Doors and windows: To Build or Buy?

[Calvin_Ford]

Is it better/easier/more cost efficient to build your own door or buy a door? What about windows? If buying is the better option who sells the best products at the best prices? If building is the better option has anyone offered plans on the site?

Thanks!

[Tomterrific]

I have a inexpensive camper. I made my own doors by cutting out the doors from the plywood sides. I used a 1x3 around the door edge spaced out about 3/4" and another 1x3 on the plywood side of the camper. Since this was a perfect fit, I merely put the door back in the door hole and installed the hinge then put the remaining 1x3's around the closed door. This made a laberenth seal, no leaks. I bought jalouise windows for a retro look and I like them. They shed rain when open. Google shed and playhouse windows for many interesting styles.

So, even though you can buy doors and make windows, I found it easier and more economical to make doors and buy windows.

I used aluminum siding J bead for a little gutter over the door. Talk about cheap, 10' for $4!

Tt

[tony.latham]

On three of my builds, I've installed Vintage's doors. They are expensive and other than cutting the opening and the installation process, they are zero labor.

On this current build, I'm rolling my own. With hinges, seals, latches and windows, they (and the door stops/seals) are about half as expensive and a heck of a lotta work.

Here's the detail on my doorstop and seals:



Superb ventilation is needed in a teardrop. That means two screened windows and a vent fan. I purchased my windows for my doors, from Vintage Technologies. Some budget-conscious folks make their own windows. Search for Wiley Window on this site. I think they are kinda funky and question the ventilation but that's just me looking at photos.

Tony

[TimC]

Hey Calvin. Welcome...

Tony is right, Wiley windows are kinda funky. That was my attraction to the design. That and the cost. Under $30 for the pair. Double strength glass being about 90% of that cost.

Tony is right about ventilation as well. I live way up north and typically camp farther north (yeah, I whine when temps go over 80f). I get good air flow through both, however, your experience will be based on your climate and preferences. Just like most of the rest of my build I would have preferred commercially made units if the cost was less... much less. It wasn't and going back to my dad's favorite saying; "You have more time than money ".

Regardless of your decision, as some very smart guy or gal said during my build, you won't regret purchasing well made commercially available parts down the road. I've fiddled and enhanced my Wileys since the td became road worthy. Are you up for that committment? My dad's saying remains true to this day. And I like to tinker.

Tim

[Sparksalot]

I built my own doors, to get the shape and material I wanted. I purchased windows from Grant before he retired, so have no idea where to find similar units today.

[working on it]

On three of my builds, I've installed Vintage's doors. They are expensive and other than cutting the opening and the installation process, they are zero labor.

On this current build, I'm rolling my own. With hinges, seals, latches and windows, they (and the door stops/seals) are about half as expensive and a heck of a lotta work.

Here's the detail on my doorstop and seals:



Superb ventilation is needed in a teardrop. That means two screened windows and a vent fan. I purchased my windows for my doors, from Vintage Technologies. Some budget-conscious folks make their own windows. Search for Wiley Window on this site. I think they are kinda funky and question the ventilation but that's just me looking at photos.

Tony

I have a inexpensive camper. I made my own doors by cutting out the doors from the plywood sides. I used a 1x3 around the door edge spaced out about 3/4" and another 1x3 on the plywood side of the camper. Since this was a perfect fit, I merely put the door back in the door hole and installed the hinge then put the remaining 1x3's around the closed door. This made a labyrinth seal, no leaks. I bought jalousie windows for a retro look and I like them. They shed rain when open...
So, even though you can buy doors and make windows, I found it easier and more economical to make doors and buy windows.

I used aluminum siding J bead for a little gutter over the door. Talk about cheap, 10' for $4! Tt

* My camper started out to be a "no/low budget" build, using whatever I could readily find locally, or re-purpose from parts on hand from other projects. I also decided to build it as a simple, angular squareback, using only straight cuts, and thick 3/4" plywood (with no insulation), so it would be very strong and easier? to construct. Certain design decisions I made (45 degree front sloped roofline, and a forward-of-normal door placement) made making my own doors a necessary choice. I cut them out from the sides, and used a method similar to Tony's, to seal them.

* As for using no windows in the doors: I enter the trailer headfirst, with my feet at the door end side, so windows there would've been subject to accidental contact, and possible breakage. And, I wanted awning-style windows placed up high (for more privacy, and security), so none could fit into the doors anyway. I tried making scale-model Wiley windows, but didn't like the way they worked, or looked, and finally bought the awning-style windows I had bookmarked as my first choice, 2 years before I bought them (the windows were bought/installed after the rest was 99% already finished). Here's the way I made and installed the doors and parts I used.

from another thread I used compression-type automotive doorseals, that I had leftover from restoring my old '69 Chevy C-10 pickup (I wish I still had it) in the late '90's. The seals are mounted on the 1/4" inner doorjambs of the oak bracing surrounding the solid 3/4" plywood doors (totally sealed with "the mix", and multiple coats of poly and paint), and the bottomside has an exterior doorsweep hanging down as a drip-edge, protecting the aluminum threshold there (no rubber seal there, just a wood/aluminum interface).

* Another thing about using those leftover seals from my truck restoration: they were really too thick to let the doors compress them and still remain flush with the sides, so I used scissors and cut about 1/4" width strips from the bulbs, nearest to the inner doorjamb, so they would still have plenty of rubber there, and fully compress. I nearly bought different ones, but the molded corners of the "factory-style" '67-72 Chevy C-10 door seals fit so nicely into the corners, that a little work on them was worth the effort.

[saywhatthat]

No better window than a Wiley window .One moveing part, lighter, Window glass can be a low costing cutting board . Temper glass. Can replace glass with something hard when storing are off- road. Will be posting How I make doors that won't warp, rot ,very light ."So easy a caveman could do it." (if you know where that came from your old) will start posting this week. foam under glass

[Tom&Shelly]

I bought Challenger doors for the teardrop we are building, rather than build the doors. If I'd waited until retirement, next year, to start building, I probably would have gone the other way on the "more time than money" premise.

Tom

[Calvin_Ford]

Thank you for all the responses, gentlemen. I'll be checking out the Wiley Windows.

Frustrating thing about this, I actually found a guy selling RV doors and windows on Craigslist. He seems to have exactly what I need and they are supposedly brand new. Better still he is selling them for a super low price ($75 doors and $10 windows. Has stacks of each... I know, I know, if it's too good to be true...) However, when I called him he told me he was only willing to meet M-F 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Makes me think he knows he has a commodity that people want and he can name his terms. Of course I work during those hours (as do most people) and even though I explained this to him he wouldn't budge. So, I will either have to build my own or wait until Labor Day to drive the two hours out to his place. I've yet to confirm that he'll be available on Labor Day so that might not even work!

Maybe between now and when I can get out to this guys place I will have already built what I need.

Thanks again, everyone!