Need more storage space in your garage?

[97RangerXLT]

Here is something I did last summer to squeeze out more storage space in my apartment garage. the garage is only 11 and a half feet wide inside, and just deep enough to put my Ranger supercab in with about a 2 foot space in between the door and the bumper if the other bumper is nearly touching the wall. So not a lot of room on the sides to store stuff.

This is what I ended up with:


The materials needed for this cost me about 120 dollars, and I was able to build it in an afternoon by myself and taking my sweet time doing it. this unit is absolutely solid, does not wobble or move and will hold my 240 pound fat butt while standing on it and stacking stuff on it. the 1/2 inch plywood does give just a little if I stand in between the joists, but if you use 3/4 inch, that would be eliminated.

Items needed:
1 4'x8' sheet of 1/2 inch plywood.
1 2'x4' sheet of 1/2 inch plywood.
*if you are going to put heavier stuff on it, upgrade it to 3/4 inch.
**if your lumber yard sells it, you can replace the above two boards with a 4'x10' sheet of 1/2 or 3/4 inch plywood.
1 10' 2x8
1 10' 2x10
2 10' 2x4
3 8' 2x8
7 8' 2x4 (you can use 4 7' and 3 8' lengths to save wood here, but I went and got 7 8' lengths as I had planned to use the scrap for shelves, which worked out great.)
4 8' 4x4 posts (unfortunately, these I could not get in 6' lengths, so I did have a bit of waste here. if you can get 6' lengths, do that.
1 small box of 1" deck screws. I prefer the torx head ones
1 small box of 3" deck screws.
18 6" carriage bolts 5/16" diameter shank
8 4" carriage bolts 5/16" diameter shank
26 1/2" nuts
26 large washers w/ 5/16" hole (Fender style)

Tools needed:
Circular Saw with a good cross cut blade.
hand cross cut saw to cut 1" notches
Drill to drill pilot holes and drive the deck screws
24" level
1/2" socket or combination wrench
pencil to mark cuts
15" combination square to make your cut lines absolutely straight and at a 90* angle
framing square
chalk line for lining up deck screws.
Now for the construction:

Step 1.
make the ends. Cut your 4x4 posts down to 53" (this is the height that will allow you to back your ranger with 31" tires and 2" factory lift blocks underneath it). cut 1 of your 8' 2x4s into two 45" boards. and cut all 3 of your 8' 2x8s into two 45" boards (you will have six 45" boards, but will only use 2 of the six in this step.)

attach the 2x8 so that it spans the top of the two 4x4 posts and the 2x4 so that it spans the bottom. use 2 6" carriage bolts on each end for the 2x8. be sure to set them so that 2 more can go in from the front and back of the posts later on below each bolt. do not tighten them down yet. the bottom 2x4 fasten with 2 3" deck screws on each end. take another 8' 2x4 and make a diagonal brace from the top left to the bottom right of each side. fasten it to the sides with 2 3" deck screws on each end.

Congrats, your sides are now done.

Step 2, the front and back rails
make sure that your 10' 2x10, 2x8 and one 2x4 are exactly 10' long. you will need to trim off ~1/2 to an inch on all three. take the other 10' 2x4 and cut it down to 110" (this will allow the 4x4 post and 2x8 side thickness on either side to make up the 10') attach the 110" 2x4 to the bottom of the front rail (2x10) so that it is centered. this will leave a 5" gap on either side to fit inside the 4x4 posts, and this will also help strengthen the front rail as it will not have any center support. and because of this 2x4, you will have to cut a 1" by 1" notch in the bottom corner of the 4 remaining 45" 2x8s


attach the front rail (2x4 reinforcement facing inward to the sides using 2 6" carriage bolts at each end. make sure that the front rail is level before drilling the holes for the carriage bolts.

see pics:


Note how the front rail carriage bolts are staggered under the side rail carriage bolts.

attach the back rail (10' 2x8) the same way as the front

attach the bottom back rail (10' 2x4) with a single 6" carriage bolt on each end.

cut two 2x4's down to 53". these will be used for the back center support. they will be put side by side and attached to the top back rail with 3 4" carriage bolts spaced about 1.5 inches apart and attached to the bottom back rail with a single 4" carriage bolt.

see pic


Note how the two center support 2x4's are attached. the bolts at the top are in a Hexagon pattern, you cant see the bottom 2 bolts on the top back rail because of the front rail..

now make two diagonal braces one for each side of the center support. run them from the bottom at the center support to the top at the sides. use 2 3" deck screws to secure them on each end.

grab your ratchet, level and framing square and start tightening down all of the carriage bolts.

this completes the overall form of the loft. Now take your 4 notched 45" 2x8's and place them at 24" centers for your decking. this is where that 2x4 reinforcement on the front will come in handy. you can rest the notched part on it as you fasten the joist to the rear top rail. use 3 3" deck screws on each end of the joists.



shown with the decking on.

Last step is the decking.

take your plywood and attach it to the top with 1" decking screws. I put a screw every 12 inches around the perimeter for each piece of plywood and 2 evenly spaced in each joist

and you are now ready to move it into its final position. (it is quite heavy, so hopefully you built it close to where you are putting it )

enjoy your new storage space!



AJ

[Surrey]

Sexy.

[CHKNFKR]

I guess a lift or even bigger tires are out of the question now huh?

[TheTopher]

Originally Posted by CHKNFKR

I guess a lift or even bigger tires are out of the question now huh?

I did something similar for my bedroom. I built a bunk bed with a desk under it. It works great for storing a drunken Topher at night when you really just want to get him out of the way for a while.

[straycat]

If you lift that truck it will never work...lol Here is what I did about 4 years ago. With three vehicals in the garage I needed some over head storage!!
I put together these 3 racks and modified them to fit my lifted ranger with my Yakima roof rack. This is the best thing to use. Each shelf is designed to support 650 lbs. They are called Saferacks. I paid about $300 for them. They are powder coated and made to last a lifetime:

[James86]

Half the garages at my apartment complex have shelves like that, but having a topper and my preference to backing in (giving me more light to wrench on the truck/ socialize around something mechanical) means I can't do that.

[straycat]

Originally Posted by James86

Half the garages at my apartment complex have shelves like that, but having a topper and my preference to backing in (giving me more light to wrench on the truck/ socialize around something mechanical) means I can't do that.

I can still back in to park...but I don't have a topper....lol

[Surrey]

My friends' dad did something very similar with their Two-car garage.
The ceiling in the garage is quite high, so they built a shelf that hangs down above where the door opens, sticks about 8 feet out from the wall, overhanging the door, and can only be accessed with the door closed (The door itself is much longer than the shelf when it is up, blocking any safe access.)
I dont have any pictures, but it was something like this....

___________________Roof.

Shelf |
----------
------------------ open door.
|
|
| < closed door.
|
--------------------------------| the ground.

[straycat]

Originally Posted by Surrey

My friends' dad did something very similar with their Two-car garage.
The ceiling in the garage is quite high, so they built a shelf that hangs down above where the door opens, sticks about 8 feet out from the wall, overhanging the door, and can only be accessed with the door closed (The door itself is much longer than the shelf when it is up, blocking any safe access.)
I dont have any pictures, but it was something like this....

___________________Roof.

Shelf |
----------
------------------ open door.
|
|
| < closed door.
|
--------------------------------| the ground.

Yea, Saferacks has that same shelf as well. I have seen it installed before and it is very good. But like you said....you can only get up there when the garage door is closed. I almost got one as well....but I like my garage open when I am working in there.

[bttlscrs00x]

Originally Posted by straycat

If you lift that truck it will never work...lol Here is what I did about 4 years ago. With three vehicals in the garage I needed some over head storage!!
I put together these 3 racks and modified them to fit my lifted ranger with my Yakima roof rack. This is the best thing to use. Each shelf is designed to support 650 lbs. They are called Saferacks. I paid about $300 for them. They are powder coated and made to last a lifetime

Those are really awesome.. I've been looking for something like this. You just set the ball rolling for my mom's birthday present! Thanks.

[straycat]

Originally Posted by bttlscrs00x

Those are really awesome.. I've been looking for something like this. You just set the ball rolling for my mom's birthday present! Thanks.

Great I could help, Bro....I really love them. They may sell them near you. And....remember...they are powder coated (at least mine are).

[bttlscrs00x]

Originally Posted by straycat

Great I could help, Bro....I really love them. They may sell them near you. And....remember...they are powder coated (at least mine are).

They're sold within 25 miles of me, which is fine. Do they have to install them? I haven't had a chance to really read the site.. We'll end up installing them and then uninstalling and reinstalling when she moves to a new townhouse.