Securing barn doors open in high winds

Converting Cargo Trailers into TTTs

Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby Staryder61 » Tue May 31, 2022 8:56 am

Has anyone came up with a bracket or solution to holding barn doors open in high winds, on their cargo conversion trailer?
The 15mph wind and door combination, damn near knocked me to the ground yesterday.. :shock:
Then the wind blew the door back the other direction, before I could grab it. And bent one of the hinges. :x

Safety chains could work one way, to keep door from being blown back to far..
though, wouldn't keep door from slamming shut.

So if anyone has a solution or opinion for this problem. Please let me know.
Your ideas here might help others now or later, looking for the same solution..

Thank you in advance..
Stay safe, David



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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby hankaye » Tue May 31, 2022 9:12 am

YO! tackle box, Howdy;

Try some of these;

https://www.amazon.com/Rv-Door-Holder/s ... oor+Holder

I woulda thought some came with the trailer...

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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby Staryder61 » Tue May 31, 2022 1:46 pm

hankaye wrote:YO! tackle box, Howdy;

Try some of these;

https://www.amazon.com/Rv-Door-Holder/s ... oor+Holder

I woulda thought some came with the trailer...

hank


Thanks hank,
have a couple different types of the 6 inch, not long enough..
Looked all through what the link had. Nothing will work.
Doors do not open back against the side, or regular RV catches would work.
Will load pictures of how doors open later..
Stay safe, David



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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby aggie79 » Tue May 31, 2022 4:27 pm

Hi David,

For our fence gates at home, I used a short length of lightweight chain as gate stays. One end of the chain is fixed to outside end of the gate with an eye-bolt. The other end is movable and attaches with a carabiner. There is a second eyebolt on the gate, that the movable end is attached to, when the gate is not open (or when I don't need to hold it open for an extended time). In this scenario, the chain just "droops" and "rides along with the gate when it is opened or closed. To keep the gate open, I unhook the movable end from the second eyebolt and attach to a third eyebolt mounted on the fence.

Take care,
Tom
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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby Staryder61 » Tue May 31, 2022 7:03 pm

aggie79 wrote:Hi David,

For our fence gates at home, I used a short length of lightweight chain as gate stays. One end of the chain is fixed to outside end of the gate with an eye-bolt. The other end is movable and attaches with a carabiner. There is a second eyebolt on the gate, that the movable end is attached to, when the gate is not open (or when I don't need to hold it open for an extended time). In this scenario, the chain just "droops" and "rides along with the gate when it is opened or closed. To keep the gate open, I unhook the movable end from the second eyebolt and attach to a third eyebolt mounted on the fence.

Take care,
Tom


Hi Tom,
Thanks for dropping in.
The doors open odd. As they don't open back against the trailer like some do.
They open like the drawings..

169334 169336 169332 169333

So basically you're talking something similar to the following drawing, right Tom?
That will probably work.. they'll just have to be open back fully if opened.. maybe I can find a case spring (trampoline type spring) to add in between one end of the chain and a carabiner, to ease the tension some..

169337
Stay safe, David



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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby Wrecit » Thu Jun 02, 2022 3:29 pm

Was going to post the idea you have diagramed above. Would stay away from the spring idea though. In a wind strong enough to engage the spring the recoil could cause slap back and stress/damage the hinges.

As a scaffold builder for 20 plus years I learned real quick when it comes to wind no movement is much preferred to "controled" movement
You hide your conversion and call it stealth. I put mine out in the open and give it a beer.

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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby hankaye » Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:29 am

Staryder61, Howdy;

Staryder61 wrote:
hankaye wrote:YO! tackle box, Howdy;

Try some of these;

https://www.amazon.com/Rv-Door-Holder/s ... oor+Holder

I woulda thought some came with the trailer...

hank


Thanks hank,
have a couple different types of the 6 inch, not long enough..
Looked all through what the link had. Nothing will work.
Doors do not open back against the side, or regular RV catches would work.
Will load pictures of how doors open later..


Strange, I also have a Trailers Plus but mine is an Interstate model, 6 X 14, single
axel and does have a set of the "Hold opens" like the set far right top row. hmmmmmm
The rear hinges appear to look to be the same as mine. Not the strap type found on others
and are more like the ones in their video where the dude hangs off the door and the hinge
doesn't fail/warp/bend. Might contact the Sales folks and ask them You're still in a close
enough time frame.

hank
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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby Staryder61 » Fri Jun 03, 2022 11:39 am

hankaye wrote:Staryder61, Howdy;

Staryder61 wrote:
hankaye wrote:YO! tackle box, Howdy;

Try some of these;

https://www.amazon.com/Rv-Door-Holder/s ... oor+Holder

I woulda thought some came with the trailer...

hank


Thanks hank,
have a couple different types of the 6 inch, not long enough..
Looked all through what the link had. Nothing will work.
Doors do not open back against the side, or regular RV catches would work.
Will load pictures of how doors open later..


Strange, I also have a Trailers Plus but mine is an Interstate model, 6 X 14, single
axel and does have a set of the "Hold opens" like the set far right top row. hmmmmmm
The rear hinges appear to look to be the same as mine. Not the strap type found on others
and are more like the ones in their video where the dude hangs off the door and the hinge
doesn't fail/warp/bend. Might contact the Sales folks and ask them You're still in a close
enough time frame.

hank


Thanks again Hank,
I've searched everywhere on line. For the hold open hangers that would work. :( most are just not long enough..
I'm using rachet straps at this point and time. Until I make something up better.
They work for the time being. Tom, mentioned the chain and carabiners. That may work as well. :thumbsup:
I may just make up dock ropes like I made and we used for our pontoon boat.
They were strong enough to hold the boat in high winds tied to the dock. I found the rope in the Conex box I used for that.
Stay safe, David



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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby JasenC » Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:31 am

I can see a couple ways to over engineer this to death, but a chain as already suggested or cable, you could do a stick, of wood, rod, pipe that attaches to lock it in solid from blowing back against the hinges as well.

Edit: If you did a stick, rod, pipe you could set it at 36" and put a shelf on it if you needed a little more counter space.
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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby Staryder61 » Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:50 am

JasenC wrote:I can see a couple ways to over engineer this to death, but a chain as already suggested or cable, you could do a stick, of wood, rod, pipe that attaches to lock it in solid from blowing back against the hinges as well.

Edit: If you did a stick, rod, pipe you could set it at 36" and put a shelf on it if you needed a little more counter space.


Jasen, thanks for the ideas you had. Had a bungee cord on one side yesterday, gave the door way to much spring. Rachet strap on the other door, didn't do half bad. Then I thought, why not use 20 inch galvanized pipe with elbows on each end, 3 inch nipples in the elbows. And 2 stainless steel eye bolts for the pipe to fit in, bolt one on the door, one on the trailer. Would hold it rigid enough both ways. :thumbsup:
Stay safe, David



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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby JasenC » Sun Jun 05, 2022 7:46 pm

Glad I could help solve the issue.

Sometimes you get tunnel vison on stuff like this, I surely do, a fresh pair of eyes can be helpful.
I'll be done when I'm finished, if that's not fast enough, take a number.

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Re: Securing barn doors open in high winds

Postby Staryder61 » Sun Jun 05, 2022 10:49 pm

Hi all,
I want to Thank you, Tom, Hank, Wrecit and Jasen for all the ideas you have posted here.
That's what I like about this forum..
Thank you all
Stay safe, David



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