You could roll the wheel rims along a widish timber piece to get the weight off the rims and the ground. Sort of wooden railway tracks.

That's a good point regarding the force concentrated on tiny metal points...true.

Spoken further to Cameron at AL. He reckons customers have either had metal discs fabricated with spacers to do it or small wheels.

Thin tracks of sheet steel could also be made for the rims to roll on.

I think that if I believe I have a fighting chance albeit with having to address snags I would do it and in fact I think I am at that point?

It might mean just enough to get it over that threshold with appropriate tilting once in....a hassle, yes, but if it was only twice a year, I'd do it.

My current van has sat outside for maybe 16 years. It's a 1994. Along the way it's suffered significant water ingress which I have successfully tackled but would rather have not have had to. Annually it needed it's serious clean to remove algae but in addition...there's nowhere discrete to park it which is not a preferred "look" of mine.

Winter storage out of sight and weather is the goal.

If I ever sort this successfully, I promise to report with measurements.

Thanks again.

:-)

Richard

Ps. I really like the long benches of the 420 but a 430GT might be available so open to that.

...and sorry, missed that message Frantone.....yes, that's what I was tanking.

Also,

Spoke to another Eriba user who deflates his tyres to do it and reckons he achieves 10cms this way alone.


Also,

Another retailer said the high spot in the roof is at the leading edge of the rear part of the pop up roof which again, could make things easier by tilting.

Richard

Try emailing Towsure,with your dimensions and intention to reduce height to fit in a garage, they sell all sorts of trailer and caravan spare wheels with tyres or without.

Highmiler.

have found something called CARASTORE wheels on line, which only seem to be available in Australia, but you could maybe try something like these made here, they have solid tyres and are made especially for reducing the height of the van and parking in a garage.

Highmiler.

Sorry that should have been CARASTOW.

Highmiler.

Yes,

Thanks for that...I did see those parking wheels available in Australia. It shows that the is a need.

The Towsure link is a very good idea. They would know what wheels could be substituted for height reduction.

Temporary hold.

I had a van lined up but was unable to complete.

It's going to be difficult...I don't know if there's a van in Northern Ireland I can even inspect...

We have to identify a van and go to the mainland to buy...aaaach.

Thanks to everyone.

Richard

Resurrecting this link, because I need to fit my Triton in my garage - and it's nearly there in height... Does anyone know if "old" Mini 10" wheels will fit on a 2005 (4 stud) Eriba?

Would it possible to source an old set of wheels with tyres and simply deflate them to get the van into the garage? The old wheels are sacrificial so the damage is not an issue it might give enough room especially on an older Triton.

Yes, a good idea. I think that may be another good approach - does anyone know a cheap source of standard steel Eriba wheels? Do they match any cheap road going wheels? Not sure if a Metro's wheels will be easy to obtain - they are probably viewed as a classic now...

Aha! I have now found the other link to 10" wheels and see I had misread it as Metro and not Mefro...

So, if I buy 145/80 tyres on 10" trailer rims the overall diameter is 486mm/19.1" fully inflated. The 13" wheels on my 2005 Triton have a fully inflated diameter of 590mm/23.2".

That should mean a reduction of 100mm overall - thus 50mm of caravan height lowering. Hmmm - not enough - I really need 150mm height reduction to be sure of clearing the electric door panels...

If I lower the tyre pressures to (nominal) zero, that could probably gain me a further 120mm of sidewall height? I think I have worked that out correctly... a total height reduction of 150mm, maybe more. Excellent.

Just lowering my road going tyres to zero pressure would gain me an overall height reduction of max 100mm/120mm, So, marginal. Just fitting a set of standard 13" rims without tyres won't work either.

So, it looks like 10" wheels are the way to go - as long as the suspension mounting allows for that much height reduction...

I'm thinking I could weld a continuous strip of steel around the wheel and cover it in self adhesive rubber strips (if necessary). I must pop to the storage unit and measure the suspension clearance...

I'm not planning to use the garage until next winter, so plenty of time to plan. Despite the cover we suffered a leak on the front top trim, which has messed up quite a bit of the previously smooth interior finish. All was fine until the last couple of months.