Hinges Teardrop-style Door Hinges

Discussion in 'Camp-Inn Options & Accessories' started by Les Izmore, Nov 17, 2016.

  1. Les Izmore

    Les Izmore Junior Ranger

    Something those of you with 2012 & later teardrop-style door hinges might want to add to your 300 night maintenance chores is tightening the door hinge bolts (and screws, if needed).

    We've passed the 600 night mark and recently found that the hinges on one side of the camper were very loose; to the point where the lower pat of one of the doors was starting to scrape against the frame. I tried to tighten the screws with limited success: some of the screws closest to the gap between the door and the door opening would not tighten. And I also couldn't loosen them in order to remedy the problem. I notified Cary, and he replied back that the two sets of screws on either side of that door gap are not screws, but bolts. And the issue was that the bolt on the inside was slipping, so that the outside bolt could not be tightened or loosened.

    I've always heard this sort of bolt being referred to as a post bolt, but he referred to the female side of the arrangement as a sex nut. Whatever the terminology, the female end of this arrangement is found inside the cabin or door, on the side opposing the outer screws (bolts) that I am referring to. So if you have trouble tightening the hinge bolts from the outside, simply keep the "sex nut" steady on the inside while tightening the bolt from the outside. For the lower hinges it may be helpful to have some assist you with this.

    So - after 600+ nights and 50,000+ miles, the only door maintenance that we have needed is lubing the hinges and tightening the bolts! I wonder how many owners of other campers by now might have watched in horror as their trailer door fell off and bounced down the road behind them?

    Good Job to Cary & Craig! Especially after we discovered this issue several hundred miles down the Baja Peninsula! It's great to have a quick, easy and painless fix!! This is yet another testament to their commitment to ferret out minor flaws in a superior design, and to find permanent fixes to eliminate minor issues. We have always known they are awesome, but we understand that more and more the longer we live on the road is our incredible teardrop camper!
     
    RollingRob and Tom & Diana P like this.
  2. Larry Running

    Larry Running Junior Ranger Donating Member

    We have piano hinges. For quite some time we had a problem with one of the doors opening while on the road. I mentally would blame Peg for not locking or not closing her door tightly. I eventually found that the top 4 or 5 screws on the hinge were loose. Grab the phillips and tighten right? Not so easy. The screws started pulling through the holes. Now the problem was backing out enough screws so I could get the the screws which are now stuck behind the hinge out. After retrieving them I put them back in with some tiny washers I had with me. I now make sure to carry extra tiny washers so if a screw comes loose I will just take it out and put a washer on from the get go. These are really tiny washers and are not even noticeable.
     
  3. Les Izmore

    Les Izmore Junior Ranger

    I have heard that the standard cure for loose screws on the older piano style hinges is to remove the screws, fill the holes with toothpicks and wood glue, then reinstall the screws. It may also be possible to retrofit a few of the screws with post bolts like those on the teardrop hinge, though you would probably want to run that past Cary, just in case there is a valid reason why that wouldn't be a good idea.
     
  4. Cary Winch

    Cary Winch Camp-Inn Staff

    I do have to amend this advice somewhat. As we teach in orientation, do not take a screwdriver to your door hinges and check to see if they are tight. All your screws are glued in place, including these screws. Checking the torque of the screws periodically will only break them loose and cause them to work loose on their own after that.

    So, for sure follow Steve's lead on checking to make sure your door screws are tight after several hundred nights but it should be a visual inspection, not a torque inspection. If you do find that a screw is loose, remove the screw and reapply a adhesive of some sort to re-secure the screws back in place.

    Cary
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2016
    Kevin S, RollingRob and Tom & Diana P like this.
  5. Tom & Diana P

    Tom & Diana P Novice

    It's obvious we may experience information overload during orientation when we finally pick up our CI. I can hardly wait for the challenge of keeping up with Cary! In the meantime, reading the posts in these forums is enlightening.
     
  6. Gonzo

    Gonzo Newbie

    LOL TOM, That's funny. We pick up our 550 Ultra in four weeks. I think I'm going to make Cary
    wear my Go Pro and record the whole orientation!!!

    Rick G.
     
    Tom & Diana P likes this.
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