Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hello, I'm always here, but haven't posted in a while. Ready for build no. 2........looking to build a hatch like the CampInn (more beefed up), but I don't understand how the hinge doesn't leak.(on the top edge)......Does anyone have a CLOSE UP shot of the hinge edge, (hatch open)where it meets the rubber seal? thank you, Rob

Camp Inn uses their own special hinge, and is actually installed before the aluminum. It has a lip on the top and the aluminum is sealed into the lip.
Nice and clean and won't leak.....

Micro469 wrote:Camp Inn uses their own special hinge, and is actually installed before the aluminum. It has a lip on the top and the aluminum is sealed into the lip.
Nice and clean and won't leak.....

Thanks no wonder I couldn't figure it out. I thought it was a hurricane hinge rabbited under the aluminum.

...close up of CI hinge.......

That's a really good picture Jack, however that's the "old" version. We haven't used that design for about 2 1/2 years.

We originally used the hurricane hinge, but it had to be permanantly assembled and could not be disassembled easily.

I looked through my files and don't have a close-up of the new hinge.

The new hinge is one of my own design. We wanted a hinge that didn't have any exposed hardware. We also wanted a hinge that could be easily installed on the body and hatch seperately and then the hatch could be assembled to the body at any time. We put the hatch on last to reduce the chance of damage.

The new hinge can be disassembled by unhooking the hatch support rod and opening the hatch further.

We have discussed offering our hinge to home builders, but unfortunately, the hinge doesn't work well for the home builder since they would have to do EVERYTHING our way. The angle of the roof to the bulkhead (between the kitchen and cabin), the raingutter and gasketing on the sides of the hatch, the angle of hatch opening, the hatch frame design, an elaborate fixture for assembling the hatch side hinge....and probably a few more items that I'm not thinking of right now.

Because we build a few teardrops, it made sense to design exactly what would fit our needs. With the labor savings, it even came out less expensive.

Craig (once again hijacking Betsey's account...maybe someday I'll break down and get one of my own)

Thanks guys........ Too bad...... That design is SMOOOTH!

Betsey wrote:....



The new hinge is one of my own design. ......
Craig (once again hijacking Betsey's account...maybe someday I'll break down and get one of my own)

Wow!!! For a moment there I thought Betsy designed it......What a woman!!!!

Wow!!! For a moment there I thought Betsy designed it......What a woman!!!!

Thanks for the vote of confidence, John!

Although I do possess some talents, engineering R&D is definitely not one of them. All I have to do is tell Craig what it is I would like to do and next thing I know, he's come up with a design that far exceeds my expectations in both style and function. I never cease to be amazed by his knowledge, creativity and abilities. That's why we call him the "wonderboy."

Betsey