Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I'm working on the road side wall and am using this finished panel as a template to layout my curb side wall.
I've cut out the door opening and plan to use the removed material as my outside door panel.
The question I have is the width of my jigsaw blade is the only gap I have for the panel to fit the opening. Is this 1/8" clearance enough for the door to open a close without hitting. I also plan to use angled aluminum to trim the door opening and the door. I feel this will close up this 1/8" gap and make the door too large and interfer with the door opening.
Do I need to trim the door panel down to fit the opening?
Thanks!

I would trim the opening first. Get a measurement for the inside, then measure the thickness of your door trim, subtract that and another 1/4" and that should give you the size your door needs to be.
I usually make mine right around a 1/4" smaller than the actual opening, that gives you about an 1/8" all around. Others probably used a different size tho.

Nighttime,

Don't do like I did. I finished cutting out my doors last night using my door template. After I cut the driverside door, I was "supposed" to flip the template over to trace out and cut the passengerside door. I forgot to flip it over so the two doors have shapes that are opposing, not mirrored. Functionally, they will be okay, and it doesn't look bad. ...but it would have been nice to have them both going the same way.

Todah

Let me second what Rich said...also dry fit everything several times before permenant attachment...you darn sure don't wanna find out the door is too large(samll) after everthing is sealed up...
madjack

Todah Tear wrote:Nighttime,

Don't do like I did. I finished cutting out my doors last night using my door template. After I cut the driverside door, I was "supposed" to flip the template over to trace out and cut the passengerside door. I forgot to flip it over so the two doors have shapes that are opposing, not mirrored. Functionally, they will be okay, and it doesn't look bad. ...but it would have been nice to have them both going the same way.

Todah

Oy--I did the same thing with my interior wall skins.

I wasn't the first, and you won't be the last.

The easiest way I found to keep the left and right doors seperate is to make them different shapes and sizes. This is most easily done by letting the mind wander while cutting the door openings. This didn't happen to me, it was a friend of a friends.

Scott F.

s4son wrote:This didn't happen to me, it was a friend of a friends.

Hmm, does this friend wear the same size shoes as you?

WarPony wrote:

s4son wrote:This didn't happen to me, it was a friend of a friends.

Hmm, does this friend wear the same size shoes as you?

As a matter of fact he does. He even has two left feet, just like me.

Scott F.

Good question Bandit,
1/4 inch huh. How about if I add this question: Is it easier to remove the excess material from the hole or the door?

Joke: What gets bigger as your remove more from it?

Miriam

Miriam C. wrote:Good question Bandit,
1/4 inch huh. How about if I add this question: Is it easier to remove the excess material from the hole or the door?

Joke: What gets bigger as your remove more from it?

Miriam

The door.

Ans. A hole

My walls are 1.75" thick. (1/2" ply, 1" insulation, 1/4" ply) I used a jig saw to cut out the doors. I planned to use the cut-out as the door. Even though I tried fairly hard to make sure the cuts were square and accurate, they were not. I used a router and guides to clean up the openings, and a table saw to clean up the doors.

The door opening looked fairly decent to start, but looked great after the
routing.

If you don't have a router, don't sweat it, and go with what you've got. I'll second the vote that triming the doors is easier. I'd also agree with the 1/4". I went with more, and wish I hadn't.