Garage storage

[tidalwave2.7]

Hello

Having just completed my level 2 power boat course I am thinking of buying a rib. If possible I wish to store in my garage to aid in maintenance and reduce storage costs.

L 6.6m
W 2.62

Have an extra 1.2m as small door leading to store which is central to rear wall so possible to park a little extra length of draw bar etcetera. Soup to 7.8m as it sits on trailer.

Which rib in the 5.5 to 6.5 m range can I expect to fit? And what would members recommend at my budget.

I would be using mainly around North Wales etc so would need to be towed by my T5 or MB E Class.


I am budgeting 10 to 15k so it’s not going to be new unfortunately. Little bit of work not an issue but nothing major such as the Nugent rebuild threads
Cheers in advance.


Mike

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by tidalwave2.7

Hello



Having just completed my level 2 power boat course I am thinking of buying a rib. If possible I wish to store in my garage to aid in maintenance and reduce storage costs.



L 6.6m

W 2.62



Have an extra 1.2m as small door leading to store which is central to rear wall so possible to park a little extra length of draw bar etcetera. Soup to 7.8m as it sits on trailer.



Which rib in the 5.5 to 6.5 m range can I expect to fit? And what would members recommend at my budget.



I would be using mainly around North Wales etc so would need to be towed by my T5 or MB E Class.





I am budgeting 10 to 15k so it’s not going to be new unfortunately. Little bit of work not an issue but nothing major such as the Nugent rebuild threads

Cheers in advance.





Mike

Overall length really depends on the trailer & how it’s setup tbh. My 5.45 sits tight in the trailer footprint, with minimal overhang & it comes in at 6.8m LOA. That’s from hitch to end of tubes.
As to what RIB, it’s more a case of see what’s available. If you set out with a specific boat in mind, you’ll have to be very lucky to find it. Your budget is decent & times are hard, so you should get more for your money than you would have, 2-3 years ago.

[Peter_C]

A folding trailer tongue can gain you more length of boat.

[Nasher]

Don't forget to think about the height.

You are obviously unlikely to get an A frame under a standard up-and-over door, but even a handrail over a windscreen could be pushing it.

.

[beamishken]

I just measured a 5.4 & a 6.5 & both were about 100mm over their respective lengths with the engines trimmed down, the drawbars extended 1m & 900mm but both could be shortened to around 700mm & still function as they should that would give overall lengths of 6.1m for the 5.4 & 7.2m for the 6.5. You cant use folding drawbars in the uk construction regs require one piece drawbars

[Peter_C]

Originally Posted by beamishken

You cant use folding drawbars in the uk construction regs require one piece drawbars

Another screwy UK rule. So is a tongue that bolts on legal? Is two bolts or tractor pins thru a slip in tongue legal? Does this have to do with the cable brake system utilized there? With hydraulic brakes a simple rubber brake line is used at the folding point.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by Peter_C

Another screwy UK rule. So is a tongue that bolts on legal? Is two bolts or tractor pins thru a slip in tongue legal? Does this have to do with the cable brake system utilized there? With hydraulic brakes a simple rubber brake line is used at the folding point.

None of that complies with uk construction & use regs

[beerbelly]

my sr4 on a jet ski trailer only just went through a standard garage door no a frame ect but it was tight width wise and i had 40cm spare tow hitch to back wall. when it was on its original indespension trailer i had to shorten the draw bar by cutting some off and sliding it back as far as it would go . my friend has a 5.0 meter humber and that just squeezes through his garage door but he built his garage 8 meters deep so his trailer fits although you do have to step over the draw bar as theres not room to go around it. my humber 5.5 is too wide to go through a garage door

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by beamishken

I just measured a 5.4 & a 6.5 & both were about 100mm over their respective lengths with the engines trimmed down, the drawbars extended 1m & 900mm but both could be shortened to around 700mm & still function as they should that would give overall lengths of 6.1m for the 5.4 & 7.2m for the 6.5. You cant use folding drawbars in the uk construction regs require one piece drawbars

Forgot to add the beam of both boats, the 5.4 is 2m to outside of tubes & the 6.5 ribcraft is 2.5m to outside of tubes so looking at your dimensions either would fit in your garage remember you can deflate tubes to reduce the beam significantly to get through the door

[charliee]

If you are set on storing a boat in a normal garage you may so better exploring SIB's I don't think you can get much in a garage by way of RIB's.

[Ribtecer]

My 2 Ribtec 535's fitted thru a normal garage door (just). Its the A-Bar that could be more of a problem.

Actually the boat fitted easily, it was the Hallmark Rollercoaster 1 that was a tight fit width wise

[spartacus]

Originally Posted by charliee

If you are set on storing a boat in a normal garage you may so better exploring SIB's I don't think you can get much in a garage by way of RIB's.

My Ribcraft 4.8m fits in a domestic garage with up and over door. Total length including drawbar and the engine trimmed down is around 18'. Height is an issue as the windscreen and stainless steel grab-rail just touch the door on entry and exit.

It's no-end of faf to get it in and out, to the point I drop the jockey wheel to lowest setting and put a cover over the screen to avoid scratches. I even got a stainless steel light-pole fabricated back in 2010 which is collapsible as a conventional Ribcraft A Frame is a no go.

That said - where there's a will there's a way.

[tidalwave2.7]

Yes modern house perhaps. But I am hoping my old garage you just fit one in. If not then I am considering knocking my two old garages down to create one large double garage. Unfortunately this would be a year off so would be nice to find one that fits in the mean time.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by tidalwave2.7

Yes modern house perhaps. But I am hoping my old garage you just fit one in. If not then I am considering knocking my two old garages down to create one large double garage. Unfortunately this would be a year off so would be nice to find one that fits in the mean time.

Theres realy no such thing as a standard garage, you just need to look at a garage door catalogue to realise they come in anything from 6'6" to 16ft wide & 7 ft plus height wise. As you say older houses tend to have bigger garages. I'm pretty sure once you measure your garage you'll find a boat that fits without having to scale back to a sib. Often length of draw bar is the biggest problem but shortening a drawbar to little more than the length of the boat is often possible depending on the type of trailer. Trailers are usually supplied to fit a range of boats & are often longer than necessary but easily shortened.