Help, I hung my door too low...

[dancam]

So i made a mistake and hung my one door too low. I cant exactly put the screws for the hinges in 1/8th higher. So what would be your suggestions for a different sealing method? Or somehow moving the door?




My inner door is perfect, not sure why i messed up the outer one...

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[John61CT]

Into steel? Brazing the holes maybe easier than cutting in a new piece.

Then again, there are amazing adhesives these days, try 3M VHB tape?

[working on it]

So i made a mistake and hung my one door too low. I cant exactly put the screws for the hinges in 1/8th higher. So what would be your suggestions for a different sealing method? Or somehow moving the door?

I might have a solution for you, not a conventional one for teardrops, but it has worked for my application: from another thread
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=68383

Do you think the door bottom can be too low? This is of course can be constrained by the door height, but if that is not set, what are the negatives of it being lower, particularly home built doors?

• The OP was asking about door height using pre-made Challenger doors, which I assume come mounted in a full perimeter frame. With that in mind, there would have to be a wall surface of sufficient height above the trailer frame to bolt/screw the doorframe to. That would limit how low the door can be. In QueticoBill's case, and the same goes for my trailer, the doors can go lower, either resting on the trailer frame (I assume using a water-resistant threshold) or at least a door sweep, to deter water intrusion. A standard rubber weatherstrip wouldn't work, in a small TD or TTT, because of contact with an occupant's derriere, when entering or exiting thru a short door (especially in a 4x8). Larger door sizes, in a standy or cargo conversion, would pose no need to enter while sitting down, so a full perimeter doorseal could be used.
• doors go to wall bottom, 3/4" above frame (resting on floor)

• 

  door sweep and threshold.PNG (111.45 KiB) Viewed 1419 times

  pieces used in lieu of full perimeter doorseal

• 

  door and automotive seal.png (258.52 KiB) Viewed 1419 times

  upper door uses rubber seal not possible at floor

I neglected to point out that my solid 3/4" plywood doors are tightly sealed by the automotive seals ('67-'72 Chevy truck doorseals, cut and trimmed to fit) on top & sides, and the door bottom is forced over the aluminum threshold, without a rubber seal, so tightly (so tightly that I use a kickplate to cover the spot on the door, where I use my knee to forcibly seal it), there is no possible water intrusion point...I made sure to seal the end-grain on the door, and re-seal it with more polyurethane each year. The door sweep is just a safeguard against wind-driven rain, and deters surface-tension from directing water to the threshold area.

kickplate, for knee-ing the door shut.jpg (80.46 KiB) Viewed 1409 times

with my bad knees, I probably shouldn't knee my doors shut

[featherliteCT1]

Could you remove the hinge, drill new holes in the hinge for the door side of the hinge, raise the door, and screw the hinge back onto the door so the the new holes are far enough away from the old holes to get a good bite?

[pchast]

How did you build the doors? You can move the hinges depending
on how large the support is for them. You can always fill the screw
holes and drill new ones if needed too...

[dancam]

Thanks for all the replies!

Into steel? Brazing the holes maybe easier than cutting in a new piece.

Then again, there are amazing adhesives these days, try 3M VHB tape?

The doors and walls are wood.
3m tape to hold the hinges on you mean?

So i made a mistake and hung my one door too low. I cant exactly put the screws for the hinges in 1/8th higher. So what would be your suggestions for a different sealing method? Or somehow moving the door?

I might have a solution for you, not a conventional one for teardrops, but it has worked for my application: from another thread
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=68383

Do you think the door bottom can be too low? This is of course can be constrained by the door height, but if that is not set, what are the negatives of it being lower, particularly home built doors?

• The OP was asking about door height using pre-made Challenger doors, which I assume come mounted in a full perimeter frame. With that in mind, there would have to be a wall surface of sufficient height above the trailer frame to bolt/screw the doorframe to. That would limit how low the door can be. In QueticoBill's case, and the same goes for my trailer, the doors can go lower, either resting on the trailer frame (I assume using a water-resistant threshold) or at least a door sweep, to deter water intrusion. A standard rubber weatherstrip wouldn't work, in a small TD or TTT, because of contact with an occupant's derriere, when entering or exiting thru a short door (especially in a 4x8). Larger door sizes, in a standy or cargo conversion, would pose no need to enter while sitting down, so a full perimeter doorseal could be used.
• doors go to wall bottom, 3/4" above frame (resting on floor)
• door sweep and threshold.PNG
  pieces used in lieu of full perimeter doorseal
• door and automotive seal.png
  upper door uses rubber seal not possible at floor

I neglected to point out that my solid 3/4" plywood doors are tightly sealed by the automotive seals ('67-'72 Chevy truck doorseals, cut and trimmed to fit) on top & sides, and the door bottom is forced over the aluminum threshold, without a rubber seal, so tightly (so tightly that I use a kickplate to cover the spot on the door, where I use my knee to forcibly seal it), there is no possible water intrusion point...I made sure to seal the end-grain on the door, and re-seal it with more polyurethane each year. The door sweep is just a safeguard against wind-driven rain, and deters surface-tension from directing water to the threshold area.

kickplate, for knee-ing the door shut.jpg

with my bad knees, I probably shouldn't knee my doors shut

Thats an interesting idea! Ill have to give it some more thought. 2 things make it more challenging on my trailer than yours. One is mine is at the back so i have to worry about dust and road spray water from the tires. Second is that this is the outer half of my pop up trailer. It lifts up to sleep in, to travel it goes down and seals ob weatherstripping when i latch it down. So there is some movement over bumps and the bottom of my wall is obiously not solidly attached. Even now with just a really snug seal the bottom of the wall wants to kick out when i close the door, i have to hold the wall as i close the door...
Is this the aluminum at the bottom of your door?

Could you remove the hinge, drill new holes in the hinge for the door side of the hinge, raise the door, and screw the hinge back onto the door so the the new holes are far enough away from the old holes to get a good bite?

I briefly considered that before asking here and decided no, because when bouncing down the road the door would probably come back down. However, i should find out what these hinges are made of. Perhaps i could slot the holes down and weld up the old part of the holes so it cand move.
Thanks!

How did you build the doors? You can move the hinges depending
on how large the support is for them. You can always fill the screw
holes and drill new ones if needed too...

Doors are plywood layers frame with foam in the middle. So the hinge screws are going into the end of 5 laminated sheets of plywood. Not the strongest for screws, but an easy way to build a door... to move the screw holes they would only be moving 3/4 of a screw hole width and i wouldnt trust it.

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[Nodrog]

Hey Dancam- I think what the poster above is suggesting is to move the hinges on the frame or wall and the door both, everything gets new holes. Move both a cm but put the door in the right place when you rehang it! Will that work or what did I miss? You must be getting the trailer done? Later...Nodrog

[John61CT]

OK didn't get wood frame, just cut out the segment and glue a filler block.

Screwing into the **edge** of plywood?

Doesn't sound stable long-term to me?

[bc toys]

get some golf tees and glue them in the old holes hammer them in tight let dry cut off excess and raise door and resrew it where you want it to be

[tony.latham]

get some golf tees and glue them in the old holes hammer them in tight let dry cut off excess and raise door and resrew it where you want it to be

Exactly. You might scratch some grooves into them first and slather with epoxy.

T

[Woodbutcher]

Is there a reason you can't cut an eighth of an inch off the bottom of the door and reseal it?

[dancam]

Hey Dancam- I think what the poster above is suggesting is to move the hinges on the frame or wall and the door both, everything gets new holes. Move both a cm but put the door in the right place when you rehang it! Will that work or what did I miss? You must be getting the trailer done? Later...Nodrog

Oh, i see. When you said that i went to look at the door and realized that while i had enough room to do that when the door was closed my overhang saggs a bit and the door might rub it when open if i did that. :/ this wouod have been the best plan though.

OK didn't get wood frame, just cut out the segment and glue a filler block.

Screwing into the **edge** of plywood?

Doesn't sound stable long-term to me?

Yeah, not the best, but hopefully it works

get some golf tees and glue them in the old holes hammer them in tight let dry cut off excess and raise door and resrew it where you want it to be

Is there a reason you can't cut an eighth of an inch off the bottom of the door and reseal it?

I really didnt want to. I was scared of it chipping and didnt want to reseal it in fear of it not getting completely sealed. Its what i ended up doing though. Chipped some massive splinters off so now my nice door is ugly. Sealed the bottom with the mix. Once thats dry i will use wood filler on the spintered areas and then paint it.


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[REIGNSS]

FYI, masking or painters tape applied over the area you're cutting does wonders to keep wood from splintering

[Jiminsav]

my question is, why do you have an inner and outer door...you building a Masonic teardrop?

[dancam]

my question is, why do you have an inner and outer door...you building a Masonic teardrop?

Lol, its a pop up trailer

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