# Garage, how do you use it,



## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

It seems the garage with a fixed bed above it is very popular. But I'm wondering if it isn't a bit awkward to use in reality. They have storage along one side and a big space to put bikes or a small scooter. So if you put the bikes the storage is hard to access unless you take them out, if you don't put the bikes, then you can fill up that space with stuff but it's all piled in and hard to access. 

Our older camper has a fixed bed with a sort of half height garage under it. I put in a full width shelf mid height. I can store long stuff like skis under the shelf and the upper part gets all the small stuff which is easy to see and access by lifting up the bed or from the outside door. I've been wishing I had that big full height garage but now I wonder.


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

our garage has access doors on either side which makes life a lot easier. 

our previous m/h only had one access door and if we needed anything at the back we had to remove loads of stuff which was a right PITA when it was pissing down!


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

When we finish the Mercedes 614d, we will have a space 74" wide by 3ft deep and 3ft high, with a bed over the top that is 56" wide. We have 74" of headroom from the floor so not too cramped.

Inside there will go half a ton or so of Stuart-Turner diesel generator that will take up its duties for next season on the show circuit.










Peter


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

We have a hinged secondary floor in ours and wooden wicket gates at either end. We slide boxes underneath the floor and they store most things, and the dogs sleep on the floor on top The garage doors can be left open at night if it is very hot and dogs get fresh air.
If we need to carry anything extra large we can lift the floor up and clip it to the wall.


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## deefordog (Dec 31, 2013)

With our Kontiki 669, we sometimes wished we had the larger garage of the 679. But then again, we have readily accessible storage under the island bed in ours which is very handy. It acts as an overspill storage area for our kitchen. Otherwise it would mean nipping out to the garage on the 679 (no under bed storage accessible from inside the MH), heaving things out to retrieve some small item we may need.

Compromise springs to mind, ain't it always.

Edit - I think there was a similar question asked a while ago re. garages where we were asked to post photos showing how the storage had been optimised.


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

I first started thinking about this when talking with a guy from Holland who had a really nice new camper with a big garage. He opened it up to put his kids small bike away. It was so full of things just stuffed in that I don't know how could find anything.


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## Evs54 (Mar 11, 2013)

jhelm said:


> It seems the garage with a fixed bed above it is very popular. But I'm wondering if it isn't a bit awkward to use in reality. They have storage along one side and a big space to put bikes or a small scooter. So if you put the bikes the storage is hard to access unless you take them out, if you don't put the bikes, then you can fill up that space with stuff but it's all piled in and hard to access.
> 
> Our older camper has a fixed bed with a sort of half height garage under it. I put in a full width shelf mid height. I can store long stuff like skis under the shelf and the upper part gets all the small stuff which is easy to see and access by lifting up the bed or from the outside door. I've been wishing I had that big full height garage but now I wonder.


We have an Autotrail Mohawk with large garage with doors to match either side , we have two Dahon 26" folding bikes that take up half the depth of the garage , the other half is left to store whatever else you have , personally I wouldn't buy a van without a garage .


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

jhelm

Apart from (nice and very helpful) oddballs like Peter who keep a Stuart-Turner there are other uses.

Our garage is quite large, but only access from starboard side.

The confguration is that we have two 10" plinths running transveserly - on top of the forward one sits the spare wheel.

In each corner there are plinth-to-ceiling S/S upright poles.

These poles are the basis for all restraints for whatever is stowed. I recommend tensioner straps - bungees are useless except for empty plastic etc.

Our two pedal bikes sit on one side and are strapped.

We try to store upright such items as spare water, spare cassette etc. because it saves floor space.

I have considered an extra shelf or suspended netting but for our current needs has not been needed.

From my viewpoint the tensioner straps and anchorage points are the key to the best use of garage space.

Geoff


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> jhelm
> 
> Apart from (nice and very helpful) oddballs like Peter who keep a Stuart-Turner there are other uses.
> 
> ...


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## daffodil (Aug 7, 2014)

On my challenger 191 the prev owner lowered the bed by about 18 inches, which halves the height in the garage, but makes it easier for my disabled wife to get to the loo during the night, except for a collapsible wheelchair that fits snugly we dont use the garage, but rather the huge over cab bed for all those little necessities, but in a perfect world I would have preferred the bed to be height adjustable SIGH :wink:


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

daffodil said:


> On my challenger 191 the prev owner lowered the bed by about 18 inches, which halves the height in the garage, but makes it easier for my disabled wife to get to the loo during the night, except for a collapsible wheelchair that fits snugly we dont use the garage, but rather the huge over cab bed for all those little necessities, but in a perfect world I would have preferred the bed to be height adjustable SIGH :wink:


I keep thinking I could raise my bed a few inches and make the garage bigger, but then I think we are already overloaded most of the time. So do we really need the space. My rear fixed bed at about normal bed height is like home away from home.


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