Selecting the Perfect Garage Door for SUVs, RVs, and Other Large Vehicles in 4 Steps

It stands to reason that a larger garage is needed for bigger vehicles like SUVs, RVs, and pickup trucks. In addition, standard garage door sizes may not fit the bill depending on what make and model of vehicle you own. While a seven-foot high, nine-foot-wide door is great for cars of all sizes, it may not be large enough for other vehicles.

However, that doesn’t mean there are limited options. Garage doors can be made custom to fit your unique space. Follow the steps below to decide which garage door is right for you and your family.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.

What to Know About Huge Pickup Trucks and Massive SUVs VS overhead garage doors?

1- What size of a garage door can handle the ins and outs needed by a large pickup or SUV?

The good news is that most average SUVs and pickups can move through a typical garage door. The majority of SUVs are going to be six-foot-four inches in height or even smaller, based on JD Power. However, those measurements can vary if you’ve made any modifications to your pickup or SUV.

What about pickups? These are often six-foot-five inches or shorter. The typical vehicle will be fine in a seven-foot-high garage door. For extra room to maneuver, consider a door of seven-and-a-half or eight feet high. Worried about width? Almost all vehicles need no more than eight-foot-wide garage doors.

Once you determine the right garage door size for your vehicles, you can start thinking about the other options available. A custom garage door can come in an array of styles and designs. Take a look at our image gallery for some impressive ideas that may jumpstart your imagination.

Another thing you need to think about is whether the garage is going to be attached or detached. When you think about insulation, attached garages should always have it. The purpose of insulation is to ensure your home stays as warm or cool as you want, depending on the time of year. The right level of insulation can drop your costs for home utilities.

The first thing to figure out is which R-value works best for your home. No matter how robust the insulation is for your garage door, it won’t impact the appearance of your home. Whether you go with something like an R-2 or an R-10, nobody will see a cosmetic difference. One of the best options is the R-16 category, which can be found on utterly enchanting models like Vog or more classic models such as North Hatley LP.

Here are garage doors in a Charcoal Vog design. These include contemporary left-aligned windows in Harmony design. With measurements of 9 feet by 7 feet, these doors are sure to have plenty of room to drive in large vehicles.

There are other things to contemplate when choosing garage doors. Do you want one that is wider or two that are narrower? If you go with a wider garage door, how wide is appropriate as a garage door for an SUV or truck?

When you think about the interior, when two vehicles are inside the garage, it can easily take up a lot of space. Twelve-foot garage doors can be a good choice for a set of average vehicles – but that isn’t always the case with larger ones. Choosing a 16-foot garage door is often better for wiggle room. It also happens to be the garage door size most choose with a double garage door. Even if you prefer something larger, our custom-made garage doors are created to meet your needs, not what the average person desires.

What do you think about the Standard+ North Hatley LP design for your garage door? It’s 16 feet by 8 feet and comes in a warm Moka Brown with enchanting Orion windows. It gives you plenty of garage door space for a large vehicle and all the tools and extras you store inside.

2- How to determine the best garage door lift

When it comes to lifts, the type of lift seen most often is the standard lift. However, it can only be used if at least 12 inches of space is located over the garage door. If an opener is also going in that space, add a few inches to get the area you need.

Twelve inches of space is the minimum to install a standard lift. If the dimensions don’t allow this size (or there are less than 10 inches to work with), you’ll need to search for low front headroom lifts instead.

An inclined track lift can be used for sloping ceilings that don’t remain flat across the ceiling beyond the garage door.

3- Not all garage door hardware is made the same

Residential garage door hardware is ideal for garage doors that don’t go more than about eight feet high. This works fine for most pickup trucks and SUVs. Both bolted hardware and Dura+ hardware is available when we install your garage door.

Unique features of each garage door hardware option:

Depending on the garage door you choose, it may have Dura+ or bolted hardware standard. However, you can work with your garage door expert to choose the other type. Speak with the local garage door company near you to find out the various options available.

4- Does it matter what garage door opener is used with a pickup truck or SUV?

Most SUVs and trucks will be fine with any residential electric garage door opener. As long as the garage door is from seven to eight feet, you should be good to go.

Check out various openers and see which features are convenient for your life.

• When silence is highly important to you, the LiftMaster 87504-267 opener is a great door opener for you. The belt-drive system makes it super quiet for use near living areas. But that’s not all you get! A two-way microphone and a high-definition camera let you peek in on the garage from your mobile device anytime you like. All you need is Wi-Fi!
• When you want the door opener mounted on the wall, consider the LiftMaster 8500W opener. You can keep extra space by the ceiling for storing holiday decorations and so much more. This wall-mounted door opener also fits well with high lift elevation hardware. It comes with a 24V DC motor that can pull up garage doors that are up to 14 feet high.
• When noise isn’t an issue, the LiftMaster 87802 garage door opener is a great choice for a simple option. It doesn’t come with a camera, but it works well for detached structures that don’t require constant monitoring. One of the great things that come with this model is battery backup for emergency situations.

What do all these fantastic door openers have in common? You can pull out a smartphone and use them through the myQ app. Check out what’s happening in your garage, no matter where you are.

Feast your eyes on the LiftMaster 87504-267 model of garage door openers. It has everything you could need, from a stunning built-in camera to battery backup and a whole lot more!

Now, let’s talk RV garage doors – when you need garages much larger than the average.

1- How large should I be sure my RV garage door is?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer here. The dimensions of your RV will come into play when choosing the right garage door. Make sure you also think about headroom. An RV can be challenging to get into place, so bigger is better in this case.

Why not use an industrial garage door? This one is a 16-foot by 18-foot Ice White G-5000. Going with commercial options gives you tons of room to pull in RVs or other massive vehicles.

You love your RV now, but what if you find a bigger and better one years down the line? Plan for that now so you don’t end up in this situation again. Having tons of room above and to the sides of the garage door is a good solution.

If you go big with a Class A RV, you’ll need a garage door that can handle the size. However, these RVs come with great amenities you won’t want to go without. Image sourced from Camper Report’s website.

What kind of RV do you own? This plays a big role in choosing the size of the garage door.

According to the Camper Report website, RVs can be classified into four categories:

• Class A – These are the most humongous RVs on the road. They also have everything you could want inside. When you see this kind of motorhome on the highway, you’re going to notice it.
• Class B – Opposite Class A, Class B is much smaller. In fact, these RVs are so tiny that they might go into a typical garage door.
• Class B+ – A mix between Class C and Class B is Class B+. They’re typically larger than Class B motorhomes.
• Class C – The second largest RV is Class C. These are easy to notice since they are set on a pickup frame customized for the RV.

Photograph of a gorgeous Class C courtesy of Pixabay.

The class of the motorhome will also distinguish its size from others. Take this into account when selecting a garage door.

Check out the average RV height by type with data from the Jeffsetter Travel website :

• Class A – Approximately 12 to 14 feet in height.
• Class B (and B+) – Around seven to 10 feet in height.
• Class C – Typically 10 to 12 feet in height.

A photograph of a Class B motorhome sourced from Unsplash.

Are there any extra items sitting on top of the RV? For instance, many RVs have an air conditioning unit, which needs to be considered in your height calculations. Assuming your RV is the same as the average could leave you with a garage door that doesn’t fit well. Plan for any racks or other items you might install.

Class A RVs should have a garage door at least 10 feet across. However, choosing a 12-foot garage door will give you more space to get in and out. Other motorhomes will work well with an eight-to-nine-foot garage door instead.

At 9 feet high, Class B and B+ RVs will fit well into these garage doors. For the aesthetic above, try the Standard+ Shaker-Flat XL in a Chocolate Walnut hue with dimensions of 10 feet by 9 feet. It includes windows with Stockton inserts and has a gorgeous upscale look.

The amount of work to do choosing the right size of a garage door depends on whether you own the RV or haven’t purchased it yet. However, it doesn’t have to be overly challenging. For instance, if you know you want a Class C, you can use the averages to determine what model garage door is right for your needs.

For a Class A RV, the garage door picture above from Houzz could be the perfect option. Just because a garage door is huge doesn’t mean it can’t look great. If you like this one, consider a Shaker-Flat CC garage door.

2- Special lifts are needed for larger garage doors

You can’t just put in a simple residential garage door lift for a huge door. RV garages are going to need to make use of special lift options.

Instead, consider a high lift track or go with a full vertical lift track made for higher ceilings. It offers plenty of space between the RV and the top of the garage door.

For sloped or cathedral ceilings, inclined tracks are the best solution.

A low front headroom lift can be an excellent lift system if you are working with a garage door with little space above it.

3- Large RV garage doors need the appropriate hardware to stay in place

The right hardware for an RV garage door will vary based on its size and your needs. When a garage door is more than eight-feet high, the provided hardware will be commercial. This gives full functionality and ensures the garage door is installed correctly.

There is a trio of hardware types that are available for use on large garage doors.

Consider the weight and size of the garage door when selecting hardware strong enough to properly operate it.

4- What about garage door openers for RV garage doors?

While most residential doors use garage door openers, it’s mandatory for larger doors. There’s no way you want to try to hold a 14-foot garage door open using only your arm strength. Not sure which garage door opener to choose. Consider an industrial-strength LiftMaster garage door opener.

A wall-mounted opener is the best option for the largest RVs.

The LiftMaster H – Made to handle all the hard work, so you don’t have to.

• It installs on a wall, so you can use the ceiling space however you like.
• This garage door opener is simple to access and easy to reach for maintenance.
• It has less noise and vibration than other garage door openers.
• Use the myQ app for great features!

The myQ app gives you easy control of the LiftMaster H from any remote device. Close your garage door from in the home or from across the country!

Security and safety combine when choosing a door opener from LiftMaster.

Did we close the garage door before the road trip? Who was supposed to check? Are you sure it was closed? Avoid these questions and more when you can easily check if the garage door is closed using an app.

Live in the now knowing you can open the myQ app and check on the garage door anytime you feel like it!

The myQ app removes stress and anxiety about the garage door. You can easily see if it needs to be closed from any distance!

MyQ will also send out alerts if the garage door stays open too long. There’s no need for you to even think about it. This technology makes controlling a garage door completely straightforward.

Check out how much information this simple garage door opener offers! Get notifications if the door is open and then tap the screen to close it in seconds.

Time to find that perfect big garage door?

A custom garage door is waiting for you, whether you want something tiny or larger than you’re used to.

No matter what size, width, or height you need, our doors are made custom to fit perfectly. A few measurements are all we need to get things rolling.

Need some assistance with measuring the garage door? Here’s how you can do it. Or, if you prefer, contact us. Professional experts are ready to ensure your measurements and sizing are ideal for your new garage door.

Check out the sleek style of this large garage door. It measures 16 feet by 8 feet and comes with a Black door and overlays. Consider the Eastman E-11 with a set of vertical lite Panoramic windows.

Create your garage door from the bottom up, so it matches your authentic style!

Try out our Design Centre app, where you can get creative and customize a garage door for free. You will be able to choose from more than 35 designs and 10 colors, then you can add multiple other features like windows and decorative hardware for example. You can start over as many times as you want until you are satisfied.

Build a garage door from any location. Just pull out a phone or tablet and get started!

Build a project to be proud of, and then you can upload a photograph of your house and see if your custom garage door looks exactly the way you want it to before receiving a free quote by email.

Reach out at 515-276-3700 and an experienced team member from Hicklin Door Services will be there to help you through the entire process. We’ll help you from creation to installation to make sure your garage door is just the way you want it to be.