Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I'm set on ordering doors from Vintage Technology, and I know I can call and ask them this question if no one else can answer it. I figure other people may be sitting on the couch waiting for a question to pop up that they can answer. So here goes!

With 2" foam walls, PMF inside and out, will I need to add some wood structure to act as a door frame for these doors? Or can i simply cut the opening in the foam and slide the door into place? Has anyone installed these doors without wood supports?

Yes hi have to add wood as the compression of the ring would crush just foam. I've installed many of them.

It would be interesting to test it both ways ... Maybe find a way to circumvent the need for wood ( that wood again )

A formed channel of relatively thin sheet metal (like the thin galvy stuff that is typically used in HVAC duct work) surrounding the opening like ghcoe is doing might work well:
Working With Flashing and Beading

Also, check his build thread here.

linuxmanxxx wrote:Yes hi have to add wood as the compression of the ring would crush just foam. I've installed many of them.

Do you happen to have any pictures of your wooden frame? Particularly how you handle the curved corners.

My initial plan is to cut out the whole for the door, and add in wood 1x2's on the flat parts of the door frame, leaving the curved corners foam. Does anyone have thoughts on that working or not? Do I need wood structure around the whole thing?

mikeschn wrote:Well, I couldn't wait for the weekend. Wanted to play with the foamie again. So tonight I dug out the doors and started gluing up the hard edges all around, for the outside edges and the windows... Oh also for the hinges and the door handles. The hinge inserts are on the other side. I should have flipped a door around so you could see it. Ok, next time.

So here's what it looks like at quitting time...



Mike...

I just came across this post. The window supports in the door pictured are what I am considering trying for my full door. I think it should be plenty sturdy with enough wood surface to avoid any crushed foam.

I square framed it and took flat aluminum and bent it and matched the corner radius and screwed it into the wood on each end and filled the part behind the aluminum with foam. They take a good slam to shut so brace it as much as you can. I did full sandwich walls completely glued for massive strength and shutting still gave it a good jarring. Seriously make it strong or it will tear your wall out eventually.

"Seriously make it strong or it will tear your wall out eventually."
Steve, seriously , has this happened before or is it just speculation ...

I am installing windows with no wood. You would have to do some serious torqueing on the inside ring screws to get the foam to compress. In fact I would think the screw would strip long before you could compress the foam.

GPW wrote:"Seriously make it strong or it will tear your wall out eventually."
Steve, seriously , has this happened before or is it just speculation ...

Speculation I have installed a total of 6 of them and they are very tight sealed so it takes a very good slam to shut them unless you want to pull the handle and shove in every time you close them. Remember I did full glued sandwich with hard surface inner and outer layers which strength wise is vastly different than a almost complete foam layout.

I'm a long term looking person and I wouldn't install it just foam. If your camping and your foam breaks inside next to that door edge would be a very difficult repair. Better safe than sorry for about 3 to 4 pounds to secure a door that weighs about 10 to 15 pounds or more can't remember exactly but they aren't light.