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Old 09-29-2018, 08:56 PM   #1
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Storage Bay Doors

Has anybody ever used these kind of hinges on a skoolie (conventional, NOT highway)?



What are the pros and cons of these vs regular awning style doors?



VS



Is it possible?

Thanks

G Dub

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Old 09-29-2018, 09:13 PM   #2
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With enough money, a grinder and a welding machine...almost anything is possible. But yes...I have seen a couple of installations of the lift style doors on other buses. They are pretty cool.
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Old 09-29-2018, 10:04 PM   #3
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With enough money, a grinder and a welding machine...almost anything is possible. But yes...I have seen a couple of installations of the lift style doors on other buses. They are pretty cool.
Don't forget: Time, Energy, and Money (oh wait, you said money. Well, it bears repeating).
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Old 09-29-2018, 11:00 PM   #4
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Aside from the coolness factor and challenge of engineering, I do not see the reason for the effort. I love my simple single hinge swing up hatches. Less to fail, seals well, and modified simply, serves double duty as an outdoor table or shade provider to battery bank or whatever you have stowed.
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Old 09-30-2018, 07:28 AM   #5
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The advantage is clearance, folks, and apparently the proper name is “pantograph hinge”. I would want one of these for my engine bay, in order to mount something at the rear and still be able to open the door. Thank you for sharing the PDF.

A cheaper option would be straight-up railing.
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Old 09-30-2018, 01:22 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Jameson View Post
Aside from the coolness factor and challenge of engineering, I do not see the reason for the effort. I love my simple single hinge swing up hatches. Less to fail, seals well, and modified simply, serves double duty as an outdoor table or shade provider to battery bank or whatever you have stowed.
Well, not to be overly argumentative...

You're right, the coolness factor and challenge of accomplishment are two reasons I have. Another is that those awning (swing up) doors do fail if you are using hydraulics to hold them up. If not, the latches can break pretty easily as well. Plus, and this is a big one, they tend to get in the way. I've hit my head (or other body parts) on them before while trying to dig stuff out in a hurry. But, on the odd chance that I need something in the bay shaded from the sun for the few minutes it's open, well, I guess you've got a point there.

It really comes down to taste. And there's no point in debating that. You like your swing ups. That's cool. I'm not going to tell you that one is better than the other when it comes to personal preference. Mine happens to be the pantograph hinge. (I feel smarter just using that term - pantograph).

One more thing: I think that these can be opened and kept up using only one hand. The other kind needs one hand to lift and one to latch - without hydraulics.

Thanks for sharing!
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Old 09-30-2018, 01:33 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Marceps View Post
The advantage is clearance, folks, and apparently the proper name is “pantograph hinge”. I would want one of these for my engine bay, in order to mount something at the rear and still be able to open the door. Thank you for sharing the PDF.

A cheaper option would be straight-up railing.
Your straight-up railing suggestion made me think of maybe using roll up doors of some kind, but me thinks the dust would be impossible to keep out. Plus, I doubt it would be reasonably priced.

Can you elaborate on the "straight-up railing" idea?

Glad you liked the PDF. You're welcome. And thank you for the input!
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Old 09-30-2018, 05:17 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by G Dub View Post
Can you elaborate on the "straight-up railing" idea?
Like a pull-out keyboard drawer but oriented vertically, with a stopper pin at the top. I like your roll-up idea and might end up incorporating a foldable/rollable material into my engine bay door (mounting the lights elsewhere, if necessary).

By the way, I have yet to run into swing-up doors that use hydraulics. Most of them use gas struts--which seem to be faulty by design, as I've also yet to run into a gas strut more than five years old that holds the weight of its door... and yet people just keep on replacing them.
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Old 09-30-2018, 05:36 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by G Dub View Post
Well, not to be overly argumentative...

You're right, the coolness factor and challenge of accomplishment are two reasons I have. Another is that those awning (swing up) doors do fail if you are using hydraulics to hold them up. If not, the latches can break pretty easily as well. Plus, and this is a big one, they tend to get in the way. I've hit my head (or other body parts) on them before while trying to dig stuff out in a hurry. But, on the odd chance that I need something in the bay shaded from the sun for the few minutes it's open, well, I guess you've got a point there.

It really comes down to taste. And there's no point in debating that. You like your swing ups. That's cool. I'm not going to tell you that one is better than the other when it comes to personal preference. Mine happens to be the pantograph hinge. (I feel smarter just using that term - pantograph). [emoji2]

One more thing: I think that these can be opened and kept up using only one hand. The other kind needs one hand to lift and one to latch - without hydraulics.

Thanks for sharing!
No arguments here, just a conversation about pros and cons as originally requested. I prefer less components as possible to fail, and that drives many of my preferences.
Good luck with your project!
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Old 09-30-2018, 06:33 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Marceps View Post
Like a pull-out keyboard drawer but oriented vertically, with a stopper pin at the top. I like your roll-up idea and might end up incorporating a foldable/rollable material into my engine bay door (mounting the lights elsewhere, if necessary).

By the way, I have yet to run into swing-up doors that use hydraulics. Most of them use gas struts--which seem to be faulty by design, as I've also yet to run into a gas strut more than five years old that holds the weight of its door... and yet people just keep on replacing them.
That's it. Gas; not hydraulics. I agree, they aren't all that great. I still feel like the roll up would allow too much dust in. I wish you luck in getting a tight seal. Plus, you may need to have a cloth lining on the inside surface of the roll up as well (for dust).
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Old 09-30-2018, 06:41 PM   #11
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No arguments here, just a conversation about pros and cons as originally requested. I prefer less components as possible to fail, and that drives many of my preferences.
Good luck with your project!
Yeah, I'm not really arguing either. I like how you think. Fewer things to go wrong is a solid philosophy. I honestly don't know which type of hinge is the best or longest lasting or most durable or...

For me, it's about the clearance, the coolness factor and not hitting myself with the dang door. I don't know which one will end up on the bus. It'll be just one of those things that will be determined by all of the factors.

I appreciate your input.

Cheers.
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Old 09-30-2018, 06:52 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by G Dub View Post
Yeah, I'm not really arguing either. I like how you think. Fewer things to go wrong is a solid philosophy. I honestly don't know which type of hinge is the best or longest lasting or most durable or...

For me, it's about the clearance, the coolness factor and not hitting myself with the dang door. I don't know which one will end up on the bus. It'll be just one of those things that will be determined by all of the factors.

I appreciate your input.

Cheers.
If you go that route please post pics, someone suggested it for engine access and I like that idea. Either that or a Lamborghini engine bay door.
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Old 09-30-2018, 08:03 PM   #13
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Depending on how you do it, a roll-up door will take up an inch or two (the thickness of the door) inside at the top of the compartment every time the door is opened. (Either that, or you'll have a rectangle somewhere for the door to spool on to when rolled up.

I'd rather have a solid panel that doesn't take up storage space in my bay, and only has one piece to get a good watertight seal.
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Old 10-01-2018, 08:26 AM   #14
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If you go that route please post pics, someone suggested it for engine access and I like that idea. Either that or a Lamborghini engine bay door.
When I begin the build I hope to record the whole thing with video and still photos.

Ironically, I think I'd prefer having a door that swings up over the engine compartment, since I'd be more likely to spend some time there when I do need to open it (and have some shade). But I'm not going to go for a pusher; I want a conventional front engine bus.

Like I said, it's just personal preference, but I really like the look of the doors that go straight up and trays/mounts that slide out. This combination seems to provide maximum access and ease of getting to your stuff.

Here's a brochure (PDF) from someone who sells trays of different sizes.

Be blessed.

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Old 10-01-2018, 08:37 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by Mark_In_MA View Post
Depending on how you do it, a roll-up door will take up an inch or two (the thickness of the door) inside at the top of the compartment every time the door is opened. (Either that, or you'll have a rectangle somewhere for the door to spool on to when rolled up.

I'd rather have a solid panel that doesn't take up storage space in my bay, and only has one piece to get a good watertight seal.
Yup. Having a good seal (against dust and water) is HUGE. And depending on what you've got in there, keeping out the heat or cold might be a thing as well (to a degree - no pun intended). And we always have to be mindful of using our precious volume wisely.
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Old 10-01-2018, 10:50 AM   #16
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Seems to me the struts and brackets needed for the fancy doors would take up space in the storage compartment. What if the stuff inside shifts, and blocks those long curved brackets? Really cool looking, yea, but I'd go with the swing-up doors hinged at the top; they would help keep rain out, also, if you need access inside the storage when it rains.
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Old 10-01-2018, 12:22 PM   #17
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Seems to me the struts and brackets needed for the fancy doors would take up space in the storage compartment. What if the stuff inside shifts, and blocks those long curved brackets? Really cool looking, yea, but I'd go with the swing-up doors hinged at the top; they would help keep rain out, also, if you need access inside the storage when it rains.
Those are good, thoughtful comments; the kind that we all need to hear and heed.

As I look at the image in the OP, it seems that they would be out of the way when opening the door. If anything, it might be a problem closing them if the bay is not loaded correctly. Also, this kind of hinge has been in use for decades now on commercial busses, where the loads are able to be in any kind of condition. Still, your point is well taken.

Thanks for the thoughtful input.

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