There's always the Street Rodders solution, chop and channel the van!  How about the street fad of small diameter low profile tire/wheels that stick out of the wheel wells?

Isn't it great when list members put forth their creative ideas! :-)

Mark in AK

PS I have the same problem, our Westy Syncro fit in the garage at our last house but not the current one.  I am not sure if it will fit even if I reduce the amount of air in the tires.  On the plus side it is a much nicer house in a better neighborhood, and a bigger driveway to shovel. :-(

----- Original Message -----
From: Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
Date: Wednesday, March 8, 2006 12:43 pm
Subject: Re: will yours fit in the garage?
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM

> Thanks for the brain storming, but that might be a bit rough on
> the resell value.  I think I'll stick with Tim's idea of removing
> the hurricane supports.
> Anthony
>
> Daniel Stevens <dosteven@SYR.EDU> wrote: Excavate the floor.. call
> them storm drains for hurricanes to prevent flooding..
>
> you only have to do 2 12" wide tracks for the tires to roll in..
> and only a few inches..
>
> your local 'tool rental' shop will give youa  good deal on the
> masonry cutter and jack hammer..
>
> just a thought.. wild and spontaneous.
>
> dan
> *------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> Subject: Re:
>
> In my old house I kept my Syncro GL in the garage always.  One of
> the big disappointments of the house I bought last summer in
> Florida is that the Syncro won't fit in the garage.  Specifically,
> it won't clear the raised door.  The garage opening is 82", and my
> van is about 79".  But here in Florida the building code dictates
> a series of metal supports running the width of the inside of the
> door, and with the first support at 78" the van won't clear, and
> barely might clearly the second (the supports are to prevent
> hurricane force winds from collapsing the door).  I had the garage
> door guys in to look at it and they can't raise the door high
> enough, even with the new expensive belt driven door opener they
> sold me.  Part of the problem is a support beam overhead the
> garage holding up the second story.  The door track can't be
> raised unless we notch the beam, and I suppose I'd have to hire an
> engineer to determine if the beam could be notched.  Also, the
> door is an 18' foot, old!
>  wooden
> door and it sags about two inches in the center even with the
> hurricane bars.  A new metal door might not sag as much but it
> still would be close.  And my wallet would really sag after being
> emptied for the new door.
> In the meantime my ride has to sit outside in the rain until I
> figure out someway to raise the door.
> Anthony
> '89 SyncroGL (Hidalgo)
>
>
>
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