Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi Lads,, A question for you all.I am making great progress with the hatch,and I would like to know if I need to take a small cutting out of the sidewall ,all along the top of the galley walls.to let the finished hatch down level with the roof.I hope I am explaing myself well enough.A few close up photos would be great.Thanks, Cool,, Ireland.

That would make for a neat and clean junction, but I think it would just invite water migration. I haven't built my tear yet, but plan on having the hatch extend to the side of the body and then have an aluminum lip hanging down to protect the joint. That may be overkill, because most people use a weather strip along the hatch to body joint, as I will, but I still plan on doing it...........or something similar.

There are many ways to build the galley to body joint, but I will just add that you must allow for the weather stripping and leave that much room between the hatch and body.

Hey, Cool. You're COOL, so send us some REAL beer here in the states, okay?

Certain plans, like the Cubby, call for a notch to start at the hatch spar... where the hatch hinge goes...cut along the perimeter of the side walls in the galley all the way to the back. The depth of which is determined by the thickness of your hatch skin.

Pretty important to determine all of this before you construct the hatch, or it won't close flush.

I notched the sidewalls about 1/2" as you described and am very happy with the result. Things to consider are the thickness of the aluminum trim on top of the sidewall, around the hatch edges, the aluminum on the hatch, the 1/8"-1/4" plywood of the hatch itself and the weatherstrip. This does several things. First, it allows rain to run over the teardrop without finding an easy crack to enter (as you might with a flush hatch). Second, it allows the hatch to rest evenly along the entire length of the sidewall, which lets you have a tighter seal.

Resist the temptation to put overlapping l-metal trim along the outer edge because rain water travels sideways when you're driving and will actually be caught under the leg, as will air.

Say hey to the Ulster!

Hey Fornesto..............never thought of the rain getting up under my rain trim edge. Just shows to go ya how important it is to gather opinions on this site. Thanks.

Lads, thanks a lot ,,I have the plans but they skim over this section fast and not a lot of detail.That clears everything in my mind, now back to the hatch Thanks again ...Cool.

fornesto wrote:I notched the sidewalls about 1/2" as you described and am very happy with the result. Things to consider are the thickness of the aluminum trim on top of the sidewall, around the hatch edges, the aluminum on the hatch, the 1/8"-1/4" plywood of the hatch itself and the weatherstrip. This does several things. First, it allows rain to run over the teardrop without finding an easy crack to enter (as you might with a flush hatch). Second, it allows the hatch to rest evenly along the entire length of the sidewall, which lets you have a tighter seal.

Resist the temptation to put overlapping l-metal trim along the outer edge because rain water travels sideways when you're driving and will actually be caught under the leg, as will air.

Say hey to the Ulster!

I need photos real bad.