by Duane King » Sat Jan 26, 2008 9:27 am
Some people use pistons to help raise and hold their galley hatch. (Just like the rear door of a mini-van). Many people use poles or sticks to prop their hatch. I'm not sure how far along you are on your build, but I would suggest that whatever method you ultimately use, you take the time to engineer it properly before skinning your rear hatch. The best time to check for exact hole placement is before the hatch is even built. You could make a pattern of the profile of the lid and then do some trial and error testing to get the perfect drill points or anchor points for whatever you choose to use. With this pattern up in the air, you will know exactly how much room you will have to stand under your hatch. Then as you proceed to build your hatch, before it is skinned, you can place the hatch into place and check the fit and clearance of everything in your galley. This can be a little tricky since most hinge systems are applied last over the finished skin of the hatch. So if you pre-fit a hatch that is only framework, it will not be hinged to the trailer. But I think being able to see through the door frame to maximize storage in the galley while also avoiding geometry errors is very important.
Perhaps someone else could post a link to piston-type lifting hardware and discuss some of the pros and cons of this type of door hardware?
As for me, on my trailer I copied the simple sliding brace that is used by Camp-Inn on their teardrops. Like most things on their trailer, the design is elegantly simple and reliable. Check out their web-site for pictures and a little video of how it works.
Good luck
Duane King
<img src="http://www.mikenchell.com/images/roadhouse.jpg" >