Latch for Galley Hatch

[Belmo]

I'm getting closer to being done, and I am thinking about something that I want some opinions about, especially opinions from people who have used a TD a bunch. It's about the latch for the galley hatch door.

All along, I've been planning on using the standard deal, like in the first picture, which is basically a slight modification of what is in almost every garage door in the country. But after thinking about it, I don't know that I like that setup: the rods that I've seen, the round metal things that will go into the wall of the camper to keep it closed, seem pretty flimsy to me, the installation is a hassle, and if your TD ever settles, even a little, the rods may no longer line up with the holes.

So I've been thinking about doing it differently, of using Jeep truck latches, like the ones in the second picture, on the outside, one on each side of the galley hatch door. These are VERY sturdy, very cheap, are made to withstand the rigors of being outside (they're made to be put on the outside of a car), and will be a piece of cake to install. And I think they look like they will work better for what I want to do.

I understand that the Jeep latches cannot be locked, but I don't really care about security: if someone wants to go into my galley when I'm there, the only thing they're going to get is practice. I just want something that will keep the hatch closed, securely, when we're not around or (and this is the important part) when we're towing it.

Does anyone with TD experience have any thoughts? The best suggestion will with the Kensington & Allegheny lottery: a dollar a year for a million years.

Thanks for reading.

[linuxmanxxx]

Use those and add a locking normal padlock hasp in the center for securing while stored.
Steve

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

[TimC]

+1 on the rubber latches. I have had two on my hatch since 2015 and they still hold well and show no sign of wear or deterioration. And +1 on the hasp addition. It's a simple way to lock it up. If there is nothing inside worth stealing don't bother. Less damage if some nefarious person happens to need to look inside. I don't lock mine...

Tim

[David H.]

Look at popup trailer latches. They are all metal,adjustable, and can accept a padlock. 12$ a pair

[MickinOz]

I used these. $20.50 Australian. So about $15 US today.
Modified the hook to go around the corner. Worked fine.
Bought some tamper resistant screws to go in at the lastmoment, after paint, adjustments etc.

Latch 2.JPG (76.84 KiB) Viewed 1646 times

Latches.JPG (114.1 KiB) Viewed 1646 times

[MickinOz]

P.S. nothing wrong with those things in the second picture of the first post. They've been keeping Landcruiser hoods shut since 1941 and, in Outback Oz, all other 4WDs are measured against the Landcruiser. Of course, the first Landcruiser was modeled on an American Jeep they captured in the Phillipines.

[working on it]

* For latching a standard teardrop hatch, the Jeep-style hood latches would be fine, coupled with lockable hasps for security. Since my squareback trailer has a completely vertical hatch, I figured a set of double-hinged hasps would be enough, but eventually the single sheet of 3/4" plywood (that my hatch is cut from) pulled away from the side-seals enough to allow dust in while on-road. S I added a pair of 90 degree draw latches near the bottom, and later a second pair higher-up, to finally keep the hatch closed all the way.

* The hasps were/are great for security, with two large padlocks installed, but didn't allow any tightening-up, later on. The smaller 90 degree draw latches have a springiness to their design, which allows them to be drawn more tightly together than the hasp, and still be easy to fasten or release. They are lockable too (though only with tiny locks, and a release pin that allows them to be closed securely, even without a lock attached.

hasp & latches added to hold hatch tightly closed.jpg (189.7 KiB) Viewed 1618 times