Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

by **Mini Renegade** » Tue May 15, 2007 2:40 pm

hi guys, new on here but have been visiting regularly for a few months.
I am currently half way through building my first teardrop using the generic benroy plans as a guide to construction on a light weight chassis i got made. The tow car is a 1981 Austin-Morris Mini Clubman Estate with a 998cc engine and weighs 780 kilos so it has to be light!
The forum has been a font of knowledge for a virgin builder like myself and the only problem i have at the mo is Where can I get a storm hinge in the UK?

Have already got ideas for my second tear, am i mad?

by **swizz** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:00 pm

Hi MR,

Not got to your stage yet, but the only thing i've seen that would work is what you will find atop locker doors on the outside of coaches - also on boot doors on some of the smaller luxury mini-coaches.

Basically a piano hinge I think, covered with a rubber seal - the rubber seal is secured to the body & hinged panel with ally trim strip.

I'll try to picture one at work for you.

Nice choice of car btw

by **Mini Renegade** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:04 pm

cheers mate, have also considered a caravan window hinge, very similar to the storm hinge but not sure if it would be strong enough. rgds Paul

by **toypusher** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:11 pm

Paul,

Welcome to the board. You have come to the right place for answers. Andrew (angib) is from your neck of the woods and should be able to help you with the hinge. Lots of folks have used a piano hinge and covered it with rubber or something similar.

BTW: I'm from York also - York, PA, USA that is!!!

PS: Where's the pics?????

by **Loader** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:15 pm

Welcome Paul!

And to echo Kerry.....got pics? :pictures:

by **Mini Renegade** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:16 pm

toypusher wrote:

PS: Where's the pics?????

will sort some out for you

by **Miriam C.** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:20 pm

Paul, Have fun in the play ground and please show and tell.

There is a source for a huricane hinge and a plastic hinge that seems to work well in the UK. One of the guys will come along soon and tell you how to get one. (If I don't find it first)

Enjoy

PS Here is the most recent thread on the subject
http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=15722

by **angib** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:28 pm

Mini Renegade wrote:The tow car is a 1981 Austin-Morris Mini Clubman Estate with a 998cc engine and weighs 780 kilos so it has to be light!

Your Clubman is an absolute powerhouse compared to the A35 pulling this 1960s British teardrop made by Berkeley, the caravan and sportscar people:

Mini Renegade wrote:Where can I get a storm hinge in the UK?

Pop Brown's Rod Shop imports the hinge from the US though they don't show it in their web site - someone else in Britain has just asked this question recently and the price was quoted - around £50-60 I seem to remember.

Alternatively this design of hinge is made in Britain for the truck bodybuilding trade - I've seen it used on a local firm's catering trailers to make a waterproof joint where the side is opened above the customers as an awning. So if you want to get it cheaper, that may be the way to go.

Andrew

by **Mini Renegade** » Tue May 15, 2007 3:34 pm

will try the local coach builders, cheers Andrew, have been talking to a couple with a Berkely, got a couple of pics, it looks very heavy but it does have brakes, can`t post em on though, don`t have the attachment part.

by **Mini Renegade** » Thu May 17, 2007 8:39 am

how do i post pictures on the forum?

by **swizz** » Thu May 17, 2007 10:57 am

Easiest is to open yourself an album on this site & upload your pics.

Full instructions can be found in the menu at the top of the page 'Help with Photos' :thinking:

by **Mini Renegade** » Thu May 17, 2007 3:12 pm

cheers swizz thanks for the advice, just got to resize some pics when i work that out :frustrated:

by **swizz** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:36 pm

aren't computers brilliant :shock:

by **Miriam C.** » Thu May 17, 2007 4:55 pm

Mini Renegade wrote:cheers swizz thanks for the advice, just got to resize some pics when i work that out

If you don't have a program that easily resizes the pictures you can upload them into photobucket and in their "options" you can auto size it to posting size. :thumbsup: