Cut standard door into rear ramp?

[Twinsteel]

I recently acquired a used cargo trailer. It's a home-built unit that is built on an open cargo trailer frame. It's nicely done but only has a rear ramp door, and ideally I'd like to get into the trailer most of the time without dropping the ramp.

So I'm wondering, would it be possible to fit a standard type door into the ramp, rather than cutting one into the side of the trailer? Reason I ask is that the frame rails on the trailer sides are only 14" apart, so that would make for either a very narrow door or a tricky installation. The ramp door by comparison is merely a thick sheet of plywood with a steel frame surrounding it. It could be relatively easy to cut an opening in the plywood, frame it up and insert a door, if I can find or make one in the right size. I'd want the door to be lightweight so the ramp doesn't become a pain to drop & lift.

Has anybody done something like this?

[madjack]

...never heard of it being done but don't see why not...one thing though, once installed, I don't think I would be lowering the ramp any more..the racking forces would tend to warp, open or pop out the door, leading to BAD things...but as always, it is yours and YMMV...................
madjack

[bobhenry]

If the ramp can be removed and stored why not build an exterior wall in the hole. A nice window and door could be added easily and it could be a bolt in application that would allow you to remove it and reinstall the ramp later.

[Prem]

Easiest: Remove the ramp, frame in the hole, insulate and install the door you want it. One day.

Prem

[devigata]

What about putting in a false wall with a door behind the ramp door?

[jagular7]

What about putting in a false wall with a door behind the ramp door?

My thoughts. Use the drop ramp as a platform to the entrance of a door way. Add stands to keep it level. The you can screen it in with using entensions off the trailer sides, canvas/screens hanging off the trailer extensions and a top to keep rain off.

If you are good, you could also use it as a shower area as well and let the water run off into a simple center drain in the ramp and have it collected into a tub underneath.

And if you are really really good, you can make all this come together so when you drop the ramp, stabilize it on the ground, the roof extensions and canvas cover would deploy from behind it. The doorway, if needed, would be recessed deeper into the interior as the canvas/extension storage is behind the ramp.

At least it would be a nice dry place to keep your shoes/boots.

[Twinsteel]

Nice ideas. I like the concept of rigging an awning that drops down with the ramp, or at least can be assembled easily after dropping the ramp.

My original idea for a door mod was simply to create a way to get into the trailer easier without dropping the ramp, especially in a confined space, like when parked. So the idea of building a second rear wall inside the ramp door doesn't fix that.

[Curtis in Texas]

Add some railing on the ramp / porch and some steps to get onto the ramp door/ porch and with an EZ awning with bug screening and you'll have a nice porch for watching the sunset.
Put your entry door with screen door in the new removable rear wall and you've got yourself a mobile cabin right there. You could use some window type cam latches to secure the removable rear wall. Maybe add a flat screen TV hook on the outside wall for viewing on your screened in porch.

What a great way to maximize your space.

My 16 foot V nose trailer has two swinging doors, and I think I just talked myself into swapping them out for a ramp door.

[ARIZONA GUIDE]

If you are going to have to cut in a door why not just cut it in on the side like most cargo trailers. Then you still have the ramp door to use if you need to move something or use it as a haul trailer. I think if you cut a door in the ramp door it would creat a very weak spot that may give way to much and warp. Creat a floor plan and then you can decide if you want the door on the side up front or behind the fender. Or if you needed more space up fron you could position the door farther backthan most cargo doors. Try to post a photo of the home built trailer it may help us come up with some more ideas.

[devigata]

And if you are really really good, you can make all this come together so when you drop the ramp, stabilize it on the ground, the roof extensions and canvas cover would deploy from behind it.

THIS would be wonderful! I'll bet a boat canvas person could design something.

We're playing around with an old EZ Up that I've disassembled and have some ideas about. We also have some old shock-cord tent poles we want to rig to make the tarp taut. John needs to fab something up for where the arms will hook to the top of the trailer (think ladder-rack). Nothing's finalized. When we get it together, we'll put up pics.

To make it all set up in one fell swoop would be wonderful.

[Prem]

EZ-UP?

I had my EZ-up staked down at all four corners with long spikes. The wind still ripped it out of the ground and flipped it over onto my trailer out at the lake a couple of weeks back. That damaged the scissor mechanism of the EZ-up. They are so heavy, but so easily blown over that I won't have another one. (Not to mention the fact that they only provide shade when the sun is directly overhead. Late afternoon, scorching sun comes right in the sides.)

Prem

[ARIZONA GUIDE]

We were camping a couple weeks ago over in NM. My cousin had two EZ ups set up and we had one set up. all staked to the ground. the wind kicked up and one of my cousins flew up in the air it almost landed in my awning of my 27 foot Trail lite camp trailer. The bad thing is my 11 year old daughter was hit in the side by one of the leggs. I thought it broke a rib with as much pain as she was in. We took her to the hospital in springervill AZ. she was just bruised up real bad. We will still use our over our eating area, but only tied to trees so it can not blow away.

I just saw someone post up a track like in the tent trailers. all you need is some tarp and cord of some kind to make the part to slide into the track.

[Twinsteel]

Again, the reason I'm reluctant to cut in a side door is that the steel frame rails in the walls on my homebuilt trailer are only 14" apart -- too narrow for any real door. But now I'm liking this idea of turning the rear ramp into a fold-down deck. And I'm thinking maybe I'll cut a smaller access hatch into the side of the trailer instead of a regular door -- something big enough to get a duffel bag or a cooler out, maybe, without dropping the ramp.

[devigata]

But now I'm liking this idea of turning the rear ramp into a fold-down deck.

If you look at my last post in my build thread, you can see what John has worked up. The legs fall down as the ramp is lowered. They're adjustable if we happen to be parked on a slope.

We still need to adjust them and get a couple of those rubber feet that are on the ramp door. He wants to mount them towards the bottom of the legs when the door is up to eliminate rattle.

There is enough room for two camp chairs, but we use it as "the kitchen floor" so to speak.

BEFORE:



AFTER:



This pic of our galley is from April when we were in Tallahassee. The wind off the bay was so intense, this was the only time we used the canopy.



We've also decided that for the two of us that cooler is just too large, so it has been replaced with a couple of smaller ones.

Also, we bumped our heads on the side railings of the canopy because it was just about 3" too low (under the drip rail). That's why we're looking at something with a tarp. We had planned to use it only on the side anyway.