Building a garage in preparation for a bus in the future!

[user 17965]

Hello all,

Long time lurker here. Been reading all about the hard working, talented (and some insane) members of the early bay community for quite a while now and banging on to the missus about bays for even longer.

She has finally had enough of me waffling and said ' just effing get one then. As long as you do my kitchen first!'

I think she knows all about the VW widows condition......

Anyway, been trying to sort out the kitchen as quick (and cheap) as possible but have also been thinking about a place to store my new toy when I get it. We have and existing single garage in the back garden (3.0m x 4.5m with a 2.2m high door in it) but I am planning on flattening that and rebuilding one along side my house with a bit extra on the back of it for a workshop/shed ares. Garage should be around 3.5m x 5.5m plus the extra bit out the back. No I know this wont be big enough for any major works but should be ample for storage etc.Plus losing the old one will make the back garden bigger, gaining me more brownie points!

What I don't know about is the height of the door etc to clear the top of any bus I get. I am ideally looking for a 71 westy or any kind of poptop (has to be able to sleep four) so I am after any advice on heights dimensions etc.
Eventually whatever I get will be hit with the lowering stick but I've got to cater for the before too.So any help would be appreciated. I do have to warn you all though, when the bus does get here I will be asking question after question......

Thanks in advance

 

[Harlequin]

from the samba

 

[user 17965]

Star!

Ta very much

 

[68_early_bay]

I'm just in the process of doing my garage, buildig it especially for my bus
Hope this helps this is what size it'll be when done

 

[user 17965]

Holy Moly thats a project!!!

Love to be able to do sommit like that but I think the neighbors would ostracize and the wife would move out!

Goot luck with that seems like the Ideal man cave for soe heavy duty fettling. Have you got planning sorted?

Kicked things off with my local planning officer just to see if I will need planning permission to move/rebuild mine. Will wait until it is at least feasible before mentioning it to my neighbor (will end up right on the boundary line) then it will be action stations!!

 

[68_early_bay]

Holy Moly thats a project!!!

Love to be able to do sommit like that but I think the neighbors would ostracize and the wife would move out!

Goot luck with that seems like the Ideal man cave for soe heavy duty fettling. Have you got planning sorted?

Kicked things off with my local planning officer just to see if I will need planning permission to move/rebuild mine. Will wait until it is at least feasible before mentioning it to my neighbor (will end up right on the boundary line) then it will be action stations!!

Plannings all sorted, dug my footings and got them passed off on Thursday so I'm a happy bunny


I'm pretty lucky in that my neighbour only lives here 2 months a year and doesn't give a hoot :lol: his words when I asked him if he had any probs was " it's your land" :lol: :lol:


Shaun

 

[user 17965]

Nice Neighbor!

Mine has been pretty cool so far, no complaints about the screaming kids at weekends and holidays! Hopefully things should go ok.
You building the rest yourself or do you have help?
Going to try and do as much myself as poss. Using the immense skills I picked up in a brickie course sould be able to knock it up in about 5 mins :lol: :lol:
NOw that I have decided to do it I just want to get started. I'm not the most patient of people and will probably end up buying a bus before I have anywhere to put her! Still I guess all the waiting for the planners will give me a chance to sort the kitchen for the boss........

 

[simon68]

Hello
I have a 68 westy pop top and it goes in my garage and the doors are 2.1 meters high seven foot in old money my bus is lowered tho.
cheers simon

 

[68_early_bay]

Nice Neighbor!

Mine has been pretty cool so far, no complaints about the screaming kids at weekends and holidays! Hopefully things should go ok.
You building the rest yourself or do you have help?
Going to try and do as much myself as poss. Using the immense skills I picked up in a brickie course sould be able to knock it up in about 5 mins :lol: :lol:
NOw that I have decided to do it I just want to get started. I'm not the most patient of people and will probably end up buying a bus before I have anywhere to put her! Still I guess all the waiting for the planners will give me a chance to sort the kitchen for the boss........

Not actually building it myself, done the digging (uncles a machine driver), doing the footings/concrete (thats my dads thing) and I'm a plumber/gas safe engineer, so calling in plenty of favours off sites like bricking, then doing the trusses and roof with a mate who's a roofer and one of my best mates is a spark

So in all its Gunna cost about half of what it should have done if I'd just gave it to a builder to do start to Finnish

 

[68_early_bay]

Nice Neighbor!

Mine has been pretty cool so far, no complaints about the screaming kids at weekends and holidays! Hopefully things should go ok.
You building the rest yourself or do you have help?
Going to try and do as much myself as poss. Using the immense skills I picked up in a brickie course sould be able to knock it up in about 5 mins :lol: :lol:
NOw that I have decided to do it I just want to get started. I'm not the most patient of people and will probably end up buying a bus before I have anywhere to put her! Still I guess all the waiting for the planners will give me a chance to sort the kitchen for the boss........

Not actually building it myself, done the digging (uncles a machine driver), doing the footings/concrete (thats my dads thing) and I'm a plumber/gas safe engineer, so calling in plenty of favours off sites like bricking, then doing the trusses and roof with a mate who's a roofer and one of my best mates is a spark

So in all its Gunna cost about half of what it should have done if I'd just gave it to a builder to do start to Finnish

 

[user 17965]

Ahh friends favours the 'old skool' method. Gonna try and pull some of those in too!

Simon, cheers for the info. Min Heght 2.2m with the door open should be ok.

 

[ozziedog]

When you are sussing what door to use, if useing an up and over type door, just make sure you have accounted for how much the door fills the top of the frame when open, don`t assume that the door`s opening size will leave you that much clearance as some "hang" in the top of the opening and reduce the height available through the doorway, some double doors are even worse because they have a strengthening beam that is mentioned in the brochures but that can also reduce the entrance height. Mine is a full nine inches lower than the door frame and lintel when opened because of the above :shock:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,, Nothing fits anymore :lol: :mrgreen: :lol:

 

[68_early_bay]

When you are sussing what door to use, if useing an up and over type door, just make sure you have accounted for how much the door fills the top of the frame when open, don`t assume that the door`s opening size will leave you that much clearance as some "hang" in the top of the opening and reduce the height available through the doorway, some double doors are even worse because they have a strengthening beam that is mentioned in the brochures but that can also reduce the entrance height. Mine is a full nine inches lower than the door frame and lintel when opened because of the above :shock:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,, Nothing fits anymore :lol: :mrgreen: :lol:

Deffo worth thinking about, that's why I'm going for a roller door with "behind face" fitting so I get the full height and width of my opening :mrgreen:

Shaun

 

[user 17965]

So if I look at 2.3m to the bottom of the door when open (including any brackets etc) I should be good?

Or just go for a roller door or 2 normal openers?

cheers

 

[user 17965]

Hello again,

Architect round today, came up with some interesting options and ideas around both what I can do without planning versus with. Decided to go the whole hog though to get exactly what i want and not comprimise just to get it within permitted developement.

Hopefully have prelim drawings this week! (God knows how long planning will take tho)

Now where are those ads for 1971 bus that can sleep 2 adults (well I will be when I grow up) and 2 kids?

 

[68_early_bay]

Hello again,

Architect round today, came up with some interesting options and ideas around both what I can do without planning versus with. Decided to go the whole hog though to get exactly what i want and not comprimise just to get it within permitted developement.

Hopefully have prelim drawings this week! (God knows how long planning will take tho)

Now where are those ads for 1971 bus that can sleep 2 adults (well I will be when I grow up) and 2 kids?

That's what I thought and did, my architect was going on like "if we keep the roof at this...." and "if we only make the floor area this...." we could could get away with a lot of red tape,
But I thought that would be compromising and I regret it so I went for what I want

 

[68_early_bay]

Hopefully have prelim drawings this week! (God knows how long planning will take tho)

Oh and I don't know what your council is like but mine is, once planning is submitted a decision is minimum 8 weeks :shock:






So plenty of time to get the kitchen done................. :lol: :lol:

 

[user 17965]

Yeah........the kitchen........
she has to tear me away from t'internet searching for buses first......

Got to get me finger out with that. Know what doors she wants,range,dishy washy, etc I'm just baulking on the corian worktops!
I swear you could get a cheaper worktop made from diamond!
Rest of it should be a doddle :roll:

 

[CHILDSEY]

I`m in the same position, wife wants kitchen done before i even dare to extend my garage
I need to double size of it , so i can fit my beetle and bus in.
I talked to my building control guy and he said if i keep it 30 square metres, no planning required
Cheers Paul.

 

[68_early_bay]

I`m in the same position, wife wants kitchen done before i even dare to extend my garage
I need to double size of it , so i can fit my beetle and bus in.
I talked to my building control guy and he said if i keep it 30 square metres, no planning required
Cheers Paul.

That's what my man told me about the 30m2 bit, but also height(more than 2.5m I think) and distance from boundary (less than 2m) can also mean planning is required


I ticked all 3 boxes :lol: so no getting away from it :lol: