Hatch Solution and Detail Work

My hatch has not properly closed since I bought the teardrop.  It seems to have been slightly bent out of shape and it always made it very difficult to fully close.  This was a problem on the road because moisture made its way into the galley.  Today I finally fixed that.  On one of the forums I had recently posted on, it was suggested that I try 'compression latches' to get the hatch to close properly.  It was just the ticket.  I picked up a couple of the latches and carefully drilled and bolted them into place.  The result was a smoothly closed hatch.

As an added benefit, the aluminum at the corners had been kind of mangled in the past, the latches cover the yucky metal.  I think it looks pretty good!

I think the latches blend in quite well with the details along the bottom.

 I finally added some labels to help me remember which way is on/off for the outdoor LED porch lights.

You can also see the small black strip of velcro that now holds the sliding shelf in place while on the road.  It kept sliding out when we were traveling.

I also added some labels to the interior door locks.  I could never remember when they were locked or not.  The latches open whether they are locked or not from the inside, but it is inaccessible from the outside.  This will add a little more security inside the teardrop.






Those are all the details I was able to complete this weekend.  I will be installing a hitch on my other vehicle, my Honda Civic.  I'll also be adding a charging circuit so that while we tow, I'll be able to trickle charge the teardrop's battery.  I've learned a lot about electrical work while working on this teardrop.  Doing the wiring for the tow vehicle will be yet another learning experience.

Door and Hatch Locks

What a difference a few swipes with a square file can make!  Thirty seconds later, the brand new chrome handles fit perfectly in the antique inner assemblies.  I WD40'd everything and tried them out.  I decided not to mount them yet.  I figure that when I polish the skin it will be easier to do the door without the handles on.

The new chrome handles are going to look sweet on the shiny new skin!  I've got a chrome little 'button' that will go on the bottom hole.  I can't figure out exactly what that was for on the old handle. 

Here is an above view of how the old mechanism fit with the new handle.  The original designers came up with a pretty good way to 'hold' the locking mechanism by placing the metal on a block of wood.  It looks much better with a nice coat of Rustoleum!

Side view of the same thing.

This is my new chrome galley handle inserted into the original latch.  I'm going to need to add some 'bushing' to the shaft of the handle.  It is a few millimeters thinner than the latch socket.  Interesting, a millimeter here/there sure makes a difference.  I think I like this latch mechanism a lot more than the 'new' one.