Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I sent you an email as well as a PM, but figured I'd post my question here as well.

Here is a copy;

Hello,

First of all I love the hurricane hinge you have!! I just recently saw it here on the T&TTT forum, and now it is for sure going to be a part of my tear.

The question I have is regarding it. What are the mounted dimensions? How far does it protrude above the little tabs on the mounting flanges? The reason I am asking is that I am building a ‘woody’, and would like to blend the hinge, so it wouldn’t show.

Maybe it would be possible to have it powdercoated?

Thanks for your time!
Peter Richards

So I guess a piano hinge over a bicycle inner tube isn't gonna' cut it ??? Even for an escape pod ...that hopefully never will be used ...and stored in its own shed/hanger...Mine's 74 1/4".. Wide ... HH gonna ' be an investment ..plus shipping...

G, if I were going to use a piano hinge, I would find some EDPM rubber roofing material and put it on top of the hinge witha couple of flat straps holding it down much as Chip has done on his doors for the pickle palace...
madjack

GPW wrote:So I guess a piano hinge over a bicycle inner tube isn't gonna' cut it ???

Nope! I will be using a hurricane hinge either way, and this is the sweetest setup I've seen!

Does anybody use a gasket seal on the hurricane hinge? Or caulk them down prior to installing the screws?

The reason I ask is because when we had our underwater camping trip, I noticed that everytime I opened the hatch, the water that beaded up on the hatch would run down past the hinge and into the galley. The hurricane hinge only seals in one direction.

asianflava wrote:Does anybody use a gasket seal on the hurricane hinge? Or caulk them down prior to installing the screws?

The reason I ask is because when we had our underwater camping trip, I noticed that everytime I opened the hatch, the water that beaded up on the hatch would run down past the hinge and into the galley. The hurricane hinge only seals in one direction.

...ours is seriously caulked(EBS) front and rear, also added a row of screws on the backside of better support/sealing...haven't used it yet but might find out about leaks this weekend
madjack

If water is there , as it is here(New Orleans during monsoon season or any normal summer), it's gonna' get in somewhere.... I'm somewhat disappointed at the dogged determination to hold on to an "antiquated" system of hinging , or that concept of the hatch entirely ... (I know I'm in TROUBLE now !!!) You guys are reasonable and intelligent ... why can't we think on a way to change /improve / the hatch and hinging system ... I know it would go against "Tradition" , but maybe it's time for some creativity ....maybe in the "draining of the leaks "??????


Ps. I just hate to pay over a "croaker" for a hinge + shipping ...

asianflava wrote:Does anybody use a gasket seal on the hurricane hinge? Or caulk them down prior to installing the screws?
The reason I ask is because when we had our underwater camping trip, I noticed that everytime I opened the hatch, the water that beaded up on the hatch would run down past the hinge and into the galley. The hurricane hinge only seals in one direction.

Come on now asianflava. Just because it's a hurricane hinge doesn't mean that the water won't go under the hinge. You must of been in a hurry when you installed the hinge. You just had to get out there and go camping, didn't you?

All your trim molding including the hinge should be caulked to prevent water from even getting in between the skin and your side walls.

Have a good day.

Gage wrote:You must of been in a hurry when you installed the hinge. You just had to get out there and go camping, didn't you?

OK you caught me, I intentionally didn't caulk it down because if I did, it would be a pain to remove when I installed the aluminum.

I guess what I was asking was, is caulking all you need?

Want to know how I knew? I did the same thing. My first skin was only temp. and was only suppose to be on for a couple of months, well ended up camping in the rain one time and the same thing happened. With the hatch open, the rain just ran down the hatch, under the hinge and into the galley. When I replaced that skin, I used Dynaflex 230 by DAP. It's a Premium Elastomeric Latex Sealant that is not suppose to attact Alum. It's aluminum gray in color. I applied it between the skin and hinge and it solved the problem. It's also under all my edge moldings. I applied enought that it squized out when everything was screwed down. Then went around and trimed off all the excess that squized out..

Have a good day.

If the rear of the TD was inverted ...viz. going up instead of down ,you'd have a canopy , a more conventional hatch , and no need of exotic hinging at all .... or is it DOGMA????

I really like the idea of the plastic hinge, but I too had reservations until I was cleaning up my garage and looked down at the 14x24" cooler. There is was plastic hinges! There are two, and they are about 1.5" wide. I have had this cooler for several years, and it show no signs of deterioration.

I don't need 50 feet, so I would hope there is someone who can use want I don't need. However, I am beginning to think of it for door hinges, cabinet hinges, etc.

Jerry

I am on my 5th build 4 of them had lift hatches and I got my hinges off the National hardware rack.......

I went with the plastic hinge, so far so good