Side cargo door pros / cons

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Side cargo door pros / cons

Postby lfhoward » Sun May 13, 2018 2:32 pm

Hi all!

I am trying to decide whether it is worth it to install side cargo doors on my trailer. I designed it to have side doors, and I built them, but because of needing to make the trailer campable as soon as possible, I covered over the door openings when I skinned it.

The trailer prior to skinning:
Image

The doors:
Image

The trailer now:
Image

In the last year I moved from one house to another, and so I no longer have spare aluminum to be able to assemble and skin the doors before cutting into the trailer (unfortunately left my spare aluminum at the old house). If I were super careful, I imagine I could cut out aluminum rectangles from the trailer sides with my router and a flush cut bit, and then re-use those rectangular pieces of aluminum to skin the doors. However, if I made a mistake and ruined the aluminum, I wouldn't have a matching door skin. I'm also a bit nervous that if I did make doors there, I am introducing a location for potential leaks, where as now things are watertight. So, dear reader, please help me decide!

Pros: Go for it!
- Have better access to electronics such as the charger, inverter, fuse box, solar charger, etc.
- Better access for small equipment storage
- This was the plan all along.

Cons: No, wait!
- Could mess up all the aluminum I have left to make door skins
- Could introduce new leaks if the doors don't fit just right
- Would be hard to assemble and install doors in one day (thus keeping the trailer watertight and secure overnight)
- Could just insulate the door openings inside the trailer and call it good.
My off-road camper build on an M116A3 military chassis:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=62581
Tow vehicle: 2008 Jeep Liberty with a 4 inch lift.
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