Restoring 1947 Tourette Teardrop: Hinge questions

[burlesot]

All,

Getting ready to re-install my hinge on the teardrop. The original design had a piano hinge with a rubber 'gasket' underneath it. Does anyone have an idea of where I could get a two inch wide, five foot long rubber gasket to replace this? I was thinking of a bike inner tube. What do you think?

Todd

[doug hodder]

You could use butyl tape, available at any RV place. I've done the bicycle inner tube trip on a '49 Kit back in the early 80's with mixed results. FWIW. Doug

[bobhenry]

Rubber roofing scraps work great.

Also any honest to God plumbing supplier has sheet neopreme rubber for gasket material.

That's where I got mine for the chuckwagon. I placed mine under and over the hinge.

Scroll way down for pics.....http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=30307&start=105

[prohandyman]

I use rubber shower pan liner. Most home centers, flooring shops and bath remodelers stock it. Of course you will penetrate it with screws for the hinge...Rv flexible sealant in screw holes.

[burlesot]

Thank you all for the posts.

I recently purchased 3/4" Butyl Tape to use on the fantastic fan; do you think this would work well enough for the hinge? I will obviously caulk the holes where the hinge will be screwed into as well.

Thanks,
Todd

[48Rob]

Todd,

RV putty tape, or butyl tape will work to seal the screw holes.
I wouldn't trust just a rubber strip to seal the screw holes.
The rubber strip is used to keep water from coming in around the center of the hinge, as it is not designed to be waterproof, like a hurricane style hinge.

I'm not familiar with what your trailers manufacturer used originally, but most in that era used a strip of the most waterproof canvas available, and wrapped the hinge, sealing the canvas at the top.
Most also used a strip of rubber, or other material to separate the two types of metal; steel hinge/aluminum skin, which may be what you're seeing?
If the rubber under yours went all the way and the hinge was installed flat, then that may be a good option to replicate.

These pictures may help to explain the canvas wrap.

Rob

[burlesot]

Rob,
Originally, there was only the rubber 'gasket' under the hinge.

I kind of understand the canvas; it looks like it goes over the hinge; am I right about that?

Do you think that the butyl tape would be enough under the hinge? Should I put the rubber strip over the butyl tape?

Thanks a lot.

T

[doug hodder]

No...the butyl strip has to bond to both pieces. If you can, apply it in warmer weather and when you screw it down, don't tighten them all the way up from the get go. Get all the screws in and then work your way across the hinge gradually tightening them up. It will flow into all the preexisting holes and sort of squish out from under the hinge. I take an old credit card and use the corner to clean off the squish on it. Don't squish out all the butyl tape. Also, make sure to remove the paper from the butyl. On the last trailer I took apart...they didn't remove the paper...guess what...it never sealed! Doug

[burlesot]

Doug,
Got it.
I actually was going to 'bolt' the hinge on. It was originally riveted. I had to remove the rivets to get the hinge off. I don't own a commercial grade rivet tool and the rivets are quite large. Larger than I can do with my pop rivet gun. Shouldn't be much different on your instructions other than instead of 'screw' it, I will bolt it. I'll still not crank it down all the way and will use a credit card to 'clean it up.' Sound right?

T

[_Ryan_]

Here's a great thread you should read about piano hinges and seal options.

http://tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=11170

Good luck!

[working on it]

Though I don't have a piano hinge on the hatch, using gate hinges instead, I do have a very large gap to shield from the elements. Having obtained a scrap (but new) length of conveyor belting (12" wide), I cut a 51" length, turned sideways, to span 6" on either side of the closed hatch (squareback style). The ends were clamped between strips of aluminum flat stock, bolted and PL adhesive to the roof and hatch (measured to be at maximum tightness when the hatch is closed). Since the conveyor belt had pinhole, or smaller, openings in it's surface, I used a combination of rubber sealing spray and truck bed liner spray to seal them. The hatch will also get a compression gasket, to help seal it when closed. The hatch is 48" wide, so the extra 1.5" overhang per side can route drips away from the opened hatch at camp. . Another precaution: the hatch is set to open at 105 degrees, and I intend to tilt the trailer down at the rear, by 5 degrees, so all rainfall should be directed toward the re-directing pieces of belting, and not pool on the roof or hatch panel.

[48Rob]

Todd,

Yes, it goes over the top of the hinge.

If the hinge lays flat, spanning from the hatch to the body, and the rubber also spanned the widh of the hinge, and was rivited on, then you would not use any butyl or sealer.

You need to make sure you have the right kind of rivets (not pop pivets) and have the correct sized holes for them.
If all is sized correctly, the rivets will expand and seal the holes, with the rubber simply being held tight by the rivets.
The purpose of the rubber in your case is to prevent water getting in the gaps where the hinge opens/closes.

One improvement over the original you might consider is using a stainless steel hinge.
The rivet and rubber arrangement you have will tend to trap or hold moisture between the rubber and the bottom of the steel hinge, resulting in rust.
The moisture will still be trapped with stainless steel, but you won't have rust streaks.

Rob

[burlesot]

Rob,
I don't have a rivet gun; I was planning to bolt it.

I was also planning to install an inner tube over the top of the hinge, with a piece of to hold it down.

So, was planning to have the butyl tape under the hinge and the rubber over the hinge.

Sound good?

Todd

[burlesot]

And, thankfully, the piano hinge is stainless steel!

TB

[48Rob]

Rob,
I don't have a rivet gun; I was planning to bolt it.

I was also planning to install an inner tube over the top of the hinge, with a piece of to hold it down.

So, was planning to have the butyl tape under the hinge and the rubber over the hinge.

Sound good?

Todd,

Pretty much.
I'd use putty under the hinge, sealant in and around the bolts, and attach the rubber with a separate strip of aluminum, instead of counting on the bolts to keep it tight.
The rubber will be under bending force when the hatch is open, and can pucker between the bolts.
I guess you could lay the hinge, then the rubber, then a strip of aluminum on top, to assure the rubber stays flat.

Rob