Charging outside the garage

[Machinator]

These forums have been super helpful to me as a new user. I see the value now in plugging in every night and using departure times, especially when it’s cold. But between the stuff and my my wife’s car in the garage, it’s easier just to pull up parallel to the garage door and let the charging cable lay under the door. I laid a 2 x 4 on the ground to keep the door from closing all the way . However, this creates a little bit of a home security risk. So I jury rigged something to keep the door from being able to open further. On the Internet, there are all kinds of gadgets to protect your cable from garage doors. Some people even put a hole in their house wall, which is a no-go for me. Does anyone have a better way? And, is there any danger if it rains on the vehicle charger receptacle?

Sponsored

 

[HuntingPudel]

These forums have been super helpful to me as a new user. I see the value now in plugging in every night and using departure times, especially when it’s cold. But between the stuff and my my wife’s car in the garage, it’s easier just to pull up parallel to the garage door and let the charging cable lay under the door. I laid a 2 x 4 on the ground to keep the door from closing all the way . However, this creates a little bit of a home security risk. So I jury rigged something to keep the door from being able to open further. On the Internet, there are all kinds of gadgets to protect your cable from garage doors. Some people even put a hole in their house wall, which is a no-go for me. Does anyone have a better way? And, is there any danger if it rains on the vehicle charger receptacle?

My garage floor is four slabs on the ground. The slabs meed in a pattern that bisects the garage in length and width (basically, each is a quarter of the garage floor, and they're arranged 2x2). The "crack" between them is directly under the middle of the garage door and is large enough to swallow up my L2 cable, so I just lead it under the middle of the door in the crack. Since my brother parks parallel to my car, I also cut a groove in the slab on the side of the garage where he parks so the cable can go under the door there. Garage door closes fully and no leaks other than the slight depression in one of the slabs that has been there since the slab was poured (which leaves a puddle right under my T/A's fuel tank).

You wo not want water to get on the electrical receptacle. If it is exposed to the elements, you *need* to get a weather housing for it to prevent water from getting to it.

EDIT: Oops, when you wrote receptacle, I was thinking the AC mains receptacle. The car's charging port can get wet without issue. If it's snowing, you might want a snow boot to protect it.

 

[bshaw]

The vehicle can be charged outside in all types of weather. There is no danger or harm in doing so.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I use a hood to cover our charge port:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/product-review-macapuche-charge-port-cover.27977/

Right now the cable just runs under the garage door. It's my least favorite option, but I haven't found a better solution yet. We have a lot of rodents, so an opening at the base of the garage door is not an option. I'm building a workshop to move all the junk that's in the garage and we'll be parking the Mustang in the garage eventually.

But in the meantime, I'm still considering if there are options, for example I wouldn't mind a port in the wall:

EVSE ---> short extension <--|--> longer extension ---> Car when parked outside.
Wall

From my initial estimates, the cost to do this right would be more than a second EVSE, so I might just add another EVSE instead.

 

[Machinator]

These forums have been super helpful to me as a new user. I see the value now in plugging in every night and using departure times, especially when it’s cold. But between the stuff and my my wife’s car in the garage, it’s easier just to pull up parallel to the garage door and let the charging cable lay under the door. I laid a 2 x 4 on the ground to keep the door from closing all the way . However, this creates a little bit of a home security risk. So I jury rigged something to keep the door from being able to open further. On the Internet, there are all kinds of gadgets to protect your cable from garage doors. Some people even put a hole in their house wall, which is a no-go for me. Does anyone have a better way? And, is there any danger if it rains on the vehicle charger receptacle?

Thanks for all of these comments. A groove in the slab, I have not thought of that!

 

[generaltso]

Does anyone have a better way?

I recommend removing the “stuff” from the garage so you can park your car there.

 

[TheSteelRider]

These forums have been super helpful to me as a new user. I see the value now in plugging in every night and using departure times, especially when it’s cold. But between the stuff and my my wife’s car in the garage, it’s easier just to pull up parallel to the garage door and let the charging cable lay under the door. I laid a 2 x 4 on the ground to keep the door from closing all the way . However, this creates a little bit of a home security risk. So I jury rigged something to keep the door from being able to open further. On the Internet, there are all kinds of gadgets to protect your cable from garage doors. Some people even put a hole in their house wall, which is a no-go for me. Does anyone have a better way? And, is there any danger if it rains on the vehicle charger receptacle?

We have been doing this exact thing for 3 years now with no issues. I adjusted the garage door to not jam down directly on the concrete, but stop about 1/2 inch above. We just pull the cable under and close the door on the cable. YMMV.

 

[Machinator]

I recommend removing the “stuff” from the garage so you can park your car there.

You are right, that’s the only really good solution. It will take a few weeks.

 

[Machinator]

We have been doing this exact thing for 3 years now with no issues. I adjusted the garage door to not jam down directly on the concrete, but stop about 1/2 inch above. We just pull the cable under and close the door on the cable. YMMV.

I’m going to try this, adjusting the garage door, for at least a temporary solution.

 

[HuntingPudel]

I’m going to try this, adjusting the garage door, for at least a temporary solution.

Not sure about the rodents that live near you, but the ones here can squeeze under that 1/2” gap pretty easily.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I recommend removing the “stuff” from the garage so you can park your car there.

Yeah that's a pet peeve of mine too. People treat their garage like a storage shed and park their car outside. Car should get first priority to go in the garage IMO, junk is second to car parking. Then it cascades into parking in the driveway blocking the sidewalk, and then having to park in the street blocking the road and snowplows.

 

[jay1122]

why not just install it outside. My juicebox is installed in between 2 garage doors outside. I use it everyday to charge 2 cars. Been working fine for 2 years. I can't imagine installing it inside the garage and operate the annoy rolling gate every day.

 

[jay1122]

Yeah that's a pet peeve of mine too. People treat their garage like a storage shed and park their car outside. Car should get first priority to go in the garage IMO, junk is second to car parking. Then it cascades into parking in the driveway blocking the sidewalk, and then having to park in the street blocking the road and snowplows.

I have a neighbor that leaves the 2 car driveway empty and park the 2 cars off street. It wasn't like that before. But after the dude installed new paved driveway. He does not park on it anymore. At first I thought he wanted the drive way to settle. It has been 2 years now and he still leaves it empty. I keep wondering wdf is wrong with some people. It is like buying a new bed then you sleep on the floor.

 

[glenthompson]

Yeah that's a pet peeve of mine too. People treat their garage like a storage shed and park their car outside. Car should get first priority to go in the garage IMO, junk is second to car parking. Then it cascades into parking in the driveway blocking the sidewalk, and then having to park in the street blocking the road and snowplows.

Same for my wife and me. We wasn't the cards in the garage. Only exception is for temporary needs like when we remodeled our kitchen. The cabinet company used the garage for staging the new cabinets during installation.

Another quirk of ours is keeping the garage doors closed. Unless I'm actively working outside the door stays closed. I have neighbors that leave their doors open for hours at a time. I can understand it for some people with kids at home but we're in a 55+ community.

 

[kodiakng]

Yeah that's a pet peeve of mine too. People treat their garage like a storage shed and park their car outside. Car should get first priority to go in the garage IMO, junk is second to car parking. Then it cascades into parking in the driveway blocking the sidewalk, and then having to park in the street blocking the road and snowplows.

Sponsored