Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi guys
Im getting ready to cut my sides. I have everything sorta figured out except for the hatch seal grove. I understand how the seal works on the sides. What I cant figure out is how do you seal the bottom edge of the hatch. If the hatch compresses the seal on the side, from what I can see on the plan the bottom of the hatch will fit tight with the frame with no room for a seal.

I dont know if i'm missing something. The hatch sides require a 3/8" grove to allow for a seal. The plans as I read them will not alow any clearance on the bottom of the hatch for one.

HELP
Joe

I built mine like the plans, than built the hatch frame with out the skins and fitted it with a 1/2" gap at the bottom for some door shoes...


After making the hatch frame, you can adjust to what ever seal you want to use. Sorry I don't have a close up pic.

Here's what I plan to do...Obviously (hopefully ) it's a side view:



The black is the floor, the green is the hatch. The red is a probably 1/2" or 3/4" tall by 3/4" or 1" wide piece running from one side wall to the other, with the blue being a rubber seal.

Hope that makes sense (and if somebody knows it won't work, please tell me now! )

David

Thanks guys you have shed some light on the subject.

Joe

When you put your t-molding on the hatch, there's a gap between the t-molding and the sub-floor. That's where the weatherstripping goes.

I'll see if I can get out this weekend and take a picture.

Mike...

Thanks Mike I would like to see how you did it.

Joe

Okay, here is a picture of how I did it.



There are 3 seals... 1 curved seal on each side that fits into the notch that you cut into the sidewalls. And one seal on the bottom that rests against the back edge of the subfloor. When you install the t-molding on the bottom of the hatch, it creates a gap between the t-molding and the edge of the subfloor. You'll have to measure that gap, and buy a seal to fit in that gap.

Mike...

Thanks Mike I think I got it now

I put a piece of weather stripping across the bottom inside (duh)edge of the hatch where it meets the edge of the floor.

hum... I think I put one on the edge of the floor too for a double seal.

While mine is not a Benroy and I built totally seat of the pants here is what I did.

As you can see the hatch does not "set" on the floor of the galley it extends 4 inches beyond closing on the rear most perimeter board of the torsion box floor. I did add a floppy type garage door bottom gasket to the face of the perimeter board. This would been unnecessary except for protection from driven water intrusion when driving in the rain.



The bottom board IS a 2x4 but in the up right and locked position when making the galley lid into a roof over your head it acts as a header and I felt it should be a rather substantial member