Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi All,

I've been pondering an idea for the Galley Hatch support for a while and would like to hear your input.



Let me try to describe...

It would consist of 2 round dowels hinged at the top, middle, and bottom. When the hatch is closed the support would be folded. When the hatch is open the dowels would line up straight and something like a small piece of pvc pipe would slide in place over the center hinge to lock the support in the upright position. To close the hatch you would simply lift the small piece of pvc pipe to allow the center hinge to fold.

If you think of your wrist, elbow, and shoulder as the support in the open "supported" position your arm would be straight above your head and the lock or piece of pipe would slide over your elbow to prevent it from bending.



I'm terrible with drawing... and I hoped I explained my idea well enough.

Would love to see what you all think...

Oh if someone has already come up with this can you link it for me?

-phil

There is a similar setup made for boat engine hatches...it is basicaly a spring a couple of feet long. To close the hatch, you just bend it in the center and lower the hatch. When you lift it up, the spring "springs" straight and ridgid and holds the weight. Check with Fox marine or Diversafied Marine, I think that is where I saw them.

I think I know where your going...... My idea was to use Stainless Steel tubing found on boat tops, and have it fixed on either end with these in the middle (that fold/unfold) There's tons of different stlyes of connections available for almost every application




You could even make a roof rack (there's an active thread on building one) since with all the fittings/connections no welding would be needed.............

Phil, I remember some folding tables our church had that had a similar mechanism on the legs. The "elbow" part had a metal ring that slid over it to keep it from folding. It worked ok. On a tear, you could have wind trying to move the hatch up and down, so the locking sleeve had better be secure! Maybe have holes in the dowels and PVC pipe sleeve that line up and you can put a lynch pin through them with a cotter pin to keep it from sliding up or down.
Sam

Ken A Hood wrote:I think I know where your going...... My idea was to use Stainless Steel tubing found on boat tops, and have it fixed on either end with these in the middle (that fold/unfold) There's tons of different stlyes of connections available for almost every application




You could even make a roof rack (there's an active thread on building one) since with all the fittings/connections no welding would be needed.............

Geepers Im glad Im not the only one here thinking like that..I was at our favorite Marine Shop nearby and was looking at those..for the same idea.

Also from the same place for a canopy that extends out for the galley hatch itself with the smaller ones made of a type of plastic..

Nice idea..

Classic Finn

Phil, I took a stab at drawing what you described (I think). IIRC, I have seen something like this on the legs of a fold up table. The only issue might be trying to hold up the locking "sleeves" on both sides while closing the hatch. But maybe if it was just on one side...





But I sure do like the looks of the stainless fittings in the post above.

Hi All,

Thanks for responses!

G-Force: I had thought of the spring, but couldn't figure out how to lock it extended since it can bend almost anywhere.

Ken: I like those hinges!!! They would prob be easier to install than what I'm thinking, but I kinda want to see my idea through...

ccdell: OMG you nailed it! I don't know how you can make the drawing but that's it!! I understand what you are saying about closing the hatch. I was thinking of cutting a "L" shaped notch in the keeper and putting a peg on the the top dowel, to twist lock it open.

Do you think this design is possible? I'm wondering if the folded hinge would be too long to fit inside the galley when closed...

Thanks All....



-phil

ccdell wrote:Phil, I took a stab at drawing what you described (I think). IIRC, I have seen something like this on the legs of a fold up table. The only issue might be trying to hold up the locking "sleeves" on both sides while closing the hatch. But maybe if it was just on one side...





But I sure do like the looks of the stainless fittings in the post above.

This design would work well with a springloaded device (like the type on an ezup) to hold the locking sleeve in the up position, you could then do one at a time to open or close it.

Hi,

Kerry: Do you mean a spring to push the collar up to lock open?

-phil

The problem with ccdell's props is that the two mounting points must be perfectly positioned opposite each other when the hatch is down, otherwise as the hatch gets near to the down position, they swing either away from or towards the hatch, by as much as 45 degrees.

Did that make sense, or do I need to spend an hour drawing an animation?

Andrew

Landrover used this set up on there older models series3 or defender, it is an over centre hinged bar with a locking collar. Also check out Army surplus, the folding tabled use the knee and collar as mentioned in a previous post.

cablerunners wrote:Hi,

Kerry: Do you mean a spring to push the collar up to lock open?

-phil

I mean the little button (springloaded) in a hole to hold the thing in place. Just push the button and it releases like on a the corner poles of an EZUP!

Hope that makes sense.

Hi All,

Adrew: I agree after looking at it, I feel it should have one pivet point. I haven't been to an army surplus store in a bit... might be a good excuse to go...



Kerry: Ah I understand now... EZUP I do like that for the bracket. I didn't know you could just buy them...



I want to keep this cheap and eazy to build... Do you all think wooden dowels would be to weak for this?

-phil

1" diameter close-wound spring Supported by 1" SS Bimini top fittings. Works great, no hands operation to open, just raise the hatch. Just a touch on each one while holding the hatch to close. Also puts no load on the hatch hinge when closed. It's been working good for 2 years so far. Springs were a bout $7 at the industrial supply. Bimini top parts were $1 per fitting at the boat surplus store.

Phil,
I had been thinking along the same lines for a while. So when you described it, I didn't have any problem picturing it.

Andrew,
Definitely could see where that would happen. It wouldn't take much offset at all for the "center" of the support to swing out of line and hit the hatch (or counter).

Just out of curiosity, has anyone done a single hatch support in the center of the galley (from an upper shelf or back wall)? I have had several ideas on how it might be done, but if it is already out there...