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How High of a Garage door?

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Whit

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Gents:

I am a CUCV (M1009) owner at this point, but am thinking about a deuce or even a 5-tonner as a future project. Coincidentally I'm just about to build a new garage/workshop and was thinking hmmmmm....What height and width door would I need where I could drive a deuce in comfortably? I don't have one handy to put a tape to. Measure twice, cut once, if you know what I mean....

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
wreckerman893

wreckerman893

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I'd say a ft. 10ft. x 12ft. would be plenty
Click to expand...
I would say you are wrong Sir.

Do not go any narrower than 12 feet.

I had a fantastic 24x72 foot shop and could not get a deuce in it because I built it before the OD bug got me.

Mine shop was 14 feet high on the sides and my door was 12 feet high....OK for dueces or 5 tons but you could not back a van trailer into one that low.
 
paradeduty

paradeduty

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"Standard" Truck door is usually about 14' x 14' (most trucks are limited to a max height of 13' 6" without permits, I think). This is a good thing to consider if you ever think you might end up with a motorhome or something (they may look shorter than 12' tall, but the A/C units on the roof can add quite a bit without looking it). If you never see something like that in your roster, one thing to remember is that "most" military tactical trucks are designed to be no taller than 10', I think (probably something to do with getting them on the transport cargo planes). If some of the guys with the 5-ton expandable van trucks could chime in with a height on theirs, that would help out. The highest I can imagine would be a 5-ton van body on the newer "900 series" chassis with the super single tires - that has to be the highest "standard" tactical truck. I have a M54 on 16-20's and sure looks higher than the HEMTT with the rear canvas in place. If you are building a shop, another thought would be - are you ever going to install a car/light truck hoist? My 12,000 lb two post hoist has 12' tall main posts - and then you need to allow a little for stuff like antennas and raised hoods (all of the stuff you don't think about when you are raising a vehicle!). Bottom line, a similar hoist is going to probably require 14' ceiling height. Which pretty much steers you to a 12' door. Unless you are going to use a sliding or exterior roll up door, most "standard" roll up doors in the commercial sizes require somewhere in the 18" - 24" clearance from the ceiling for opening. A 14' tall door is then going to push you to 16' ceiling (everything is a dominoe effect). You can get special height doors and special "low clearance" track kits and all kind of stuff, but it just costs more for what you get - "standard" is always the most cost effective. Of course this all totally ignores whether or not you have any type of height restrictions on your property (my township where I was at before my current location had some goofy rules - made the decision to move all the easier). Good luck! Dave.
 
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Stalwart

Stalwart

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I kinda had some of the same thoughts as Dave did when I planned my garage. I went with 14' ceilings and to get away from the clearance issues from a roll up or one on tracks, I went with an exterior bi-fold door.

Think Bi-Folds for Simple & Easy Custom Built Automatic Overhead Doors

I went with 4 18' W x 14' H doors for my 40' x 90' garage. Not only were they cheaper than the premium roll ups, they allow full opening. You can install windows, siding, insulation and sheetrock. They open with straps around a drum and in the 10 years I've had them the straps are still going strong. One day, a few years back, I wanted to get a waste oil heater out of my pickup. Like an idiot, I had buried my forklift deep into the garage and there was no easy way to lift the 600 lb heater. I simply chained it to the bottom of the door and it snached it out of my pickup without slowing down. Was it unwise on my part? Yup, but it worked and the door didn't so much as twitch.

You can see 3 of them in this photo, the doors are the ones that have 6 horizontal windows in them. 2cents
 

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Derrickl112

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Stalwart said:
I went with 4 18' W x 14' H doors for my 40' x 90' garage. Not only were they cheaper than the premium roll ups, they allow full opening. You can install windows, siding, insulation and sheetrock. They open with straps around a drum and in the 10 years I've had them the straps are still going strong. One day, a few years back, I wanted to get a waste oil heater out of my pickup. Like an idiot, I had buried my forklift deep into the garage and there was no easy way to lift the 600 lb heater. I simply chained it to the bottom of the door and it snached it out of my pickup without slowing down. Was it unwise on my part? Yup, but it worked and the door didn't so much as twitch.

You can see 3 of them in this photo, the doors are the ones that have 6 horizontal windows in them. 2cents
Click to expand...
Is that whole building your garage? :shock:
 
eagle4g63

eagle4g63

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I am and have been for 11 years in the garage door business. The typical headroom for a standard door is 12" now for a nice rolling door(commercial) you would be better with 16" that will make the door roll nicer since commercial doors are made of 24" sections not the 21" like residential.....so the 16"radius track is just a little bit smoother. Now all this is just the space the door needs if you put in an opener than you have to use a jack shaft and solid spring shaft or you use a standard trolley operator and that takes up a few more inches for its track( I think it was in the 2-3" range). Just for your thinking cap so you know what you can get away with in regards to the ceiling in the building.

Don't forget about shop lights and what not, if you want any by where the door will open.

Also most commercial doors come in 2' height increments and are usually 2" wider than the foot measurement(so 12' 2" and what not). you can get them in the standard foot measurement for regular track and wood construction like a residential door, but if you use reverse angle track for steel openings than the opening will be 12' and the door 12' 2".
 
porkysplace

porkysplace

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At least 14 x 14 it dosen't matter how big you build your shop in a year or two it won't be big enough but at least the door will be.
 
Gastrap

Gastrap

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I added on a minimum sized shed just for my deuce. 13x27 with 11 foot sidewalls and 10 tall x12 wide door with low profile tracks. Theres about 6 inches clearance at the cargo cover with 9-20 NDT's. Room to get the wheels off both sides, and drop the tailgate but thats about it. Mounted lights on the walls at about 7 feet high.
 
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