Elevated garage storage idea found on ADVrider

Thought this was pretty cool and figured someone here might find it useful

http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=765015

IF only I had a garage that tall.

Yes, good use of height (if I only had the height!)

I have a really big loft in my garage. My garage has plenty of height.

The elevator idea is too far over the top for me. A ladder works just fine.

Part of the point of a loft to me is a place to put bulky stuff I don't need too often. Tires, seats, large body panels, insulation, packaging. All of these things I can get up a ladder. I would only need an elevator if it was too heavy to handle (like an engine or a motorcycle), and those are not things I'd store in a loft. I would never commit the time, energy, or money to build an elevator to get to it. I've got a LOT of things that would rank much higher on the priority list.

He spent more money and time on that than most Challenge cars cost.

Additionally, "spanning 2 ceiling joists with a 2x6" isn't anywhere near enough consideration to the potential load for a platform that size. He covered the cables in the attic so he can store stuff up there on the SAME ceiling joists he is hanging his elevator from. He is asking for a failure, perhaps from a future owner of his house or internet reader who doesn't understand the limitations of the design or the ceiling load capacity.

Pretty cool but sort of overkill. A buddy of mine just has a ladder for the second floor of his garage and a hoist to hook to anything he carry up the ladder.

Did I read that he puts a camper on that.... Like a popup? It seems he tried to do everything right but I agree with svrex that that seems you would need MUCH more than just rafters to distribute loading. Heavy stuff just doesn't go on wooden lofts unless designed really well.

nocones wrote: Did I read that he puts a camper on that.... Like a popup? It seems he tried to do everything right but I agree with svrex that that seems you would need MUCH more than just rafters to distribute loading. Heavy stuff just doesn't go on wooden lofts unless designed really well.

It's probably a small pop up camper that goes with the bike. I, also wish that I had the space for a loft.

It's hard to tell from the photos, but from what I do see, I don't get a warm, fuzzy feeling from a structural view. Mostly from how stressed parts are attached to the building structure.

I have a loft over the MGB GT in my parents' garage. It was built to stand on it it's own and I use my arms and legs to lift things onto it. It works great and there's almost no risk of failure. I don't think I like his execution.

Oh don't get me wrong. I love lofts. I have one in an area of my garage that I store my mg body, and some other hand liftable items. I even think it looks like the actual loft structure is quite sound in his garage. It's the lift that concerns me. Properly designed and integrated with the garage structure it would be fine but the use of garage door parts, thin sheet metal brackets, admittedly undersized tubimg, and no indicated reinforcing in the ceiling seek sketchy at best.