how do i make the door???

[mikeschn]

Mike, sorry but this old boy ain't getting the idea of the T mold on your door. I always thought T mold is fitted into a grove and used to cap the edge of something.

It looks like you have part of the T mold covering the door opening when the door is shut.

Steve

Steve, no slots in this application. Just set it on top of the door and screw it in. here's a couple pics to make it more clear...






Mike...

[steve smoot]

Thanks brother Mike...I have seen the light...

[dh]

Mike, sorry but this old boy ain't getting the idea of the T mold on your door. I always thought T mold is fitted into a grove and used to cap the edge of something.

It looks like you have part of the T mold covering the door opening when the door is shut.

Steve

Yup, the "tang" on the tee wraps around the edge of the door, the "flats", well, one sits on the face of the door, and the other extends past the face of the door, and gets the weather stripping. This is where the off set hinge comes in, so there is clearance for the weather striping.

[steve smoot]

OFFSET HINGES... On geez, here is something else to figure out...

Mike, we need pictures of them offset hinges too...please...

Steve

[doug hodder]

Grant at Lil Bear has the door hinges that have an offset to them. A plus to those hinges is that with the angle bent into the flanges. This also provides an additional stiffening/flattening to the door that a typical piano hinge won't. If you have access to a brake...you can make them. There are lots of ways to hang a door though. Doug

[steve smoot]

Thanks Doug. I looked at Lil' Bear hinges and they are made for 1" walls (or less). Mine are like 1-3/4" thick.

I am leaning towards a design similar to how Mark (planovet) did his doors. Mark used a wood backer for the door to bump into and applied the weatherstrip to the wood backer piece. I would wrap the edges of door and opening with aluminum angles. Of course, it's still up for discussion.

If only I could use one of those CAD packages, I could show everyone what I came up with...

Steve

[mikeschn]

OFFSET HINGES... On geez, here is something else to figure out...

Mike, we need pictures of them offset hinges too...please...

Steve

I can't help with that. I don't have any offset hinges...

Mike...

[dh]

Mike, do you have a picture of the front top corner of the door, where the vertical and horizontal T-molding come together? Looks like you just overlapped them. This would greatly simplify my plan of mitering the T-molding.

[mikeschn]

Mike, do you have a picture of the front top corner of the door, where the vertical and horizontal T-molding come together? Looks like you just overlapped them. This would greatly simplify my plan of mitering the T-molding.

There is no vertical molding on the front of the door. There is in the rear. and yes I overlapped them.

I'll take more pictures tomorrow when it's light out.

Mike...

[dh]

There is no vertical molding on the front of the door. There is in the rear. and yes I overlapped them.



Mike...

Now you really have me scratching my head. Or are we talking about two different things? I was wanting to see what the molding looks like on the door face.

[doug hodder]

Thanks Doug. I looked at Lil' Bear hinges and they are made for 1" walls (or less). Mine are like 1-3/4" thick.
Steve

Ahh....mine aren't insulated walls or doors. just single thickness ply. However...since your door is thicker...you can build the stiffness/flatness into the composite door and get by with the flat piano hinge if that's your choice. I put a small flange on the interior of the body on the bottom that acts like a "dam" to help keep any wheel splash from the tow vehicle from coming in from the bottom onto the mattress. Just bump out the door when you install it so that it can accept the compressed thickness of what you are using for a weatherstrip with the aluminum trim like Mike has done. What you want to make sure of is that you don't make it too tight at the hinge so that it has a gap at the latch side. Make it uniform around the door.

As a side note...Danny has used the bendable drip cap in front of the hinge to divert water from that area as well as on the bottom edge. I plan on doing that on the Nomad as it's a 62" door opening and it's a suicide door. I think it will be a real +. Doug

[cuyeda]

Thanks Doug. I looked at Lil' Bear hinges and they are made for 1" walls (or less). Mine are like 1-3/4" thick. ...snip...

Steve

Steve,
I believe Grant will make custom widths on those hinges Doug mentioned. If my memory banks are correct when touring his shop recently, Grant mentioned this about the hinges. Give him a call to verify.

[bdosborn]

One thing that I found that helps when making insulated doors is to fit the frame into the door opening, wiggle it back and forth until its square to the opening and then put a cross brace on it.



My door opening wasn't exactly square and the door wasn't either. I left the brace on until I had the exterior skin glued and stapled on. Then it kept its shape.

I used the same t- molding that Mike did but I used a regular aluminum piano hinge instead of Grant's hinge. If you do it this way, make sure and put 1/8"x1" aluminum strap under the body side of the hinge to shim it out a little. Otherwise there isn't any room for the weatherstripping under the trim when you close the door.



My door is a little over 2" thick and the door is 1/2" smaller around than the door opening. I found out the hard way on the teardrop that the door will seal better if you put the latch in the middle of the door.

Bruce

[mikeschn]

Here is a picture of the door front



Here is a picture of the door rear



Mike...

[dh]

Here is a picture of the door front



Here is a picture of the door rear



Mike...

Thanks mike, that helps alot.