Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Any advice on an alternative to the Hurricane Hinge, which seems to be the gold standard in terms of hinging the hatch.

I've looked into getting one online but with our short timeline and being in Northern Ontario just getting it would be awful... just the cost of shipping alone would blow our budget!

I was thinking maybe a piano hinge and weather proofing it but haven't heard much about it.

Thanks for your input in advance.
CJ

The old Hunter Teardrop used a Piano Hinge with about a quarter-inch thick rubber cover held in place with a drain channel strip on the teardrop and another one on the hatch. It worked well if the rubber piece went all the way to the sides for the water to flow down the sides. I don't have a picture, do not have the teardrop anymore, and can't help more than mentioning it. Maybe someone else can. Correction: it does show somewhat in two of my gallery pictures- Butthut and Butthut at Bryce when enlarged.

Jim B / Utah

Yeap piano hinge! Rubber over them and done. I paid less for my 2 rv windows off ebay than a hurricane hinge costs. They are the "best" but not the only option.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I used a pvc type hinge. Little challenging keeping the puckering down but no complaints. Going on 3rd season.

I used one of the plastic living hinges on my tongue box. After four years it's starting to crack despite the manufacturer's claim of UV resistance and -40 (or whatever) temperature.

I'll be replacing it with a hurricane.

T

Kaz wrote:I used a pvc type hinge. Little challenging keeping the puckering down but no complaints. Going on 3rd season.

Good idea!
Thanks all

Kaz wrote:I used a pvc type hinge. Little challenging keeping the puckering down but no complaints. Going on 3rd season.

Any coating or covering?

Mind revealing brand/supplier?

Thanks!

I split a bicycle inner tube, glued first half ,added continuous hinge, then added second layer of tubing. Has not leaked in
over 12 years

QueticoBill wrote:

Kaz wrote:I used a pvc type hinge. Little challenging keeping the puckering down but no complaints. Going on 3rd season.

Any coating or covering?

Mind revealing brand/supplier?

Thanks![/quote

think I got it from Mcmaster Carr

The one I bought was from McMaster Carr too. It was rated from -40 to 180º.

"Gray Polyolefin Plastic Polyolefin plastic resist salt water, oil, solvents, and UV rays."

Four years and failure.

Tony

tony.latham wrote:The one I bought was from McMaster Carr too. It was rated from -40 to 180º.

"Gray Polyolefin Plastic Polyolefin plastic resist salt water, oil, solvents, and UV rays."

Four years and failure.

Tony

UV or just physical wear or both?

QueticoBill wrote:

tony.latham wrote:The one I bought was from McMaster Carr too. It was rated from -40 to 180º.

"Gray Polyolefin Plastic Polyolefin plastic resist salt water, oil, solvents, and UV rays."

Four years and failure.

Tony

UV or just physical wear or both?

Good question. It sits in the sun full time. It can't have been flexed that many times. A couple three times when camping and twice a month in the winter to check the battery voltage.

Tony

I don't know how it compares overall but a "sun hat" might be a possibility. A "flap" that flexes with hatch opening or maybe even a coating, or of course the strip of inner tube noted above.

Interesting now that I look at McMaster Carr- they have several different materials including one intended to be UV resistant. https://www.mcmaster.com/#piano-hinges/=18omt3r

Though the widest -which is 1 1/2" on each side or 3" overall - is in the same price ballpark as the classic aluminum, based on available lengths. Need slightly over 5' so sort of $80+ versus $100+ but shipping could skew this.

Thank you.

CalJanKoz wrote:Any advice on an alternative to the Hurricane Hinge, which seems to be the gold standard in terms of hinging the hatch.

I've looked into getting one online but with our short timeline and being in Northern Ontario just getting it would be awful... just the cost of shipping alone would blow our budget!

I was thinking maybe a piano hinge and weather proofing it but haven't heard much about it.

Thanks for your input in advance.
CJ

CalJanKoz, I'm going the piano hinge and weather proofing route. After many hours of research I finally found a beefy piano hinge available in Canada. Try Faucher.ca not only did they have .061" thick 3" wide piano hinge, the price was very reasonable for a 6 ft length. So much so I bought two and plan to use the extra for the interior! They also have all kinds of latches and teardrop hardware that I was only able to find in the US until I found their site. Just a thought for you and others if you go the piano hinge route.

I'm trying to understand something here......If not going with a Hurricane Hinge (supposedly weatherproof, in and of itself), why the fixation on a piano hinge? I'm not criticizing, I just don't understand the rational. If you have to provide a layer of sealing material ( bicycle tube, a strip of rubber roofing,canvas covered fire hose, etc), why not use standard stainless (or even brass) door hinges? The sealing process is the same, and the mounting and alignment should be much easier. I'm getting ready to do my hatch by that method, and I wonder if I'm missing something here.........JD