Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I am coming to the point in my build where it is time to mount the back hatch. My question is how do you decide which of the gas supports you need?
And how do you mount them?

Thanks

Big DE

Big De

How heavy is your hatch first of all?



My guess just by looking at your tear you would need 450 Newtons at minimum or 500 Newton Gas schocks. And my struts are 12 inch closed, 20 open.

450 newtons = 101.164024 pounds force

500 newtons = 112.404472 pounds force



Here is a thread with a lot of info that I remember too well Go to page 3, scroll down to TonyJ,s photos. Thats how I did mine and worked right on.

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... ght=shocks

Go to page 3 there and look for TonyJ,s advice and photos on the shocks.
Thats how I did mine. I learned how to install them the hard way in the beginning. All to find out they are the wrong newton. Can get very frustrating so I dont want this happening to anyone else.

Hopefully that gives you some sort of idea.

Classic Finn

Thirty five years ago I had a drafting teacher who liked to say "If it looks wrong, it probably is."

I crossed the gas spring phase of my project last weekend. After a week or so of fussing and trying to do mechanical engineering stuff that I am no good at, I looked at the threads here and decided, against my better judgment, to go with 120 lb struts because that's what everybody else seemed to use.

One of those puppies held my hatch up nice and high. I never bothered to put the second on. It pushed so hard on the hatch as I pulled it down that it bent the mounting brackets. I now have two 60 lb springs on order, and they should do nicely.

I;m sure those folks with 120 lb springs really need them, but I don't. So if any of you out there need a couple of 30 inch (extended), about 17 inch compressed springs for the cost of shipping, give me a PM. And I add a new rule to my book: If it sounds wrong, it probably is.

Finn,
Thanks for the help, now I just need to find out where to buy them, can you get them @ the box stores?

Big DE wrote:Finn,
Thanks for the help, now I just need to find out where to buy them, can you get them @ the box stores?

Good Morning DE

I know that automobile parts centers as well as Marine Centers sell them. (Here) As well as utility trailer supply centers. Which are of plenty here in Finland. I apologize Im not sure as to where the folks purchased theirs from there in the USA.

Im sure someone will come along and reply to that though.

Here they are available basically all over.

Regards

Classic Finn

Big DE wrote:Finn,
Thanks for the help, now I just need to find out where to buy them, can you get them @ the box stores?

I got mine at McMaster-Carr. Link

Just type in Gas Struts in the search box. They have the struts and every fitting and bracket you could need.