Now how do we get it into the garage?

Kneeling Alto 
One of the first things we had to resolve was the issue of getting the Alto into a garage for the winter.  As we ordered the optional 13' wheels, we were a little concerned that this would raise the overall height of the trailer enough that it would not be able to fit through a standard garage door.  Our delivery date was early Nov 2009, and in anticipation of storage for the winter, we had already rented a private garage space.  We were told that the overall height of the Alto with the 13' wheels was almost 86" high, where a standard garage opening was 84".
What to do?

Giving it some thought, I realized that I could take advantage of the Alto's teardrop shape.  If one was to really lower the tongue as much as possible, you would also be lowering the overall height.  A quick test proved this theory, knocking almost 3" off the height.  Now there was the problem of moving the trailer with the tongue lowered.  Wandering around Home Depot, I happened upon this little guy...


a little 3 wheeled dolly, probably intended to place under furniture pieces so they could be moved around easier.  This would be perfect.  I added a 2" pvc end cap to ensure the jack post would stay in place while the Alto was being pushed.  All this of course being theory until we got the Alto and actually put it to test.

Did some tests in the driveway before putting it into storage.



You can actually see that it is lower, so we were quite confident that the theory was valid. And it was.  The Alto was easily wheeled into the garage on the little dolly, with lots of clearance.  Anyone notice the big tape measure sitting on the ladder...

2 comments:

  1. Hey Jim,
    Our Alto will be ready in a few months and I'm getting lots of good ideas and info from your blog! The fact that it can be stored in a regular garage is really important to me and I plan to do that. The latest Altos come with 13" wheels standard with an option for 15" wheels (sounds like 13" was the option when you got yours). With the info SF gave me, I found that the tire with the 13" wheel has a diameter of 24" and the 15" has a diameter of 25.4", so the 15" will only raise the trailer about 0.7". Given that the standard trailer height is 83", this would get it really close to the standard garage door height.

    I really want to get the 15" wheels but also want to make sure I'll be able to roll it into the garage. This dolly you found sounds like the perfect solution. Do you still use this dolly (I see that you fortified it a few years ago) and how is it working? Also, you mentioned that it lowers the overall height by about 3". I wanted to confirm that estimate, as that will definitely allow me to move it into my garage even with the larger tires.

    Thanks,
    Matt

    PS: I found a sturdier one on Amazon, although it's pricy. Here's the link:
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IOU3TCE

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    Replies
    1. Hi Matt,
      I don't have the exact measurements, but by using the dolly and lowering the tongue as much as we can, we clear a standard garage door by at least an inch. As a matter of fact, last year when we stored it, we left the regular jack wheel on, lower the tongue, and we were still able to clear the door.
      That is a good looking dolly on Amazon, but certainly pricey.
      Have you discovered the Altoistes group on Facebook yet. Tons of information there.

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