Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I knew it was warped. I tried to force it back into shape. It is small and built too good. I went with it anyway. Looks great from the front but sticks out on the top rear about 1/4". I guess I will have to make a new door. I was going to frame it but that restricts the door from going flat against the camper when it is open. I knew it was warped.....


Ed

Ed,

You could frame it on the inside...


Or, you could remove it, relieve the stress with a few shallow kerf cuts on the inside, then glue and screw a piece of paneling on the inside to cover the cuts...

Rob

and once the tension is relieved and the door fits again, consider a rain gutter & weatherstripping to keep the water out.

maybe even try a screen door turnbuckle diagonally; that cross brace may not be doing much but dividing the panel into 2 smaller ones.

and consider adding a piece of hardware at the top both in and out to keep the door flat.



oh; you DID paint the edges and inside didn't you....?

Thanks Rob. It is a foam core door with a 1X horizontal across the middle, but trying to cut some kerfs might be something to try. I have nothing to lose.

Jay, it is weatherstripped but I don't think the top corner will seal very well. I will add a gutter of some type. I've had a turnbuckle with scew eyes on it for a long time, even to tension it while I was cover with epoxy and painting. I thought it looked pretty good. maybe I will add the turnbuckle again and see. Heck, I'll leave it on there for the time being if it helps. I may just have to go with it and do the best I can for now. Summer is moving on and I still have trailer lights and other odds and ends to finish just to get camping.

I also though about getting a piece of 3/4" ply and make a new door. It wouldn't be insulated but it would give me more depth around the outside for weatherstipping. Maybe that would warp too. Maybe the side of the camper is warped. I knew this door stuff would be trouble. Oh my.

Ed

Using just a 3/4 piece of plywood is a gamble and might give you the same result. Plywood will warp in multidimensions!

What you might consider is a small stop in the bottom corner of the door that is in alignment. It will force that corner to protrude slightly, put a little pressure on the latch that will cause it to act as a pivot to push the top of the door in. It could eventually "warp" the door to align at the top and bottom so you could remove the stop. It could also result in a door that is cupped outward at top and bottom, but I would try that, or one of the other suggestions before building a new door.

Hey, ED. That's looking NICE!

or get a latch like on the gally that has a three point locking system.i would rather change both door handles than rebuild a door and have to paint / finish it. just a thought.

Sorry to hear about your problems but your trailer is looking sweet.

Say Ed, didn't you bring this problem up a while back and sugestions made on how to correct it? Or was it someone else?

Have a good day.

You could always cheat --

run a little rim of aluminium trim 'round the tops of both doors like drip moldings, and then very delicately, gently, with extreme finesse



belt-sand it flat and repaint the edge.

Ed,

Sorry you're having troubles with the door....but your trailer looks great!

Jim

is there Any framing on the inside? it's not just a piece of plywood is it?

I had a similar problem. My weatherstrip was pushing out the top and bottom of my door on the latch side. On each door I used 2 L brackets (one on the top and one on the botton) And a peice of 1/4" all thread spaning the two. The center of the all thread bridges over my latch (Standard Grant type latch)

The latch raises the center of the all thread. I tighten a nut on each end of the all thread to stress the door inward. Sorry I don't have any pictures of this but I can take some in about two weeks when my TD comes back from a trip. (I loaned it to some friends)