Hurricane Hinge question and headliner/hatch.

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Hurricane Hinge question and headliner/hatch.

Postby shannonswyatt » Sat Apr 29, 2023 4:33 pm

I'm in the process of construction, I should have the skeleton sides done this weekend and start on the floor next week. The only real issue right now is the wood for the headliner and inside hatch. I'm good for the outside, but I'm stumped on the inside and the inside of the hatch. I have found Okoume (4+ hour round trip), but I would rather not go that far if someone has an alternative that would work as a 1/8 inch sheet option. HD has some Luan, but if Baltic Birch is normally B/BB, I would say it is D/M. The only option with that would be to paint it, but in the headliner I would worry about it delaminating from just respiration as bad as it that stuff looks. Sheets of it had delamination on the edges stored indoors.

The second thing is the Hurricane Hinge. I was getting ready to order one and I found out that there is more than one type of Hurricane Hinge on Vintage Techs page, and I found this one on Overland trailer. https://overlandtrailer.com/product/hur ... tch-hinge/ The difference in price doesn't really matter, but does it matter as far as preventing leaks at the hinge?
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Re: Hurricane Hinge question and headliner/hatch.

Postby Mark Gunter » Sat May 13, 2023 8:39 am

The three types of hurricane hinge at Vintage Technologies are really all the same hinge construction, the differences are that one is a flush mount (top of camper & top of hatch skin will be in the same plane), one is offset so that each will be offset in different planes, the third ships with a metal bar that works with the flush type hinge to create a 3/8” offset and is used with his own system of aluminun trims and seals.

The one from Overland is a bit different, it has a curl across it to act as a rain gutter, otherwise the design is pretty much the same. I think the one with the gutter is better. Unfortunately, my standy build is much wider than a teardrop, and I couldn’t get one long enough from them, so I went with the Vintage Tech hinge. I needed 89-1/2”
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Re: Hurricane Hinge question and headliner/hatch.

Postby tony.latham » Sat May 13, 2023 10:29 am

Someone once wrote this in a book about building teardrops:

The box stores sell a thin generic plywood called luan (or lauan) produced in several Asian countries. The term typically refers to 1/4” or, less commonly, 1/8” thick plywood. Historically, it was made for interior door sheathing. It’s a mystery from one bunk to the next what the wood is, what glue was used, and how many internal voids it has. I can’t recommend such an unknown.

I wish I had an answer for you regarding what is a reasonable replacement for 1/8" Baltic. You might see if there's a cabinet shop around your area and ask them what they might suggest.

As far as which hinge, it's just a matter of how you've built the hatch.

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:thinking: Me? I'm a flush guy.

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Tony
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Re: Hurricane Hinge question and headliner/hatch.

Postby shannonswyatt » Sat May 27, 2023 5:34 pm

tony.latham wrote:Someone once wrote this in a book about building teardrops:

The box stores sell a thin generic plywood called luan (or lauan) produced in several Asian countries. The term typically refers to 1/4” or, less commonly, 1/8” thick plywood. Historically, it was made for interior door sheathing. It’s a mystery from one bunk to the next what the wood is, what glue was used, and how many internal voids it has. I can’t recommend such an unknown.

I wish I had an answer for you regarding what is a reasonable replacement for 1/8" Baltic. You might see if there's a cabinet shop around your area and ask them what they might suggest.

As far as which hinge, it's just a matter of how you've built the hatch.

Image

:thinking: Me? I'm a flush guy.

Image

Tony


I got the book, which is one of the reason that I get stuck when there is something mentioned in the book that is not available.

My other half and I have decided that we are going to have to drive to get the 1/8 inch ply and wacky wood. Which of course they are out of right now. :(

I don't like the idea of driving 6 hours but I also don't like the idea of going to 1/4 inch ply, or using FRP, which I can't stand the look of. I know that if I put that in the headliner I would regret it every time I looked at it.

I've pretty much gotten everything else for the build, and the side skeletons are cut out, but I don't want to cut down the sides until I can verify the thickness of the ceiling. If something happened and I had to go thinner I could plane down the spars and sand down the roof insulation, but I would rather not. At this point I think that I'm going to do the floor and come back to the sides once I get the roof/headliner material sourced.
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Re: Hurricane Hinge question and headliner/hatch.

Postby tony.latham » Sat May 27, 2023 7:04 pm

...the reason that I get stuck when there is something mentioned in the book that is not available.


I'm frustrated with the lack of Baltic birch on a whole different plane. When I find a reasonable alternative, I'll post it.

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Re: Hurricane Hinge question and headliner/hatch.

Postby TimC » Sat May 27, 2023 8:52 pm

For headliner I used a "lauan" sheet from Menards on my first and 3rd build. Works great and has beautiful grain when finished with water based varnish (Minwax Polycrylic Clear Matte). Specialty wood suppliers stock it. But, when my brother needed several more sheets immediately to finish his project he paid 3X the price at a specialty shop in Chicago.

https://www.menards.com/main/building-materials/panel-products/hardwood-panels/4-x-8-sanded-utility-plywood/1252003/p-1444441906218-c-13334.htm

On my current project I will use a different product. Still 1/8" but available locally. Menards is a special order and I don't want to wait two weeks and drive 100 miles RT to pick it up. Grain is not as nice but not bad.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/PATRIOT-TIMBER-PRODUCTS-1-8-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Sanded-Plywood-1-8-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-RightPly-Plywood/321238692

Prices have gone way up since my last build but at $19 not too bad. Just a warning... these are not approved materials by the more discriminating teardrop builders. As a headliner I have had no problems with it.

To cover the inside of my hatch I use canvas (painter's drop cloth or better). When I decided to add a third brake light it was easy to access the hatch frame without tearing things apart.

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My First Benroy Teardrop Build Thread - A 5x8 Woodie - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=63575
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#3 My son's Benroy Foamie team build - Started July '20 - http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=72877

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