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Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 9:47 am
by NorthEGPhoto
Specifically the people doors. Seems the concensus is to use something like freezer hinges, but one thing that bothers the heck out of me is security. Probably not a real concern, but humor my OCD for a minute.

Has anyone tried using, internal style hinges?

like this:

https://www.amazon.ca/Ranbo-Adjustable- ... side+hinge

My concern is some screwdriver bandit. Yes, i'm insane. because I know if I wanted to break into a trailer or shed, that'd be my tool of choice.

anyone else have another work-around for screwdriver bandits taking out your hinge screws? I don't really like my odds at installing those internal style hinges.. they look like a major PITA to install, insulate, and waterproof.

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:02 am
by linuxmanxxx
Do a piano hinge completely hidden only the rotating part outside.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 10:41 am
by wysedav
You could use tamper proof screws. I think the big benefit for using externally mounted hinges is they will be much easier to install. You miss out on that with a piano hinge or internal hinges so your door may not be perfectly aligned.

David

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 11:13 am
by Jeepnick
wysedav wrote:You could use tamper proof screws.


Ditto. These will eliminate the "crime of opportunity" that philips head screws on exterior hinges would create. I'm even using them on my hurricane hinges because I can. McMaster and Grainger both sell a wide variety.

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 12:03 pm
by NorthEGPhoto
I was just thinking I could probably use carriage bolts as well. Thanks for the ideas folks.

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 1:27 pm
by Juneaudave
It really is a good observation about the hinges. Someone attempted to break into my trailer by removing the hinge screws, but fortunately, their screwdriver just stripped the last screws and they were unsuccessful. The reality is that it wouldn't be hat hard to break into most teardrops if a person was determined.....bust a window, pop a lock, or take a pry bar to it.

:x Thieves are the worst.

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 8:24 am
by aggie79
I see two problems with those hinges:
1. The mortises required to install the hinges would be very hard to produce and to keep aligned.
2. I can't see how you could provide seals and/or weatherproof the door with these type of hinges.

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:45 pm
by Sparksalot
I've always looked at it as if the window was the easy access point, even with external hinges.

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 7:37 am
by NorthEGPhoto
So, i've decided to KISS, and use nice strong gate hinges. I'll keep anything most people might want to abscond with inside my car, or inside the trailer when I'm there anyhow. Not sure what I'm worried about, I used to keep that stuff inside my tent sometimes before.

Still have a bit of fear about trying to mount the door latch, since it is a nice inset one designed for campers.. but I have plenty of left-over materials to burn so doing a few trials should be just fine.

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 8:55 am
by working on it
Sparksalot wrote:I've always looked at it as if the window was the easy access point, even with external hinges.
  • That's one of the reasons I never wanted a pre-built door on my TTT...the second reason was to avoid the easily pried-open door lock/latch that they have. The third reason was that by using a separate window, high up on the side, then there would be less chance of accidental (or purposeful, by a would be thief)) breakage, due to contact while sleeping (I toss 'n turn). The last reason was that I was covertly building the trailer, unseen by the wife, on a low/no budget (two $300+ doors would've been an impossibility to buy, w/o her seeing that in the bank statement).
  • When I was first building it, it was to be used by the wife, on camping trips with her Bigfoot group, and I wanted it to be super-secure. So, 3/4" thick doors, cut-out from the side profile, were sure to be pretty strong, and nearly impossible to shatter/break-thru. I already had doorseals on hand, for a '67-'72 Chevy pickup, leftover from a re-build (bought two sets, used the best ones on the truck, and had these left). So, I made an inner stop/flange for the seals, glued/stapled them in place (after trimming a bit off, to decrease their thickness), and made a compression sealed door with them. http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=67837&hilit=+door+seal#p1195509
  • Strong doors needed strong hinges, secure hardware attaching them, and secure locking points. Gate hardware, attached with stainless carriage bolts, were my choice.
  • I use Jeep-style gate hinges, powder-coated? black, available at any big-box store, were my choice, They were very strong, durable, with nylon bushings for quiet use and low wear. I used three on each door (and on my vertically-hung hatch door), for extra resistance against ever sagging ((if you ever had an old Camaro, you'll know what that's like). The hinges were installed with the smooth carriage bolt head of some bolts, facing the exterior, so no one could easily unbolt it, and decorative acorn nuts on the other bolts. The latches chosen were also gate pieces, modified to make them latch very tightly, attached in a similar fashion. The two latches (on each door) can be padlocked shut, or open (so nobody could lock you in), while a drop-bar door latch system I fabricated, secures the door when inside.
  • hatch hinge.jpg
    hatch hinge.jpg (168.99 KiB) Viewed 1447 times
  • Re: the window placement, and attachment...the windows are high up, to make them harder to enter (or break & grab thru) from outside, small enough (15"x 18"), to make entry more difficult, and are installed using a pair of security-head bolts, in addition to the normal screws. I experimented with window placement, using a template inside and outside, until I determined the best position (where it's hard to see or reach inside, and while inside, I only needed to sit up to see out).
  • trying to find ideal window placement using template.jpg
    trying to find ideal window placement using template.jpg (100.62 KiB) Viewed 1447 times

Re: Hinging the Doors

PostPosted: Wed Jul 04, 2018 8:34 pm
by pchast
the hinge side can be reinforced by swinging onto pins that fit into the door and the frame.
the pins would hold the door into the frame NOT the hinges.