Bigger Is Better: Truck Sales Causing Spike in Garage Renovations
Today’s tough trucks can’t fit in many older garages.
When most people think of the land yacht era, they think the 1970s. But if you look at the cold, hard facts, you’d be wrong. Surprisingly, American vehicles have never been bigger. And in Michigan, more people are changing the way they live to accommodate them.
A recent article in the Detroit Free Press highlights the people willing to spend thousands of dollars on renovating their garages to fit their giant trucks and SUVs. And, of course, we hear from the contractors who do the work too. Eric Noble, a product development consultant and professor of vehicle technology at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, says that “American cars have never been bigger and they’ve never been taller. But they can’t get much wider.” That poses a problem for homeowners who have older garages. Noble himself has renovated his garage, replacing a seven-foot garage door with an eight-foot one.
And he isn’t alone. Dustin Collier, a Traverse City-based builder, says his clients range from thirty-somethings to people in their 60s. “Vehicles are just taller,” he says. “You might be able to fit a Ford F-150 into a garage with nothing on its roof, but if you have lights or anything up there, it’s cutting things close.” He sees people spend between $3,000 and $12,000 on projects. These range from adding taller garage doors to putting in cathedral ceilings. Builder William Pachota of Livonia agrees, saying: “People are buying bigger vehicles. Families. All income levels. People really like a cathedral ceiling in the garage these days.”
And this trend could have an impact on housing architecture decades from now. Architect Jon Sarkesian of Royal Oak is seeing a steady upward tick in homeowners tearing down older free-standing garages and building newer, larger ones. “People always bring up car size during the design process now,” he says.
This has also led to some strange architectural phenomena. While some homeowners just want the rear wall extended, others have opted for a strange cubbyhole that they can nest the front end of their truck or SUV into. Chesterfield-based architect Tim Kubinec has some strong opinions on this. “The cubby hole enlargement for the hood of a vehicle surprises me. It’s just an odd way to accomplish the goal,” he says. “Why not move the whole wall out? I don’t like being involved in projects that look goofy but that’s sometimes what people want.”
As the Freep article points out, a Ford F-Series rolls off the assembly line every 52 seconds. And whatever your brand is, Americans don’t look like they’re ditching their massive truck or SUV anytime soon. Our garage is our temple. We think it’s important to have one that can handle your ride, tools, and anything else you can throw at it. But before you put that lift kit on your Silverado, you might want to make sure it will still fit in there.
Join the Chevrolet Forums now!
