I am hopefully building a pole barn garage soon. One thing I would like to get myself is a decent size camper trailer (26-30'), but I dont really know how big a door I should get on the pole barn. For resale purposes I'd like to make sure at least one door is big enough for the majority of campers/rv's. What I have some amish working up an estimate now is for a 32x48 with a 12' tall sliding door on one end (i forget the width off hand but should be wide enough for anything) and two 8x8 overhead doors on the opposite end for a couple vehicles.

Do most keep their camper trailers inside or do they do just fine outside? The other thing I was thinking about was an overhanging roof on one side of the pole barn so I could park the trailer along side the barn under the roof at least. But I think I would have to make the barn taller for it to fit under the eaves like that... or else excavate the ground down lower along the side... it is on a downward sloping grade anyhow...

Looking for any advice...

 

Personally, I would opt for a "lean to" on either side of the building...preferably both sides, if you have the room.

Most TT's will need only sun and rain protection, so the side parking would get you the "most bang for your bucks", leaving the interior of the barn available for working on projects and locking up expensive "stuff".

Most RV's will fit under an 11' clear opening (LOTS of exceptions, though).

Don't scrimp on the front and back overhang, leave at least 5' of cover on either end to protect for low sun and blowing rain, also, don't make it too narrow - an extra couple of feet is always appreciated when checking tires, sewerage, brakes, and when washing the unit.

I built a 6 "pole" (6" X 6" steel WF beam uprights) open shed for my projects - 52' X 16' X 14' clear height, 12' between the uprights, and have always appreciated the extra margin of work space I left all of the way around instead of haveing to be jammed up on one end or the other.

 

I now park my 30' 5er alongside my house and I can tell you if I were doing what you are doing, I'd park it INSIDE! Parking it outside (even under a lean-to type area) leaves it open to moisture. My roof creases turn GREEN from mildew over winter. Granted, it does come off with scrubbing but that gets old - fast! Between saving the tires from sun rot and the moisture, INSIDE.

PS...I can now see why 87mh would park his under the lean-to....all aluminum trailer!!!!

 

Having walls around the rv is nice, but they don't have to be completly weather proof. You can leave openings at the top and bottom for ventelation. My dad had 2 "lean to" buildings built like this, one for his boat and one for his camper.

 

I wish I could park my travel trailer inside. Sun rot on everything and moisture would be minimized.

Measure your trailer height and be sure to add in the height of AC, antennas, roof racks whatever. Most of these are options and not usually listed in the height specs. My trailer is spec'd at 11'8" if I recall, but the Radio antenna is always up and adds about 2 feet. The AC is at least 1 foot.

5th wheelers are a lot higher as are many RV's. So plan accordingly.

Just my experience,

Jim Henderson

 

I was just gonna say, if you think there is even the slightest possibility that you will ever upgrade to a 5th wheel, plan whatever type of storage you decide on to handle that.

 

I agree with Jim. Most 5th wheel campers are at least 12' tall. I would go with a 14' door. That'll handle most all of them. Even if you don't plan to park it inside, it would be nice to be able to get it in there on occasion.

 

Thanks for the info guys. Jim, so your saying yours would barely fit a 12' door? Or are you saying your AC would make it even taller than 12'? And most 5th wheel and RV's are higher yet? I dont have one yet and never have had a camper trailer so this is all new to me. SOunds like your saying I'd need a 14' door then to accommodate most.

 

Yes, 14' would be the minimum. Like they are saying, most 5th wheels and Class A's are pushing 13'6", just like the big rigs. I wouldn't limit yourself to only being able to park a travel trailer in there.

 

Robert6401 is right, 14' is a minimum. I have seen 5th wheels that needed to be raised to fit the bed rails on 4x4s. Other problems can be the floor or driveway may cause a few inch offsite which can take out an ac cover or vent cover. Also think about any trim around the door as well as the door when open.

 

I would be very nervous about sliding my trailer under a 12 foot door. The roof is definitely 11 feet plus. The AC adds another foot so something is gonna get scraped off. The radio antenna is like a car antenna and will flex, but the AC and roof rack will rip off. Most TV antennas fold flat.

I have successfully gone thru tunnels with roofs that were 13 feet plus, but I bet the fleas got a scare.

I would go with at least 13 feet, more is better.

Some 5th wheelers look like someone is towing their barn behind their truck. Way WAY taller than my puny 30 foot traverl trailer. So if you ever think you might move up to a 5th wheeler, plan accordingly, some are huge.

Fit your door to the trailer you plan to buy now or in the future. Even travel trailers vary a lot in height. There are some low profile trailers and even some that slide down into themselves for a very short package.

Good Luck and I am jealous, wish I had a barn.

Jim Henderson

 

Well thats the tough part. I'll never have the money to buy a new one, been searchign craigslist and often see decent looking ones 10-15 years old for 5 grand or so. I've emailed several recently acting interested and asked them about clearence and none of them have been able to tell me what size door they will need. I'll see what the price difference is with a 14' pole barn but I am thinking I am going to have to start cutting some corners to afford it. Probably wouldnt be a problem to get a huge barn... have a quote for a 40'x64'x14' constructed for about $17k but I want cement... and that aint cheap! Now I am thinking about building the pole barn 10' and adding on the end of it a 14' one thats open on the front maybe lean-two is the term, that can fit the travel trailer and boat, stack of wood, mowers, etc.

 

Also don't forget that just covering the trailer with a metal roof won't prevent moisture and all... if its enclosed, insulation is a must. Otherwise it'll be raining on your rig every morning from condensation.

 

You can get a ballpark height estimate... Just take a regular carpenters steel tape measure and measure from the roof line of the trailer to the ground. Add about 2 feet to that and you will be close. This assumes the AC is the highest thing on the roof.

Takes maybe 5 minutes to do including fumbling thru the tool box for the tape measure. You can even do it over the phone.

Most roofs have a slight hump to them but it is only a few inches. Its the AC or roof racks that get scraped off in funny movies, or real life.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

Tell me more... i've never heard of condensation that bad. The barn quote I got isnt for insulation I didnt figure I'd be heating or cooling it so why get insulation plus the cost of coarse. They did say they reccomend a vapor barrier but if I'm not going to be heating the barn then they said dont worry about insulation. I'll have all my tools and wood and stuff in there definitely dont want it 'raining' inside.