Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I am down to making the hatch. Please take a look at the way that I am planning to attach my hatch and tell me if you see any glitches that I may not have thought of.

The hatch will be attached via a rod (clothes closet rod) that will be fed through U-clamps (conduit attachment brackets). The Tear's main body ceiling will overlap the galley at the main body/galley transition point and the gap will have a door seal along it width.

The hatch "should" pivot about the rod when it is opened or closed.

Has anybody tried this before and what were the pros and cons?


Thanks.

Todah

...in the drawing you have shown, the body come too far down over the hatch(past the pivot point) and will not work...make that adjustment and it would probably work......
madjack

Thanks for the quick response MadJack!

The way I see it, you will need to end the body extension to just about the far (lower) edge of the closet rod, in order to open the hatch to about a 45 degree elevation, otherwise it will bind. If I were doing it, I would end it at the middle of the rod, just to avoid those "if only I had cut it just a little bit shorter" type problems. Other than that, it should work.

Doc, iff'n it where me, I would end it BEFORE it even got to the rod so as to eleiminate ANY binding issues......

I see leakage problems at the notch on each end... I also agree the top overlap should perhaps end above the rod.. a simple desk top experiment should give you the information that you need...

You may be able to use a rubber flap over the join that is attach to the roof side & loose over the hatch.

Tadah,, something very very similar was tried by one of our guys down south,, you ask how it worked out,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"NOT TO GOOD",,,,,,,,,

now you may have better luck but with this being one of the important seals to keep the elements out, I believe I would stick closer to the good ole tried and true,,

just my opinion,,

chipper

I spent weeks trying to figure out a different way to do the hatch hinge. I ended up buying a hinge from Grant. I figured it was a proven method & why mess with that.

The notch on each end is why I have the ceiling overlaping so much (I need to rethink the need for the notches.) I figured tucking the hinge mechanism under the ceiling would eliminate the worry of having so many screw holes to seal from the outside. I also wanted to use something that I did not have to order.

You've given me alot to take back to the drawing board. The experience of having a community of knowlegeable peolple lend guidance has been fabulous!

Thanks,

Todah

Rather than closet rod, I would consider using 3/4" galvanized pipe. You can install those flat circle screwy end pieces to the side walls and pivot the hatch around the static pipe. This would provide additional structural strength up top. Even if the pipe itself rotated, I would use galv. pipe instead of wood.

I would worry, if you was using the galley while it was raining, the water would just pour right into the galley.

I think by the time you bought the stuff to make it work you would be close to what you would have paid to get a hurricane hinge. I got a 5'hinge from Grant for $57 Shipping was included.