Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

During my build I am always following the same steps for each fase of the build. First I browse the internet for ideas, these ideas are then designed in SketchUp. The design changes and changes untill I am ready ti actually build it. It is TEardrop design that grows during the build to make sure everything fits and works.

This means I am a few steps further in SketchUp than the actual build.


The result:


The design in SketchUp is exact to the millimeter, this results in easy fabrication.

Design for routing of the electrical installation is done in SketchUp, the roof with skylight and MaxxFan is almost done.

So what remains is the galley hatch. My main concern is water getting in the galley while driving or when on a campsite. In Europe the weather is changing rapidly. We have more and more days with violent rainstorms. This means the hatch has to be as watertight as possible.

Since a hurricane hinge is hard to find I will probably opt for a plastic living hinge that I can source from a teardrop manufacturer. So that’s watertight.

But I still have no idea how to build the wall profile where it meets the hatch. Or how the hatch will look where it meets the wall in a way water cannot get in.

I came up with this design:




On top of the wall an aluminum z-profile is fitted. A self clamping rubber profile is then mounted to create a kind of gutter where water can run down. The hatch falls between the walls and is also fitted with a self clamping rubber profile with a rubber lip that rests on the top of the wall.

Somehow I don’t think this is the easiest of solutions. Tips for a better design are very welcome.

Menno


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Here's what we did



It's based on a design by Steve Fredrick. Tony Latham also did something similar for the tear in his book.

The D-seal gasket is attached to the hatch. The idea is that water has to get over the tab before it can attempt to penetrate the seal. Most water just runs off.

We've never had water (or dust) in our galley and we've taken our tear, both driving and camping, in several blowing thunderstorms in Colorado and lots of vertical rain in the Northeastern US. I haven't been to Europe in 40 years, but I'll bet it'll handle anything thrown at it there.

Tom

Oh, you may want to solicit opinions on plastic hinges. Some folks on here have not had good luck with certain brands.

Tom

It is almost time to continue with the build.
That means finishing the hatch.

I have decidedly to adopt the suggested construction so I will have to cut into my walls to accommodate the seals.

Can anyone provide me with the detailed pictures of where the hatch meets the hinge and the wall?

Thanks in advance!


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TallGuy7 wrote:It is almost time to continue with the build.
That means finishing the hatch.

I have decidedly to adopt the construction to the suggested construction so I will have to cut into my walls to accommodate the seals.

Can anyone provide me with the detailed pictures of where the hatch meets the hinge and the wall?

Thanks in advance!


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I will take some this weekend. We are camping and the phone's camera isn't giving us good pictures.

Tom

so I will have to cut into my walls to accommodate the seals.

Does that help?

Tony

As a general design principle, don't rely on seals alone to keep water out. Rather, design so water will mostly stay where you want it without a seal or if the seal fails down the road. Don't forget to provide drainage for any water that does get past the seals.

Doors and jambs can warp, hinges can sag and seals wear out eventually.

As a general design principle, don't rely on seals alone to keep water out.

I agree 100%. That's why my inner lip (a modified Fredrick's) comes in:



I've never had any water in the galley. Brad Drury (CapnTelescope) built his like a car's trunk hatch with a similar drain channel.



I bought Brad lunch when he came through Salmon last summer. He's quite the guy and an innovative builder.



Tony

tony.latham wrote:

Does that help?

Tony

This helps a lot!

Thanks!!

Now all I have to figure out is how I will cut my walls… still in France so there’s no hurry.
Guess I will have that figured out on Saturday when I am back home again.


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Now all I have to figure out is how I will cut my walls…

This is the way I describe the task in my book:

I made this cut with a jigsaw. I would not want to attempt this with a $20 tool. The jigsaw has to have a blade guide and the blade must be at 90º to the tool’s base. And make sure you have a good blade, not a $2 special. I’m cheap but this isn’t the place where cheap works.
This cut isn’t hard. I think the secret is making a precise mark and ensuring you are pushing forward without any side pressure. Put your bifocals on, go slow and keep the blade on the line.

But of course, that's done with the wall flat on the bench. I know a guy that chose to use a template and router which worked great. It left a larger gap that he later filled in with a piece of 1/4" neoprene.

Tony

I do have a great jigsaw to do it as described in Tony’s book but I am never happy with the cuts I am getting…

So I came up with another solution:

First I will have to remove some xps and add backing in the wall. Otherwise there will not be enough meat after making room for the hatch seal. It will also help when mounting the gas struts.

Then I will make a copy of the master for the galley beam to a temporary master template so I can use my router to trim that copy to the correct size for the cut. This means reducing it from 60mm to 40mm high. My router has a specific add-on for that.

I wil then clamp this 40 mm high piece to the wall so I can fix my flexible router guide straight against it. This will allow me to make exactly the same cut on either side. This is a perfect tool and results in perfect cuts. First I will remove most of the wood with a jigsaw, the last 2-3mm will be routed out.

When that job is done I will use the previously mentioned add-on on my router to remove an additional 10mm, but instead of removing 22mm (wall thickness ) I will remove only 14mm, leaving 8x10mm.

The hatch now sits 5mm inside the walls. The wall is 22mm thick. I will make a hatch beam that is 27mm thick so it lines up exactly with the wall. This beam will be slightly less high than the 50mm I took out of the wall and will have a recessed area to accommodate the D-seal.

sounds do-able….


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Nice build’s
And amazing work with Sketch-up!
I have learned several programs and attempted that one years ago.