Meanwhile in the Netherlands,...

[smeerkees]

I think this is more like it.

[smeerkees]

Yeah, definatly.

[smeerkees]

So at last some real progress.
Something what looks like real hinges...

[smeerkees]

From another angle...

[smeerkees]

Then at last the complete sum of parts...
Something like this.

[smeerkees]

the underside also some weld props.
Welding only on the topside is to thin in my eyes, and may couse taering over a long time
caused by loadpeaks while driving and bouncing the teardroptrailer behind your vehicle.

[smeerkees]

The side of the hatch will be mounted with nutserts.

In part that i dont want to weld on to the pre bend hatchsides.
By bending those square tubes there is a lot of tension in the material.
By welding on them they will lose some of there pre bend form.
And those bends being part of an elipse it is very difficult to bend them the same way twice.
(You have to bend all the square tubes symultainusly inch by inch on your rolbender.)

Also you want to have a way to (re) position the hatch a little bit.
Using bolts this way it is possible.

It is pretty precise.
I even have acounted the collarthickness of the nutserts in the measuremants.

[smeerkees]

Well this is about where i am at the moment.
Next is placing the nutserts,
place the middle rib of the hatch,
and only then can i see if i can mount the middle hinge.
The aligning of 3 hinges must be very precise.
If not the hatch will only open with difficulty, if at all.

The reason i want 3 hinges is simple: when you unbold one (the left side) the hatch will still be in place on the remaining 2 hinges.
Then you can easily slide the complete hatch to the left and voila you dismounted the hatch.

Hope to update you a little faster next time.

Greetz, Kees

[Hubert]

Awesome work.

[pchast]

Looks good..
Final alignment will be fun!

[smeerkees]

Man o man, here i am again.

Since the weather is pretty misrable today here in the Netherlands, and i have some new photograph's,
here an update. Probably the last one for this year.

Ok, Nutsert time!

Since the hatchframe is completly fixed and the hinges are now in there permanent place i now can drill the holes for the nutserts.

I took my time, undersized drilling the holes, and with a Dremel i grinded the holes on the exact place and size. (to counter the possibility of a "wandering drillbit").
The holes in the hinges as well as the holes for the nutserts pretty tight.

Allignment is already pretty close.
So the final alignment later should not be that difficult.
(If needed i can file out al little bit of the holes of the hingebracket).

[smeerkees]

Nutserts inserted....

[smeerkees]

And then finally:

[smeerkees]

and open ofcourse:

[smeerkees]

Does it realy work? Yes!
I hope to make some more detailfoto's of the hingebracket clearing the "rainwatergutter" drainsystem in de future.