Roof hatch replacement ideas.

[Chess]

Both of the roof hatches in my bus have seen better days and neither of them latch in place and are broken off their hinges dang goats on the roof...
Anyway before it starts to be rainy cold snowy for the winter and fall I really feel like I need to replace these things and I'm looking for suggestions and what has worked for other folks. I would like to come up with a ecological and economical solution where we can have a screen at some point in time and have a clear skylight type window at other points in time I'm not quite sure how to do the window with weather stripping that will be leak proof if it is not permanent but I really like the idea of having a screen on most days that are not sweltering and for ventilation when the stove is going.

[o1marc]

I replaced both hatches with tinted Lexan skylights. Then I mounted the fan/vent in the middle of the rear one.

[sojourner]

I removed both hatches (cracked and beyond repair) and used 17ga galvanized sheet metal to cover the opening and previous mounting holes. Drilled, sealed and riveted in place.

[DeMac]

Originally Posted by sojourner

I removed both hatches (cracked and beyond repair) and used 17ga galvanized sheet metal to cover the opening and previous mounting holes. Drilled, sealed and riveted in place.

Nice.

I did the same, using 16g galvanneal 28.5" X 30". One with a 14 -3/16" sq hole. Dynatron/SS rivets
(Note the white plastic barrel inside the bus, ha.)


I bridged the ribs & centered the rivets with both hat channels.


Documented, here:
https://www.skoolie.net/forums/membe...+ac-page2.html

The white on the roof is not paint. I only cleaned the work area of dirt & pollen. (Small amount of primer, under the patch.)

[Bus'n it]

I went the spendy route with Vetus Marine hatches.

[musigenesis]

I built a skyhatch by cutting a hole in my original hatch and screwing a piece of Lexan over it. I'm eventually going to make a piece of plywood-covered XPS foam that fits into the opening and is held in place with draw latches, to keep from losing too much heat through this. I'll also build a screen that will be held in place with the same latches, so I can open the hatch fully and still keep the bugs out. Or: I'm going to make a sort of small tent that will fit over it, with a solid top and screened sides so I can keep it open while it's raining.

With your old hatches trashed out, something like this is probably not an option for you.

[Delos356]

Originally Posted by Bus'n it

I went the spendy route with Vetus Marine hatches.

Those look nice! Do you have a link?

[AdamKnox]

Hey Bus'n it,
What's the security on those? It looks like it doesn't lock. Is that just perspective? Thanks! (second on the link request - I found some at West Marine, but yours may be different)