Minimum garage door height for a 255X?

[francis3]

We are building a new garage and I'm wondering what door height I need to fit a 255X?

I think the specs say height on trailer is 9' 11" with the tower folded. I've read here that you can get a 212X lower than the specs by lengthening the tower cables and doing the "caster mod." But I haven't found any mention of similar mods for the 255X. Does anyone know how low you can get it?

FYI, our garage specs are for a 9' tall door and I'm not sure if we can go taller. We currently have a 212X that should fit fine. We love the 212, but down the road we may want to trade up to a 255, so I'm trying to plan ahead and decide if we might consider building a taller garage. The garage is just for winter storage, so I don't mind some inconvenience to make it fit since it would only be one time each fall and spring.

 

[tkeru408]

Don't have an exact answer for you, but since it's something you only need to do once each spring and fall you should probably consider removing the bimini frame when you need to get it through the door. For height calculations, that should essentially turn a 255X into an AR250, which has a height on trailer of 9'3". Then, you only need to lower the tower an extra 4" using the modification to get it to less than 9' tall.

 

[Quad]

Removing the wake tower is no small task, I think only a few have attempted removal, and those I can think of haven't done so on a regular basis.

 

[Julian]

We are building a new garage and I'm wondering what door height I need to fit a 255X?

I think the specs say height on trailer is 9' 11" with the tower folded. I've read here that you can get a 212X lower than the specs by lengthening the tower cables and doing the "caster mod." But I haven't found any mention of similar mods for the 255X. Does anyone know how low you can get it?

FYI, our garage specs are for a 9' tall door and I'm not sure if we can go taller. We currently have a 212X that should fit fine. We love the 212, but down the road we may want to trade up to a 255, so I'm trying to plan ahead and decide if we might consider building a taller garage. The garage is just for winter storage, so I don't mind some inconvenience to make it fit since it would only be one time each fall and spring.

If you are building....I'd just go ahead and put in a 10' door!

 

[Quad]

If you are building....I'd just go ahead and put in a 10' door!

Go for 11-12', I think height on trailer of a 255X is nearly 11'.

 

[Julian]

Go for 11-12', I think height on trailer of a 255X is nearly 11'.

Yup....11 feet tower not folded, 9'11" tower folded (119").

 

[OB WI]

We have an 11ft door at our storage unit and I have to put the tower down. Go 12ft and you’ll be happy.

 

[lowd77]

Yup. 12 ft tall door needed and won't need to fold the tower. Folding the tower only drops 13 inches.

 

[adrianp89]

Play it safe make it 15'.

 

[tkeru408]

Poor OP. This is pretty much how this forum goes, recommendations for spending other people's money (I've certainly recommended other people spend lots of money, and I've spent lots of money based on other people's recommendations!).

I'd like to rescind my original response recommending you remove the bimini frame once a year and replace it with the following: since you say current plans for your new garage build are spec'd with a 9 foot door and you may not be able to go taller, I recommend you scrap the plans for the new garage, sell your current home and land, procure a new larger piece of property, and build what the new neighbors will affectionately call "The Garage Mahal". That should be a reasonable plan for adequately storing a 255X over winter. Good luck! ?

 

[francis3]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. The verdict:

We are going with a 10' x 10' garage door. That will just fit an optimistic future purchase of a 9' 11" 255X. If any of the 212X mods work on a 255, then we'll have a little room to spare

 

[Julian]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. The verdict:

We are going with a 10' x 10' garage door. That will just fit an optimistic future purchase of a 9' 11" 255X. If any of the 212X mods work on a 255, then we'll have a little room to spare

Is the driveway flat outside the garage door? That can cause a significant difference in the height of the boat as it enters the garage.

 

[2kwik4u]

Is the driveway flat outside the garage door? That can cause a significant difference in the height of the boat as it enters the garage.

100% agree. My driveway slopes DOWN as you move AWAY from the garage. My AR190 fits better in there than most others as I have 1-2in of clearance on a 7' door and most will just touch the weatherstripping.

Edit....Also @francis3 If you can go with a higher ceiling once you're inside the door, I would do that. Being able to put the tower back up once you're inside is nice if you want to get into the boat and do things like clean or modify.

I have 12ft ceilings inside a 7ft door. I hate my door, but love my high ceilings.

 

[francis3]

Thank you for the extra tips @Julian and @2kwik4u - I appreciate it! Super helpful as I had not thought of that as a factor. I will check the ceiling height and the grading at the new garage location.

 

[Dleconey]

If you need to pick up a couple of inches, you can let some air out of all the tires. After you get it in, get out the air compressor and pump the tires back up to standard psi.

 

[BigAbe75]

My 242X just barely squeaks under a 10’ door with tower folded.

Also, removing the bimini frame is not that much trouble. Takes 2-3 people. Just unplug one connector and take the 2 hinge bolts out and lift off. It isn’t heavy, but will scratch the powder coat of you slip.

Something else to consider is a roll up door rather than a standard garage door. No tracks required to hang below the rafters so your opening can actually be as large as the hole, and not lose space taken up by the door tracks. Wouldn’t look as pretty if it’s an attached garage with your standard doors for daily vehicles. But, worked great on my detached shop.