suicid doors

[donfordguy]

has anybody made the trailers with suicid doors like the old 30's cars

[Big Dan]

swing your door open and it will hit your fender

[absolutsnwbrdr]

swing your door open and it will hit your fender

Unless your wheels are tucked underneath, and then you don't have fenders.



It can be done. Anything you dream up can be done. As with everything else on these travel trailers, just find a way to make it waterproof. Oh, and if you do decide to use suicide doors, triple check them to make sure they are latched/locked before you head down the road. It could whip open potentially causing damage to the door and the trailer. If a typical door is forgetfully left unlatched, it wont slam open like a suicide door might.

(and yes, its happened to me once or twice, where a door wasn't completely latched)

[aggie79]

There are a few practical reasons you don't see too many suicide door installations on teardrops. They have been done though. You just need to keep the practical reasons in mind during your design and construction.

As mentioned, fender clearance on opening can be a problem. Another thing to think about is that if a suicide door comes open in transit, the wind will push the door open rather than helping it keep it closed as in a conventional arrangement. You will also have to keep in mind water infiltration while driving if you're in a rain. The hinge on a conventional arrangement can act like flashing and divert the blown rain around the door. With a suicide door design, the leading edge is "open" and you'll need to pay a little more attention to weatherstripping for driven rain.

[mvperini]

remember that once you are in the bed it will be harder to close the doors if they are suicide doors


Mike

[madjack]

...you may do as you wish...they have been done before BUT, they are called suicide doors for good reason........
madjack

[donfordguy]

thanks all sounds like bad ideal then

[madjack]

thanks all sounds like bad ideal then

I wouldn't call it a bad idea...just a difficult and questionable one...if you keep the downsides in mind and concentrate on the engineering problems, it can certainly be done and would look cool and be pretty unique..........
madjack

[doug hodder]

I'd say that on tears, it's not a great idea for some of the reasons stated, IE the fenders, but on a lot of smaller standies, it's not uncommon to find them. Over time, when the internal door frame and jamb starts to sag, then you can have problems. If not really thought out well and a good working/fitting latch, it's a real potential problem. It can be done, I've scratch built one with a screen door on my Nomad and it took a ton of time. I did it because that's what the Scotties had, (I was building a clone) and if I didn't do it that way, the door would cover a window when open. Doug

[jstrubberg]

They draw the eye because they are different, but there's a reason they didn't make it on production vehicles.

[Kens]

Yes they do make it into production cars my FJ Cruiser

[jstrubberg]

There are a few vehicles (and some pickups) that use them for the rear half door. There are none that use them for a full size door.

Not much choice on your FJ, since there is no B pillar to attach hinges to.

The biggest problem I can see with using them on a teardrop is trying to get and keep them sealed while driving.

[bdosborn]

Oh, and if you do decide to use suicide doors, triple check them to make sure they are latched/locked before you head down the road. It could whip open potentially causing damage to the door and the trailer. If a typical door is forgetfully left unlatched, it wont slam open like a suicide door might.

(and yes, its happened to me once or twice, where a door wasn't completely latched)

X2

Bruce

[doug hodder]

There are a few vehicles (and some pickups) that use them for the rear half door. There are none that use them for a full size door.

Last mass production vehicle with them full size was the '67-'71 T-bird 4 door. Plenty of cars in the 30's had them full sized in 4 door use, and a few were just 2 door models. Now...it's mostly a concept car thing for all the above reasons. Doug