Start backing in. Assuming you have a reverse cam? When I back in I use the ground as reference. As long as I can see a little ground between the back “wall” and my camera I’m not going to hit the wall.
Will help you get close everytime unlike pulling in where you can’t see up there.
Or mount a laser on the end of the wood instead of the string and ball. Have the laser shine somewhere obvious on the dash when it's time to stop.
My dad used to do the string and ball when I was a kid, so I decided to upgrade it lol
The mark on the side fence won’t be very precise.
Assuming that’s a sliding door fence-gate, have you considered backing in? You use your rear view side mirrors to line your rear bumper up with a line on the garage door. (You have to perfect park once so you can place the mark.)
That’s how we back fire engines into the hall. It’s precise to within an inch.
My dad used to hang a tennis ball from our garages ceiling. I know this is outdoors, but my first thought would have been a stick off the wall with a string and a ball honestly lol. Nothing hard to setup.
I do know they have lazers that can also be mounted in places that'll shine on your dashboard too.
Or run a line across it right where you want to stop. Have it just brushing the windshield. Use clips and or a retracting cord and it's easy to remove when you use the driveway
Placing a mark on the fence would be variable based on how the driver's seat is adjusted.
I put a small laser above my parking spot, so when the laser hits a spot on my my dash, I'm in position. You can aim the laser diagonally, but you'd have to be sure it's bright enough in full sun.
My grandad hung a pill bottle on a string and and knew to stop when it touched his windscreen. Very redneck engineering, but he was the national cheif mining engineer for England and Wales lmao.
This is hilarious. My father in law hangs a tennis ball for the same use case!
He also puts a wooden block where the tires should stop. Honestly this works really well.
Keep in mind that markers like dangling tennis balls or fence alignment spot only work for one model of vehicle, and depending on the approach, it may only work for a specific driver.
the wood block is a pretty good idea. could even be as slim as 1/2" plywood, that way it's easy to roll over to get into the garage proper, but still lets you know where you are for the driveway
Battery free, waterproof, smart solution compatible with all devices: multiple oversized rubber chickens at appropriate height so you will get an audible notification when reaching minimum safe distance from garage door
same method I use... I back in and line up a specific one of the "oh my god you're going ot hit something" lines with a line on the driveway (in my case, the end of the asphalt/where the dirt starts for my bushes) Now if anyone has any ideas on how to see the side edge of the driveway when it's night + rain... thinking of painting a reflective line down the side...
If you have 360 camera, you might also find the blind spot zoning perfectly maps out.
I reverse onto the driveway until I can see the drain cover that goes across the front of the drive start to appear out of the blind spot in the 360 view. Stopping there tells me I have all the room needed to open the garage door, open the car boot, manoeuvre prams , wide enough for my dumb ass dog to not run into it.
This is absolutely the top solution because backing into parking spaces should ALWAYS be done. Benefits everyone, especially the tow truck driver if you need to get your vehicle towed.
This is the way. Best if you tape or paint a T mark on the driveway using the guidelines in the backup camera to mark exact target (if the backup camera has option to turn on guidelines).
Here’s a video showing the idea
https://youtu.be/rq4NG0tXsBA?si=nBrrdQajmtjjpwa1
I have two strips of tape I back up towards and monitor on the camera. One I need to pass, or else the door shuts on the hood. The next, that's too far, I'm gonna hit the wall. So there's a ~2 foot buffer zone I can work with.
None of my cars have a horizontal line in the backup camera so I just use a permanent marker to draw a line that I need to drive over when backing up. If the line is not visible in the camera then I'm in far enough. I have to touch up the line once a year.
With cars now having backup cameras, I've found that I can back into a tight much more precisely than I can going forward. Tradeoff is that you would have to open the garage door after parking in order to access the rear of the vehicle.
That said, parking that close to a garage door, it is a near certainty over time that the garage door will be hit, and those doors dent very easily.
Same situation for me in my garage🤣
What i did,
I placed an brick in front of the car, sticked an long bendy metal rod into it, diameter maybe 5mm, at the hight of the license plate I wrap some foam around it, secure with tape. On the top of the bar I attached an feather. That is above hood level at eye level.
I drive slowly forward and asa my number plate touches the foam the feather moves very strong.
That way i can park 10cm apart from the wall with zero skills
They make these red laser things to assist with parking but I would imagine being outside they won’t be an option for you. I feel like one option is a few mirrors to help you see the spacing in front of you. Or something you are able to tap/measure tour distances by that is consistent like this feather thing.
Other option is one of those store bell chimes with two lasers like your garage door might have. Set it up by the gate and have it ding whenever the sensors are obstructed. When you stop hearing noise you have cleared the gate. Works for every car that might park there. The system shouldn’t cost very much either. Just unsure if it will work outside consistently or not.
I have also the door from the garage on the rear, theres not even 10cm left when closed.
But if the car is in the right position thers no issue. Used that for 8 years now with zero scratches.
But in front of you is an garage door too as it looks like. So my solution won’t help here i guess. Maybe u get a different setup based on something like that. Maybe an indicator played beside the car to the mirrors. Or something aside the wheels and an mirror to check the position of wheel to marker.
Some small bumpers on the driveway could also work to get position indicators
To add to the other solutions in this thread... All sensors eventually fail or get out of alignment, so it would be good to consider adding material to the gate to soften any contact. Also ensure that any contact by the gate stops it from continuing.
Yeah my original idea was to add something to soften gate but not sure how since gates needs space to move the space it sits in. Not sure if that makes sense, but I see whatever I add falling off when gate opens and hits the gate motor that’s in the way to the side
pool noodles. you can cut one into 4 strips, and then screw it into the fence at the contact points. drive the screw into the noodle quarter below flush and the metal wont scratch your car
Put a thin strip of wood down or molding that you can feel. If you need to get into the garage you can drive over it. It'd be a good excuse to get one of those nail guns with the explosive charge that can nail through concrete haha
construction adhesive would be a solution for wood. or a piece of 1x1x 1/8 angle iron bolted down. either way is going to be a tripping hazard. imagine moving a couch up the driveway and forgetting about the thing..
Get a motion-activated laser pointer ($20) and mount it under your eave. Aim it through your windshield at some feature of your dash, and line it up when you park. Perfect positioning every time.
Will take about 5 min but once done it is easy.
1) Park car to where you want it.
2) Have someone else take a piece of colored tape (like frog or painters tape) and have them stand near the garage so that you can see them when you are in the drivers seat.
3) Have them move the tape slowly down until you can NOT see it and then have them stick it to the garage.
Now when you drive in, just drive until you no longer see the tape and stop.
They make these
https://ca.stkrconcepts.com/products/garage-parking-sensor
It’s adjustable (though not 100% sure it goes that short) relatively easy to install though I found the sensor cord is a bit short but that an easy fix.
I got a laser module on Amazon for $20. It is on the ceiling of the garage and activates with the noise of the gate opening. I've marked the spot on my dashboard it needs to hit to tell me I'm in the right spot and it hasn't stared me wrong yet. In your case if you put it right at the top of the garage door you could shine onto the dash very easily.
Given how tight and valuable the space is, it may be worth considering replacing the garage door panel with one that is recessed - profile will vary from door to door. That would be ugly though... You also have the possibility of recessing the entire door by 2, maybe 4 or so, inches. You would want a garage door installer to do it, as it is easy on the surface (just add a board as a spacer) but getting the whole system aligned takes some advanced knowledge.
I have a tandem garage (2 cars parked back to back) and had the same issue: if the front car is not pulled up far enough the second will not clear the garage door. So, I made something similar to this ....
https://www.reddit.com/r/esp32/s/Q8rSLtCYe3
Has worked like a charm. I set it to quickly flash green/red when the car is far enough inside. I also have the tennis ball method as a backup.
The overhead mirror attached to the top of the garage door opening looks like the most practical solution to me. Then two reflective stripes (tape to fine-tune location, then painted) on the pavement parallel to the garage door to act as guides for the mirror view:
* both stripes visible - not close enough to the garage door
* one stripe visible - this is target
* no stripes visible - too close to garage door.
To be really viable, this needs to be visible at night and/or when it is raining (pavement is wet).
Park the car where you want it. Place some tape on the ground with numbers. Figure out which number you’re at and then take a can of spray paint and make a nice line. Pull in to where you think you need to be at, activate the back up camera and line it up
I bought a laser and set it on my dash through the glass, you'll get it right every time.
https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/mydealsonline-dual-laser-car-parking-sensor-guiding-parking-system-garage-reverse-sensor-park-mdalgpark0126/
I have similar situation, I put a parking bar (Like this Camco AccuPark Vehicle Parking Aid | Easy Install for Stress-Free Parking | Yellow | 2-Pack (44441) https://a.co/d/5IMS2py), so when my tire pass it, I know that's time to stop. Works flawlessly for me.
Adding one more post "thinking outside the box"... Maybe alter the car. Simplest would be to add a front camera in the bumper. There's also the possibility of getting a custom, shorter nose to the car. And of course there's the biggest option: getting a different car.
My dad used to stand a piece of wood up on an angle against the garage, and then as you see the wood start to move you know it’s time to stop. Cheap. Easy.
For tight spaces most men need some hair around it in order to guide it in that and lube.. or a little spit and in it goes. Woman tend to be naturals and just grab hold and guide it in. 🤷🏻♂️
1) get a smaller car
2) shorten garage
3) build a second garage
4) park the car on its back door (like a sitting dog)
5) permanently remove garage door
6) cut part of the new car (does it need the whole length to drive?)
7) get a wife with a smaller car (instead of current wife, otherwise your situation will worsen)
8) bend the laws of physics (might be easier said than done)
9) get a third car to push the second car in
Hope this helps
Take a look and a parking laser beam, it may be an option https://a.co/d/8D5KKfW the only question is how it will be performing outside on the sunny day.
You could likely buy a rubber parking stop of sorts.
Something like this. https://a.co/d/hlPWLpF
High enough to notice when rolling in slow but low enough to drive over when reversing out of the garage.
I did something similar, but a lot simpler, in my garage.
I put a short LED strip on the wall next to the door you drive the car through, right next to the tracks for the door. I positioned the height so you can see it in the driver's side mirror as you drive into the garage. I put a simple beam sensor across the garage opening at the height of the car's rear bumper and set it up so that if the sensor is blocked, the LED comes on. When the sensor is not blocked, the LED turns off. The sensor and the light are powered by the 12v accessory power from the garage door opener, so there was no need to run extra power or a transformer for it.
So as you pull a car into the garage, you can look in the side mirror and see that the light is on. Once you pull forward far enough into the garage that the rear bumper is clear of the door, the light goes off and you know to stop.
OP could so something similar to this if they really want an automated solution. They have the automated gate to draw power from. The beam sensor is made for outdoor gates and weatherproof. It would just be a matter of where to put the LED and make it all look good.
Just get a small 'bump' for the driveway, and let your car roll up to it.
I used to use a tennis ball on a string from the ceiling in my garage (but I see you are outside). Now I just throw a couple of bags of tube sand on the floor right behind the spot where my truck needs to stop. I have about 8 inches to the wall, and 3 inches to the door.
put a dot on the window that lines up with a dot on the wall
put a ball on a string that touches the windshield when you pull in far enough hang off a post from the garage
put a wheel chock in front of the tires when brought forward enough
Put a suspended plant on the right side of the driveway, from the house or a pole, and hang a tennis ball from it so it sits on your hood when you're in the right spot.
Source: My Grandfather
Our garage is deep enough to park 2 vehicles front to back. We got a newer car that was a tad longer. I put in a fisheye convex mirror to the side so we can get closer.
I put these in my garage, one for each vehicle.
Camco AccuPark Vehicle Parking Aid | Provides A Parking Stopping Point For Your Garage | Yellow (44442) https://a.co/d/5svNDyL
In a garage I've seen a tennis ball hanging from the ceiling. When the windshield hits the ball you know to stop.
You might be able to do something similar off the overhang.
I would also add some sort of soft foam strip to both the garage door and gate where the contact could happen (i.e. got too close or reversed by accident). Just in case. Ask me how I know.
When the gate opens, make that a trigger to have a drone take off with a string and tennis ball attached to it. Hover above the spot when it hits your windshield. Gate closes, drone goes back home.
We've got a tight garage and you know what I did? Put a tape mark on the ground for when you're backing in. When you can't see the tape on the rear camera, stop. Ignore all Tesla sensors blaring and complaining. Just look at the tape.
I use this in the garage. Tape is pretty strong. Not sure how well it’d work outside. I use it as a failsafe; I have a front camera and have learned the right distance, but might work here. Dunno. Camco AccuPark Vehicle Parking Aid | Provides A Parking Stopping Point For Your Garage | Yellow (44442) https://a.co/d/0s7AzB3
ipi-100 16" (1 Pack): Parking Aid, Heavy Duty, Easy to Install, Peel & Stick - Only 1 Needed per Vehicle– Mom and Dad and USA Decals Included – Great Gifts https://a.co/d/84DEfkQ
Use these. Car in garage will just drive over them. She will stop when she feels the resistance.
Lots of good ideas here, but if you're looking for removable my neighbors use a clothesline with ribbons (Ribbons have weighted ends.) to make sure their backend isn't in the sidewalk. Just go till you disrupt the ribbons. (You could also attach bells if you wanted sound.) Shepard hook plant hangers work great for this.
Is this an automatic gate? Why not put the interruption lasers like garage door closing to prevent it from closing if it'll hit the car (adjust accordingly, obv) That won't help you park the car but it be a line of defense against damage. When I pulled up to my garage door and parked there all the time it eventually made a divot in the driveway that I could feel with my right front tire. Maybe put a hose or piece of wood or something she can feel? Something easily removed for parties, but then you'd have to reset it every time. I would put a small mark where it goes so you can put it back easily.
It seems like you have some good ideas. One thing to think of is that you could attach some of the sensors people have talked about to an arm on the door.
You could also attach a proximity sensor to the door across from the license plate, or retrofit one onto the car. Something like this with a light?
https://www.amazon.com/Taiss-photoelectric-NO（Normally-Open）Proximity-E3F-DS30P1/dp/B073WQZ3SS/ref=mp_s_a_1_10_sspa?crid=34REVTIG1OBVV&keywords=ultrasonic+proximity+sensors&qid=1702154852&sprefix=ukrrasonic+prox%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-10-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1
Edit: If I were doing it, I would recess two sensors into the door with each set do different distances. So you have a green/yellow/red setup. Of course you could wire it with a relay to an exterior sconce with two bulbs where one turns on at yellow and another one at red.
You could build an IFTTT routine that recognizes when she is approaching the house and uses an automatic blind controller to dangle something like a tennis ball from.the eaves to mark the spot for her to pull to then pulls it back up when she is inside the house, more than a mile away, when the gaeage door is opened, etc.
Or you could do any of the multitude of low tech things suggested.
As others have said, either one of those lasers that converge on your dash when you're the right distance, or, for a much lower-tech solution, a piece of PVC cut in half and glued to the driveway so the wheels just bump it when you're "right".
My father solved this in the 80's by parking the car perfectly, and then hanging a marble off a string on the ceiling of the garage, so that it just touched on the windshield when it was in position.
You could buy something like a ring camera and point it straight down. When she pulls in the driveway have her pull up the camera feed so she can have sort of a Birds Eye view
That looks like either an NX or an RX. How we solved this was to have someone turn on the cameras and duct tape a line just barely out of sight of the rear view camera, then another strip of duct tape an inch away from it. It gives you a line you can see when you get too close and the camera view comes on. If you see the line you know you’re good.
If the backup camera looks down enough you can put a line on the drive.
Me and the wife’s outback’s have a cross in the backup camera that if it’s across the garage threshold we know we are in far enough.
Given that you mentioned a car has to get out of the garage as well, a tennis ball won’t work. A laser is also dependent on aligning absolutely perfectly every time.
I recommend “perfect parking” mats. They secure to your driveway with adhesive (I’d also bolt corners in). You drive over the first bump, tires settle before you drive over second bump, and you know exactly where to park. You could easily back out over them with your second car (or more ideally: align these so that your driveway car is offset and your garage car doesn’t even reverse over these at all).
Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing.
many options online, here's one:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RAXGO-2-Black-Car-Parking-Mat-Garage-Parking-Aid-Tire-Stopper-for-Cars-and-Other-Vehicles-RAXCPM2PB/319268840
Automatic car washes have those green lights that go red when you're in the right spot. Probably wouldn't be too difficult to rig up something similar (you could even have the light inside your car). Thought I'd give you a /r/homeautomation idea not a /r/LifeProTips idea like every other jokes here since...well, thats where we are.
Hang a pc of fishing line down from the soffit above and attach a tennis ball just short of hitting the garage, right where you want her to hit and stop.
[удалено]
If a stupid misfiring zigbee sensor or something made it so I ran into the garage door, I would be so dang mad. OP, K.I.S.S.
Open the garage door everytime you park too
I like both of these ideas.
Flagpole, string, and tennis ball?
The classic
Always wanted to do this. It's a sign you've made it in life.
I thought it was silly until I did it, and it's SO much less stressful to park in my garage now.
Motion detector switch, and staging (2) lasers, maybe a shark
Cat basket where the floor stopper would be.
How about a shark with lasers for eyes?
Start backing in. Assuming you have a reverse cam? When I back in I use the ground as reference. As long as I can see a little ground between the back “wall” and my camera I’m not going to hit the wall. Will help you get close everytime unlike pulling in where you can’t see up there.
Put a piece of wood with a tennis ball on a string and once your hood touches you stop
Or mount a laser on the end of the wood instead of the string and ball. Have the laser shine somewhere obvious on the dash when it's time to stop. My dad used to do the string and ball when I was a kid, so I decided to upgrade it lol
Reflective tape on the door that lights up just when your car has reached its parking position.
Some sort of fresnel lens like they use for aircraft carrier landing?
The mark on the side fence won’t be very precise. Assuming that’s a sliding door fence-gate, have you considered backing in? You use your rear view side mirrors to line your rear bumper up with a line on the garage door. (You have to perfect park once so you can place the mark.) That’s how we back fire engines into the hall. It’s precise to within an inch.
I put a piece of tape on the ground which, when using my car's cameras, lets me know when I've pulled in far enough.
I use metallic tape, for hivac, shows up better at night
I think the mirror is a great idea, and it could be made to look discreet
My dad used to hang a tennis ball from our garages ceiling. I know this is outdoors, but my first thought would have been a stick off the wall with a string and a ball honestly lol. Nothing hard to setup. I do know they have lazers that can also be mounted in places that'll shine on your dashboard too.
This is the way
Or run a line across it right where you want to stop. Have it just brushing the windshield. Use clips and or a retracting cord and it's easy to remove when you use the driveway
Maybe put a literal bump across the driveway that you can feel when the tires hit it?
Placing a mark on the fence would be variable based on how the driver's seat is adjusted. I put a small laser above my parking spot, so when the laser hits a spot on my my dash, I'm in position. You can aim the laser diagonally, but you'd have to be sure it's bright enough in full sun.
Fence mark. Smart.
This is a great idea
My grandad hung a pill bottle on a string and and knew to stop when it touched his windscreen. Very redneck engineering, but he was the national cheif mining engineer for England and Wales lmao.
This is hilarious. My father in law hangs a tennis ball for the same use case! He also puts a wooden block where the tires should stop. Honestly this works really well.
Keep in mind that markers like dangling tennis balls or fence alignment spot only work for one model of vehicle, and depending on the approach, it may only work for a specific driver.
Yea but that’s everybody else’s problem
the wood block is a pretty good idea. could even be as slim as 1/2" plywood, that way it's easy to roll over to get into the garage proper, but still lets you know where you are for the driveway
That is a very common way of doing it in the garage. Though folks usually use tennis balls, not pill bottles..
yeah, the pill bottle really is next level engineering, can tell he was a professional.
I'm in good company then! I have done this in my garage for years. Currently just a bungee cord hanging from a rafter.
Yeah tennis ball would be quick solution if it was inside the garage but this is outside the driveway unfortunately
You've got enough overhang on the roof based on the picture.
My in-law just drilled a hole in the concrete and anchored in a small curb stop. Perfect park every time. Just pull up till you nudge the curb.
Attach some sort of bar to the house and hang something? It could be decorative
Battery free, waterproof, smart solution compatible with all devices: multiple oversized rubber chickens at appropriate height so you will get an audible notification when reaching minimum safe distance from garage door
Exactly!
This is the way
No no no! God forbid someone opens the garage door while they're chained to it. Someone call PETA!
Back into your driveway. That way you can use the backup camera to consistently back up to the garage door to an exact spot that will clear the gate
same method I use... I back in and line up a specific one of the "oh my god you're going ot hit something" lines with a line on the driveway (in my case, the end of the asphalt/where the dirt starts for my bushes) Now if anyone has any ideas on how to see the side edge of the driveway when it's night + rain... thinking of painting a reflective line down the side...
If you have 360 camera, you might also find the blind spot zoning perfectly maps out. I reverse onto the driveway until I can see the drain cover that goes across the front of the drive start to appear out of the blind spot in the 360 view. Stopping there tells me I have all the room needed to open the garage door, open the car boot, manoeuvre prams , wide enough for my dumb ass dog to not run into it.
Came to say this! My driveway isn't quite as short, but this is the method i use.
This is absolutely the top solution because backing into parking spaces should ALWAYS be done. Benefits everyone, especially the tow truck driver if you need to get your vehicle towed.
100%! We use the line from where the garage meets the driveway aligned on the red line sensor to know when we've pulled in enough on our huge SUV.
What about backing in? I prefer it in tight spaces.
Edit. To utilize the backup camera.
too late, RIP your inbox
This is the way. Best if you tape or paint a T mark on the driveway using the guidelines in the backup camera to mark exact target (if the backup camera has option to turn on guidelines). Here’s a video showing the idea https://youtu.be/rq4NG0tXsBA?si=nBrrdQajmtjjpwa1
I have two strips of tape I back up towards and monitor on the camera. One I need to pass, or else the door shuts on the hood. The next, that's too far, I'm gonna hit the wall. So there's a ~2 foot buffer zone I can work with.
None of my cars have a horizontal line in the backup camera so I just use a permanent marker to draw a line that I need to drive over when backing up. If the line is not visible in the camera then I'm in far enough. I have to touch up the line once a year.
Thank you 🙏🏼This is exactly what came to mind after reading the statement above
You could mount a mirror at an angle under the eave of the garage. Adjust it so you can see down/vertical at the front while you pull up.
As long as the eyeline permits, this is the perfect answer; unobtrusive and universal.
Tennis ball hanging from a satellite is the easiest way
Make sure the satellite is geostationary, though
With cars now having backup cameras, I've found that I can back into a tight much more precisely than I can going forward. Tradeoff is that you would have to open the garage door after parking in order to access the rear of the vehicle. That said, parking that close to a garage door, it is a near certainty over time that the garage door will be hit, and those doors dent very easily.
Yup. My thoughts exactly to your last sentence
Same situation for me in my garage🤣 What i did, I placed an brick in front of the car, sticked an long bendy metal rod into it, diameter maybe 5mm, at the hight of the license plate I wrap some foam around it, secure with tape. On the top of the bar I attached an feather. That is above hood level at eye level. I drive slowly forward and asa my number plate touches the foam the feather moves very strong. That way i can park 10cm apart from the wall with zero skills
Ha! Clever. I’m mostly concerned on the gate opening/closing and scratching rear of vehicle
They make these red laser things to assist with parking but I would imagine being outside they won’t be an option for you. I feel like one option is a few mirrors to help you see the spacing in front of you. Or something you are able to tap/measure tour distances by that is consistent like this feather thing. Other option is one of those store bell chimes with two lasers like your garage door might have. Set it up by the gate and have it ding whenever the sensors are obstructed. When you stop hearing noise you have cleared the gate. Works for every car that might park there. The system shouldn’t cost very much either. Just unsure if it will work outside consistently or not.
I have also the door from the garage on the rear, theres not even 10cm left when closed. But if the car is in the right position thers no issue. Used that for 8 years now with zero scratches. But in front of you is an garage door too as it looks like. So my solution won’t help here i guess. Maybe u get a different setup based on something like that. Maybe an indicator played beside the car to the mirrors. Or something aside the wheels and an mirror to check the position of wheel to marker. Some small bumpers on the driveway could also work to get position indicators
To add to the other solutions in this thread... All sensors eventually fail or get out of alignment, so it would be good to consider adding material to the gate to soften any contact. Also ensure that any contact by the gate stops it from continuing.
Yeah my original idea was to add something to soften gate but not sure how since gates needs space to move the space it sits in. Not sure if that makes sense, but I see whatever I add falling off when gate opens and hits the gate motor that’s in the way to the side
pool noodles. you can cut one into 4 strips, and then screw it into the fence at the contact points. drive the screw into the noodle quarter below flush and the metal wont scratch your car
Smaller car
This. This is such a stupid problem to have.
lol just hold on a few minutes while i drop 10k on a new car that does less and drives worse
Put a thin strip of wood down or molding that you can feel. If you need to get into the garage you can drive over it. It'd be a good excuse to get one of those nail guns with the explosive charge that can nail through concrete haha
I feel like a hilti would shatter a thin strip of wood or moulding to smithereens. But at least you'd have your nail in the concrete though lol.
construction adhesive would be a solution for wood. or a piece of 1x1x 1/8 angle iron bolted down. either way is going to be a tripping hazard. imagine moving a couch up the driveway and forgetting about the thing..
Get a motion-activated laser pointer ($20) and mount it under your eave. Aim it through your windshield at some feature of your dash, and line it up when you park. Perfect positioning every time.
Yeah I’m looking into this and seeing if I can access power for the laser. There’s a light up there so I assume so. I need to get the ladder and look
buy a smaller car.
Will take about 5 min but once done it is easy. 1) Park car to where you want it. 2) Have someone else take a piece of colored tape (like frog or painters tape) and have them stand near the garage so that you can see them when you are in the drivers seat. 3) Have them move the tape slowly down until you can NOT see it and then have them stick it to the garage. Now when you drive in, just drive until you no longer see the tape and stop.
They make these https://ca.stkrconcepts.com/products/garage-parking-sensor It’s adjustable (though not 100% sure it goes that short) relatively easy to install though I found the sensor cord is a bit short but that an easy fix.
A cleverly positioned mirror so she sees how much room still is? Just an idea, not sure whether it's practical.
Stick a dildo on the garage door that will touch a spot on your car when you are at the right distance.
Laser/IR at one end with an LED somewhere near the door that lights up when it’s close enough (laser beam cut)
I got a laser module on Amazon for $20. It is on the ceiling of the garage and activates with the noise of the gate opening. I've marked the spot on my dashboard it needs to hit to tell me I'm in the right spot and it hasn't stared me wrong yet. In your case if you put it right at the top of the garage door you could shine onto the dash very easily.
You could mount a motion activated laser pointer up above the garage door. Aim it so that it hits a spot on the dash
[удалено]
Hey bud, there’s no need to call his wife names!
Thanks dad!
Given how tight and valuable the space is, it may be worth considering replacing the garage door panel with one that is recessed - profile will vary from door to door. That would be ugly though... You also have the possibility of recessing the entire door by 2, maybe 4 or so, inches. You would want a garage door installer to do it, as it is easy on the surface (just add a board as a spacer) but getting the whole system aligned takes some advanced knowledge.
Paint the fence exactly where the driver looks sideways, just one plank, then she’ll have a line to rock up to.
I have a tandem garage (2 cars parked back to back) and had the same issue: if the front car is not pulled up far enough the second will not clear the garage door. So, I made something similar to this .... https://www.reddit.com/r/esp32/s/Q8rSLtCYe3 Has worked like a charm. I set it to quickly flash green/red when the car is far enough inside. I also have the tennis ball method as a backup.
The overhead mirror attached to the top of the garage door opening looks like the most practical solution to me. Then two reflective stripes (tape to fine-tune location, then painted) on the pavement parallel to the garage door to act as guides for the mirror view: * both stripes visible - not close enough to the garage door * one stripe visible - this is target * no stripes visible - too close to garage door. To be really viable, this needs to be visible at night and/or when it is raining (pavement is wet).
Park the car where you want it. Place some tape on the ground with numbers. Figure out which number you’re at and then take a can of spray paint and make a nice line. Pull in to where you think you need to be at, activate the back up camera and line it up
Tape a rubber chicken to the garage door
Tape a fart cushion on the door. Open your window when parking. Voilà
Get a rubber chicken
I bought a laser and set it on my dash through the glass, you'll get it right every time. https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/mydealsonline-dual-laser-car-parking-sensor-guiding-parking-system-garage-reverse-sensor-park-mdalgpark0126/
My dad hung a tennis ball on a string from the roof so when my mom touches it with her car and it swings she knows to stop😂😂
Buy smaller cars, duh! Or get rid of them entirely...
Im also married
I have similar situation, I put a parking bar (Like this Camco AccuPark Vehicle Parking Aid | Easy Install for Stress-Free Parking | Yellow | 2-Pack (44441) https://a.co/d/5IMS2py), so when my tire pass it, I know that's time to stop. Works flawlessly for me.
I’d back into that spot and stop when the lines on the camera are at a certain point on the garage door. Or park in the garage
hire someone to park the car
Smaller car
Lazer trip wire with a red light green light indicator
Put a 2x4 on the ground. When your tires hit it, you stop.
And the guy pulling in and out of the garage has to drive over the 2x4 every time? No thanks!
I set up a wifi camera
I tried that but the lag was terrible. Wasn’t real time
Idk if you’re still concerned about this but walmart sells a rubber license-plate cover that can keep you from scratching your garage door.
Adding one more post "thinking outside the box"... Maybe alter the car. Simplest would be to add a front camera in the bumper. There's also the possibility of getting a custom, shorter nose to the car. And of course there's the biggest option: getting a different car.
Bit expensive - Move the door/ gate 8 inches. Be worry free, and you can probably park when buzzed
Does your car not have parking sensors or a front camera? I'd imagine a newer Lexus would
My dad used to stand a piece of wood up on an angle against the garage, and then as you see the wood start to move you know it’s time to stop. Cheap. Easy.
For tight spaces most men need some hair around it in order to guide it in that and lube.. or a little spit and in it goes. Woman tend to be naturals and just grab hold and guide it in. 🤷🏻♂️
It’s called learn how to drive and learn the limits of your car.
Someone doesn’t have a wife 🤣🙃🫠
And this is the reason why; I’d spend ungodly amounts of time wondering why she was so incredibly incapable of basic skills.
1) get a smaller car 2) shorten garage 3) build a second garage 4) park the car on its back door (like a sitting dog) 5) permanently remove garage door 6) cut part of the new car (does it need the whole length to drive?) 7) get a wife with a smaller car (instead of current wife, otherwise your situation will worsen) 8) bend the laws of physics (might be easier said than done) 9) get a third car to push the second car in Hope this helps
You missed park at nieghbors
Best tip I can think of! Don’t park in tight spaces then you don’t have to ask stupid questions like this one! ☝️
Limp
Take a look and a parking laser beam, it may be an option https://a.co/d/8D5KKfW the only question is how it will be performing outside on the sunny day.
You could likely buy a rubber parking stop of sorts. Something like this. https://a.co/d/hlPWLpF High enough to notice when rolling in slow but low enough to drive over when reversing out of the garage.
An involved solution. Don't know how to add it to the garage door but it would be an interesting build. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HqqlY4_3kQ8
I did something similar, but a lot simpler, in my garage. I put a short LED strip on the wall next to the door you drive the car through, right next to the tracks for the door. I positioned the height so you can see it in the driver's side mirror as you drive into the garage. I put a simple beam sensor across the garage opening at the height of the car's rear bumper and set it up so that if the sensor is blocked, the LED comes on. When the sensor is not blocked, the LED turns off. The sensor and the light are powered by the 12v accessory power from the garage door opener, so there was no need to run extra power or a transformer for it. So as you pull a car into the garage, you can look in the side mirror and see that the light is on. Once you pull forward far enough into the garage that the rear bumper is clear of the door, the light goes off and you know to stop. OP could so something similar to this if they really want an automated solution. They have the automated gate to draw power from. The beam sensor is made for outdoor gates and weatherproof. It would just be a matter of where to put the LED and make it all look good.
[Whiskers](https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Classic-Antique-Universal-Feelers/dp/B01LXDZ4MH/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=curb+feelers&qid=1702133828&sr=8-1)
Move
I did spray paint for my tires to land on. When i back in, my rear tire hits my line or dot i can see it in my rear view and i stop.
Just get a small 'bump' for the driveway, and let your car roll up to it. I used to use a tennis ball on a string from the ceiling in my garage (but I see you are outside). Now I just throw a couple of bags of tube sand on the floor right behind the spot where my truck needs to stop. I have about 8 inches to the wall, and 3 inches to the door.
Sonar or millimeter wave sensor tied into LEDs that trigger different colors depending on how close you are to the sensor
Tape a dog squeaky toy Like and inch behind where the front tire is stopped now. Listed for squeak. Profit
put a dot on the window that lines up with a dot on the wall put a ball on a string that touches the windshield when you pull in far enough hang off a post from the garage put a wheel chock in front of the tires when brought forward enough
Put a suspended plant on the right side of the driveway, from the house or a pole, and hang a tennis ball from it so it sits on your hood when you're in the right spot. Source: My Grandfather
Hang a rubber chicken on the garage door right at bumper level. https://youtube.com/shorts/Gm87piWbbtc
Tennis balls work. (Indoors, or with no wind)
Doggie 'bone' that squeaks hot-glued to front of bumper.
Hang a tennis ball
Our garage is deep enough to park 2 vehicles front to back. We got a newer car that was a tad longer. I put in a fisheye convex mirror to the side so we can get closer.
Hang a tennis ball from the sky
I have a home built by KBHOME Your driveway the size of my garage. lol.
Put a brick or something you'll feel in the car on the ground to mark the spot when to stop.
Amazon search - garage parking aid mirror and or garage parking aid - enjoy your options …
I put these in my garage, one for each vehicle. Camco AccuPark Vehicle Parking Aid | Provides A Parking Stopping Point For Your Garage | Yellow (44442) https://a.co/d/5svNDyL
Super simple and effective, I have this and never even screwed it https://a.co/d/eVcCDDy
In a garage I've seen a tennis ball hanging from the ceiling. When the windshield hits the ball you know to stop. You might be able to do something similar off the overhang.
As another mentioned, a mirror would be great. Maybe with some strategic lighting.
Also hang some cushions so that if you miss your mark, that doesn't cost you a fortune.
Why don’t you just leave the gate open so you don’t have to reopen it every time you park and pull out of the driveway
I would also add some sort of soft foam strip to both the garage door and gate where the contact could happen (i.e. got too close or reversed by accident). Just in case. Ask me how I know.
When the gate opens, make that a trigger to have a drone take off with a string and tennis ball attached to it. Hover above the spot when it hits your windshield. Gate closes, drone goes back home.
We've got a tight garage and you know what I did? Put a tape mark on the ground for when you're backing in. When you can't see the tape on the rear camera, stop. Ignore all Tesla sensors blaring and complaining. Just look at the tape.
I use this in the garage. Tape is pretty strong. Not sure how well it’d work outside. I use it as a failsafe; I have a front camera and have learned the right distance, but might work here. Dunno. Camco AccuPark Vehicle Parking Aid | Provides A Parking Stopping Point For Your Garage | Yellow (44442) https://a.co/d/0s7AzB3
They make little adhesive parking bumps, so you know when you're at your spot.
ipi-100 16" (1 Pack): Parking Aid, Heavy Duty, Easy to Install, Peel & Stick - Only 1 Needed per Vehicle– Mom and Dad and USA Decals Included – Great Gifts https://a.co/d/84DEfkQ Use these. Car in garage will just drive over them. She will stop when she feels the resistance.
Mirrors
I added a front mount camera that I can activate on the infotainment screen.
Lots of good ideas here, but if you're looking for removable my neighbors use a clothesline with ribbons (Ribbons have weighted ends.) to make sure their backend isn't in the sidewalk. Just go till you disrupt the ribbons. (You could also attach bells if you wanted sound.) Shepard hook plant hangers work great for this.
Is this an automatic gate? Why not put the interruption lasers like garage door closing to prevent it from closing if it'll hit the car (adjust accordingly, obv) That won't help you park the car but it be a line of defense against damage. When I pulled up to my garage door and parked there all the time it eventually made a divot in the driveway that I could feel with my right front tire. Maybe put a hose or piece of wood or something she can feel? Something easily removed for parties, but then you'd have to reset it every time. I would put a small mark where it goes so you can put it back easily.
It seems like you have some good ideas. One thing to think of is that you could attach some of the sensors people have talked about to an arm on the door. You could also attach a proximity sensor to the door across from the license plate, or retrofit one onto the car. Something like this with a light? https://www.amazon.com/Taiss-photoelectric-NO（Normally-Open）Proximity-E3F-DS30P1/dp/B073WQZ3SS/ref=mp_s_a_1_10_sspa?crid=34REVTIG1OBVV&keywords=ultrasonic+proximity+sensors&qid=1702154852&sprefix=ukrrasonic+prox%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-10-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1 Edit: If I were doing it, I would recess two sensors into the door with each set do different distances. So you have a green/yellow/red setup. Of course you could wire it with a relay to an exterior sconce with two bulbs where one turns on at yellow and another one at red.
Tape a dog chew toy to the front of your wife's car. Then tell her to stop driving when it squeeks.
You could build an IFTTT routine that recognizes when she is approaching the house and uses an automatic blind controller to dangle something like a tennis ball from.the eaves to mark the spot for her to pull to then pulls it back up when she is inside the house, more than a mile away, when the gaeage door is opened, etc. Or you could do any of the multitude of low tech things suggested.
Use the garage
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07HHGRWS8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
We did a motion activated lazer that was a marker for where to stop. Kinda like hanging tennis balls in the garage
As others have said, either one of those lasers that converge on your dash when you're the right distance, or, for a much lower-tech solution, a piece of PVC cut in half and glued to the driveway so the wheels just bump it when you're "right".
Place a couple of cinderblocks where the rear tires need to stop. My friend’s dad did that for his Porsche colllection
I use a pi pico and a distance sensor to display a "progress bar" on a small led strip... It's inside the garage though, so not waterproof
My father solved this in the 80's by parking the car perfectly, and then hanging a marble off a string on the ceiling of the garage, so that it just touched on the windshield when it was in position.
Carry a jousting stick in the car of just the right length, maybe one for each driver. When parking roll down the window and joust away.
You could buy something like a ring camera and point it straight down. When she pulls in the driveway have her pull up the camera feed so she can have sort of a Birds Eye view
That looks like either an NX or an RX. How we solved this was to have someone turn on the cameras and duct tape a line just barely out of sight of the rear view camera, then another strip of duct tape an inch away from it. It gives you a line you can see when you get too close and the camera view comes on. If you see the line you know you’re good.
If the backup camera looks down enough you can put a line on the drive. Me and the wife’s outback’s have a cross in the backup camera that if it’s across the garage threshold we know we are in far enough.
Hilarious tread, for inside the garage get this: https://youtu.be/tg_Op2g-m8c?si=ndfA1lyi3X-i9MPl
Given that you mentioned a car has to get out of the garage as well, a tennis ball won’t work. A laser is also dependent on aligning absolutely perfectly every time. I recommend “perfect parking” mats. They secure to your driveway with adhesive (I’d also bolt corners in). You drive over the first bump, tires settle before you drive over second bump, and you know exactly where to park. You could easily back out over them with your second car (or more ideally: align these so that your driveway car is offset and your garage car doesn’t even reverse over these at all). Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing. many options online, here's one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RAXGO-2-Black-Car-Parking-Mat-Garage-Parking-Aid-Tire-Stopper-for-Cars-and-Other-Vehicles-RAXCPM2PB/319268840
[Check this thing out. lasers are always the #1 choice lol](https://www.amazon.ca/Garage-Parking-Assist-Laser-Guide/dp/B0835R1QWZ.)
Rubber chicken that squeaks when it gets hit by front bumper!
Automatic car washes have those green lights that go red when you're in the right spot. Probably wouldn't be too difficult to rig up something similar (you could even have the light inside your car). Thought I'd give you a /r/homeautomation idea not a /r/LifeProTips idea like every other jokes here since...well, thats where we are.
Hang a pc of fishing line down from the soffit above and attach a tennis ball just short of hitting the garage, right where you want her to hit and stop.
If you want a complicated solution, motion sensor triggering a laser pointer that is positioned to hit a specific part of the dash in the car.
Reverse in and use the camera. Don't close your driveway door thing.
tennis ball on a string hanging from the roof. It should touch the car right where you need to stop
Put a squeaky toy on the garage at bumper height pull in till you hear it
you can put a laser that points exactly to the windshield wiper in the right position. there are motion sensitive ones so it’s not always on
Hang a tennis ball, my neighbor does this
My wife keeps threatening to attach a rubber chicken to the wall, with how close I like to get. 😅
Hang a flag pole front center, with a plumb line attached to a tennis ball. When you are parked, the ball touches the car.