Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Disclaimer: 9/11/06 - The hatch supports made my me in this thread were not very safe and didn't work very good. I redisigned them with one inch springs and no conduit for support, and they work very well. There are pictures in my album.


I mounted my hatch yesterday, had it off running wires and putting a door skin liner on it. I had made really ugly hatch spars, glad to see them covered. Next one won't have a liner, really adds the weight.

Here are pics of my hatch supports, In an earlier thread I had asked about using spring supports, well I picked up a couple used at the local boat salvage store I found out why no one used them... they were way too short. I lengthened them with EMT, went from 10 inches to about 23 1/4". So far they are working great. No load on the hatch hinge which is good since I used a plastic continual hinge, and they engage automatically when you open the hatch. Best part they were cheap, less than 10 bucks invested in parts and a few hours R & D time...

Steve

Dear Steve,

Excellent thinking, good work. You have made another advancement in the art and science of teardrops. It is one that can be built upon by yourself and others which makes life for those who come after you a lot easier.

What makes this board great is that Mike chose a policy of inclusion in the same manner as the open source computer world which has made extraordinary advances for the internet.

Steve_Cox wrote:Best part they were cheap, less than 10 bucks invested in parts and a few hours R & D time...

Glad they're working--but my broomsticks will come to only 2 bucks.

YES! I KNOW A BIG WIND MAY COME! I'LL BE CAREFUL!

Hey Steve,

That's pretty nifty. Thanks for sharing that with us...

So are longer springs available, or do we have to modify them the same way you did?

Tell us too, about the brackets that are holding the ends...

Mike...

...thats cool, I couldn't quite envision them when ya first posted about them...I guess that is why we luve da pics...do you have any trouble with the hatch trying to fly up in your face when first opened and what about when ya first pull the hatch down, is there much resistance to overcome...I guess I will haveta post some photos of our homemade "gas struts" now
madjack

Mike the brackets came with the springs. they are just a channel with a hole throught it and a couple of holes for mounting the bracket.

Jack, the springs don't present any force at all, I have to lift the weight of the hatch, springs don't assist. When lowering the hatch, just a touch on the spring and it starts to fold over, good thing one support will hold the hatch up by itself, or you could accidently bump one of them and the hatch would come crashing down on your head.....Destin Dave knows about that. Redundancy seems to make it safe. Home made gas struts, could this be a flatulence joke in the making?

Ira, it is an improvement over broomsticks, wind blowing the hatch upward won't release them. But on the other hand broomsticks could be construed as auxillary transportation for some.

Thanks Guy for the kind words and encouragement.

Steve

AmyH wrote:Guys, these hatch supports are great!!

Amy

Thanks Amy!
Steve

Steve,

Hijack your thread back...

Did you buy your components locally or on the web? If the latter, do you have a URL?

Mike...

Steve_Cox wrote:

AmyH wrote:Guys, these hatch supports are great!!

Madjack, not to steal the thread, but I have been looking at that wonderful water tank that you built and wondering how many gallons it holds. I really like that idea, and it seems like it would save space over the one that I ended up purchasing.

Amy

Hi Jack, HIJACK AMY IS HIJACKING MY THREAD

Always wanted to do that... now have it "out of my system" Carry on...

Steve

..sometime a guy just can't get any respect around here ...................

mikeschn wrote:Steve,

Hijack your thread back...

Did you buy your components locally or on the web? If the latter, do you have a URL?

Mike...

Mike,
Got the parts from a local used boat parts place. But they are boat hatch supports available from most online boating supplys.
[link]

Amy,
The springs are close wound and each turn sits on top of the next, like stacking pennys, that is where it gets its compression strength, but is easily overcome by deflecting the spring off center, like pushing the stack of pennys over. Hope that helps answer your question

Steve[/url]

Steve_Cox wrote:

mikeschn wrote:Steve,

Hijack your thread back...

Did you buy your components locally or on the web? If the latter, do you have a URL?

Mike...

Mike,
Got the parts from a local used boat parts place. But they are boat hatch supports available from most online boating supplys.
[link]

[/url]

Thanks Steve,

I've got it printed out...

Rich, did you get that?

Mike...

Amy...etall...I appoligize for any confusion...no post were deleted but moved to a new topic of my own since i didn't want to steal any of Steve's thunder on his excellent use of his brain for a hatch support solution...those posts and new ones can be seen at
http://tnttt.com/viewto ... highlight=
sorry for any confusion this caused
madjack

I made my hatch supports out of 3/4" EMT conduit, pipe insulation, 4 kick down door stops, 2 bolts, 2 nuts 4 washers, and 2 large retaining pins.


I cut the feet off all 4 door stops. On the bottom 2 stops, I secured the door stops to the EMT as shown using bolts an washers.


At the top, I secure the door stops to the EMT with these large retaining pins to keep the wind from lifting my hatch.

I went this route, because, it is simple, cheap, reliable and will never wear out.

Dear Tom,

The quality of your work is beautiful in the pictures. I got the idea for EMT from you. Thanks. So, you pull the pin to take down your support and then what? where does it store? When you put the hatch up and put in the pin does it take both hands to locate the hole while you jiggle the hatch with the top of your head? I went through those kind of manuvers at first. Glad I went with a design that secures itself in the upright position "automatically". Again, you've got a really great trailer.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for the kdos! Actually, I got the idea for my hatch supports from someone on this forum.

When traveling, I put the pins in my silverware draw. However, they tend to rattle around while towing, makng them hard to find in the drawer. I also keep a spare pin in case I loose one. When storing the trailer at home or closing the hatch for the night, I leave the pins on the counter. I'm considering makng a leash for them out of a short length of chain.

When opening the hatch, I insert the door stops into the ends of the EMT on the left side first, the right side second. The door stop on the left side is slightly longer than the one on the right. That is a two-handed procedure. One hand supports the hatch. The other hand lifts the EMT and aligns it with the door stop.

I drilled the holes in the top of the EMT and upper set of door stops after installing the rest of the assembly. Once the door stops are inserted into the EMT and the hatch is resting on the supports, the holes are in rough alignment. I don't have to lift the hatch while inserting the pins. I insert the pins one-handed giggling them a bit to help them find their way through the door stop and the opposite side of the conduit.

Steve, I like your idea. It's very original. What happens if the wind lifts your hatch? Will the springs stay straight and keep supporting your hatch?

Steve_Cox wrote:Dear Tom,

The quality of your work is beautiful in the pictures. I got the idea for EMT from you. Thanks. So, you pull the pin to take down your support and then what? where does it store? When you put the hatch up and put in the pin does it take both hands to locate the hole while you jiggle the hatch with the top of your head? I went through those kind of manuvers at first. Glad I went with a design that secures itself in the upright position "automatically". Again, you've got a really great trailer.

Steve