Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Just had a thought of redoing my galley on the Hyde-away(the one in my avatar)and only going a half hatch and having the lower portion enclosed accessible by 2 doors. I am thinking of having them open to the sides, but the problem would be hinging them since this area is curved. I have thought of making hinges similar to some old car trunk hinges, but am not sure how to engineer them. Any thoughts or is there some type of hinge like this commercially available? I have access to many kinds of steel, angle, flat, tubing etc.

Huh?

You can't put hinges on a curved surface, as they will not line up, and fight each other as they open.

I'm not sure I get your plan. Do you have a drawing?

You can't put hinges on a curved surface,

Please don't tell Boeing that . . .

Ball and socket hinge

Well you probably can hinge anything if you work at it. Is there a reason you can't do the door opening on the other side.....no curve!

ford model a door hinge .one is longer on the car the pin is in the same plan 'it bends at the same place the botom one is longer

Ageless wrote:Ball and socket hinge

I stand corrected.

How much does one of those cost?

This is so new, it's not listed in their catalog. If you wish to inquire, the company is Taco Metals; marine supplier . . .pricey

Taco metals, any relation to the Taco pump guys? I've got a whole plant plumbed (Air and a closed loop water cooling system) with Taco pumps and valves.

Pushing the hinges out from the surface so they pivot along the same line and the curved surface not bind up between the hinges. Those ball and socket hinges would get the pivots in the same line but they would still need to be long enough to prevent the curved surface of the shell from binding.

TD Beej wrote:Pushing the hinges out from the surface so they pivot along the same line and the curved surface not bind up between the hinges. Those ball and socket hinges would get the pivots in the same line but they would still need to be long enough to prevent the curved surface of the shell from binding.

Only if the panel gap is 'simple curve?', but not if it is a compound curve, so that when the door is open and perpendicular to the body of the trailer, the edge of it will follow the curved side of the trailer.

When closed, the door would have a concave edge along its hinged side.

Ageless:
Those hinges are too cool!

glassice mentioned the Model A ford hinges, but if you study almost any car you will notice they are hinging a curved surface, Very few cars have flat doors.
All you have to do is mount blocking in the door and wall so the hinges work on the same axis.

as long as you can get 2 vertical surfaces that are parallel your hinges should work.

I have been trying to figure out a way to use Automotive style trunk lid hinges for the galley hatch on a teardrop. Just a matter of figuring out the mounting, like gas support struts.

Since most auto trunk hinges are design specific for each body style; you might be better off with aftermarket units.

http://www.thehoffmangroup.com/autoloc/product.lasso?prodinc=trunkhinge

Ageless thank you for that link, that is exactly what i was looking for, I figure if those style hinges could be used then getting the hatch to seal water tight would be easier.
would be able to provide a sealing surface with a water run off channel along the top of the hatch.

Ageless, that is what I was thinking, but then again it would be easier to hinge on the flat side.