Given the right circumstances, any door can leak. I sealed my home-built doors with automotive doorseals ('67-72 Chevy pickup seals), held in tight compression; one seal leaked after sitting directly under the spot my canopy chose to constantly drip (pour?) water during a 3-day monsoon. I was away from my trailer for 12 hours, or I would've noticed it. Returning just at dark, I opened the door on the other side (totally high and dry), to find two inches of standing water in the trailer. Fortunately, my sealed floor, and rubber/carpet flooring were not damaged, as I tilted my trailer, and directed most of the water out my main door. My two foam mattresses were both dry, wrapped in plastic covers, and only the rubber/carpet flooring was wet. I sealed the leaking door with duct tape (the good HVAC foil stuff), until I could fix the leak at home. It seems I had a 1/4" gap where the seal met the floor threshold. Water will find a way in!IndyTom wrote:.... Guess I will have to figure out the not leaking thing as I go along.
SwiftRiver wrote:This is from one of my other posts and I was wondering if yall wanted to weigh in. Might be an affordable way to not make your own.
So as you all know, premade doors for teardrops are ungodly expensive. I was looking on ebay for them and this came across my radar.
It is a cargo door for a larger RV. Its dimensions are 28x40 and it is 2 inches thick. I was thinking that I could replace the handle with an RV latch and install it as my main door. Over all it would save more than $150. I know it doesn't have a window, but maybe we can put a peep hole in.
Esteban wrote:Rough estimates for material costs to build a single teardrop door:
1. Window & trim ring: $90 to $150 teardroptrailerparts.com
2. Door handle & lock: $25 to $32 teardroptrailerparts.com/door-handles or etrailer.com/Trailer+Door+Locks
3. Hinges: $23 (2 hinges) Polar Flush Hinge - Stainless Steel from etrailer.com
4. Door seals: $8 to $10 teardroptrailerparts.com/door---hatch-seals
5. 3/4" Plywood: $10 to $15 (part of a 4' x 8' sheet)
6. Alumunum Skin: not estimated
7. Aluminum trim: est. $50 teardroptrailerparts.com/---aluminum-trim
8. Misc.: (screws, sealants, varnish, misc. supplies, shipping costs, sales taxes) $15 to $50
9. Total estimated cost to build one door: $221 to $330 (plus unknown cost of aluminum skin)
The estimates do not include the value of your time or the cost of tools that may be needed to build a door.
KTM_Guy wrote:Esteban wrote:Rough estimates for material costs to build a single teardrop door:
1. Window & trim ring: $90 to $150 teardroptrailerparts.com
2. Door handle & lock: $25 to $32 teardroptrailerparts.com/door-handles or etrailer.com/Trailer+Door+Locks
3. Hinges: $23 (2 hinges) Polar Flush Hinge - Stainless Steel from etrailer.com
4. Door seals: $8 to $10 teardroptrailerparts.com/door---hatch-seals
5. 3/4" Plywood: $10 to $15 (part of a 4' x 8' sheet)
6. Alumunum Skin: not estimated
7. Aluminum trim: est. $50 teardroptrailerparts.com/---aluminum-trim
8. Misc.: (screws, sealants, varnish, misc. supplies, shipping costs, sales taxes) $15 to $50
9. Total estimated cost to build one door: $221 to $330 (plus unknown cost of aluminum skin)
The estimates do not include the value of your time or the cost of tools that may be needed to build a door.
I came up with similar numbers. I tried to justify building doors but just can't. Add to that I get a few hours a night 2-3 nights a week and one day on the weekends to work on the tear it would take a month just to build two doors.
Todd
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