Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Today was a great day until catastrophe struck, while finishing up the wiring on the tear, I had the hatch (unfinished) propped open and the cabinet door open on one side. Well you guessed it, the prop fell, hatch closed, corner of the said door is now sticking out of the dang hatch . Well if I had followed the plans this would not of happened as Mike has sliding doors on there. Just goes to show that sometimes when you make changes you do not always think all things thru.

Cliff

Bummer
Or you hinge the doors from above.

Hey Cliff

What bad luck, I feel for ya man. Is there any way you can patch the hole or are you gonna build another hatch?

Sorry to hear of your incident Cliff. Not that it matters now, prior to the galley being finished I always clamp a support stick to the trailer wall so that it can't get knocked out and allow the hatch to drop. Like mentioned, you can always hinge them on the top.

On the other hand....I have sliders in the Nomad running front to back. The drawback to them is that if you don't put some sort of locking system to keep the doors from sliding, then can slide and unload the cabinet in the galley while towing. I use a stick with a notch on each end to hold the doors at the handle. Also...once you remove that stick, sometimes you have to go though one side to move the stuff that may have shifted in towing and is blocking the other slider from moving. Just my experience, others may vary. They won't however, punch a hole in the hatch. Doug

Bummer! sorry to hear about the incident! Hope the repair goes smoothly

Thanks guys,here is the pic



and I will take that part of skin off tomorrow and reglue another, since my tear is 5' 7" I have a seam on the hatch and you can see the seam below where I had started filling in the seam before taping and epoxying! I will also be flipping the hinges to the top also. After redoing the hatch 5 times and reskinning twice for different issues, I had one that was great and was going in beautifully and then Murphy caught up to me!

Doug I figured that there is draw backs to all door styles and how they're mounted in the galley,I just never realized how unbelievably destructive this one was. I'm also figuring out a "Cliff" (idiot) proof hatch support to help avoid this again.

Yes I even had to laugh at my own idiocy after it happened.

Cliff

I am so sorry Cliff. I know how hard you have worked to achieve a good hatch and this must be so disappointing. I hope the reskinning goes well and you've got it back on there in no time.

Could be worse. We took ours camping before we had the hatch supports in place and were using the stick method, unsecured. Hatch fell hitting me on top of the head. I am sure I had a concussion as I had a headache for weeks.

nevadatear wrote:Could be worse. We took ous camping be for we had the hatch supports in place and were using the stick method, unsecured. Hatch feel hitting me on top of the head. I am sure I had a concussion as I had a headache for weeks.

Oucheeee!

+1 Debbie

OUCH! But as a friend once told me, this is the time that tests the true craftsman; the art of recovery. Based on what I''ve seen, you'll ace this without any problem.

Hang in there, Cliff. Just remember the words of that famous philosopher, Kelly Clarkson, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

Sometimes what doesn't kill you really pisses you off. This would have REALLY pissed me off.

Bummer Cliff, ouch is right! I have a feeling you'll patch this up in no time sir disappointing as it is. I think at this point in my build I'd probably laugh too.

Cheers,

Dave

Thanks all! Last night pulled the damaged skin off and recut a new piece and glued and screwed it down in place. Today came home and got it unscrewed and routed it all down to fit the sides and reattached the hinge after I started sanding the hols and stared outtying the gaps. Besides this my new doors have hinges at the top and it is so much better that I swaapped them to open up and not to the sides. Only issue was the orbital sander died tonight after a sailboat, 2 tears and many other projects.

Cliff