[JHZR2]

I pull my Ram 2500 into a single car garage every day. It is SRW so if you have a dually then a whole other story.

My trick is to fold in the drivers side mirror, leaving more room on the passenger side. This works for me because it allows me to get around between the wall and truck on the passenger side better. The driver side opens up to the other part of the garage.

just my $0.02

That's exactly how Ive been doing it in my building! There isnt much space on the right, between the garagen door opening and the wall, in the building that is ideal (length wise) to park the truck... which adds to the stress... Getting further over to the left is helpful.

 

[JohnnyG]

https://jalopnik.com/lets-appreciate-this-belgian-mans-parking-skill-again-1847917263

Here's how you do it!

 

[Rand]

I need to learn how to do this.. I had about 4" clearance in my forester and one day YEP broke the mirror pulling out.. actually did that to both my 2011 and 2015.
But it only broke on the 2011. The 2015 however did have a broken mirror from a jeep cherokee throwing a road gator at me on the highway which took it out.

Worst I have done on the jeep is hit the hatch on the bottom of the garage door.. luckily it hit right on the wiper arm so no damage and just a paint smudge on the wiper arm.

The cherokee didnt seem very big until I saw how much room there was with the elantra in the garage.

 

[vavavroom]

I have a single wide garage door. Inside I have room for three vehicles. Two next to each other and one behind one of them. I back into into the garage as I prefer making a quick exit. My largest vehicle is the Aviator.

 

[vtec260]

https://www.shelterlogic.com/shop/garage-in-a-box-suv-truck

Would something like this an option? Not as good as solid garage structure, but it would save from UV rays, rain/snow, and bird droppings. I'd get one here for my son's car which gets the short end of triple garage parking (mine, wife's, and daughter's gets the dibs inside), but local by-law prohibits such thing on the driveway here.