What's behind Door #2 ?

C00LR

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Posts
174
Location
Haysville, Ks
Mine has an RV door. It works fine no problem. I think that if I were in your shoes I wouldnt use a wood door. I might go with a steel mobile home door or an RV door. Do they make the mobile home doors small enough to fit in the opening without major mods? I'm not crazy about the RV door in mine. It locks and all but wouldnt be much work to break in. But then again, it keeps the honest people out and if someone is determined to get in there they will. Look at that big windshield right there. But that subject is covered in another thread. You need to make sure you put a decent size window and install it as high as possible. I have an awesome blind spot out the right side and sometimes kind of have to lean over to see out the window so I am sure I am not going to pull out in front of someone when turning.
In the pics below, you can see the view out my window isnt very good. Of course your looking at the neighbors house and cant see what I see when out and about but you get the idea. I also sort of wish there was a window down low as well.
 

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My solution has worked well for me, I used a Larsen "Secure Elegance" storm door on mine, it contains the five items that were important for me...

1. Full view window top to bottom...
I wanted a big window with a clear view so when driving I did not have hampered visibility.

2. Tempered Safety Glass (as required by DOT)...
It also had to be made with the right materials so that if I ever got caught up in a DOT inspection, this thing would pass. The glass is double tempered safety glass with a plastic membrane in the middle... same thing as an automotive windshield. You can break it, and the glass will shatter in a gazillion pieces, but that membrane holds it all together, and you can't actually get through it. You can beat on it all day long with a baseball bat, you'll smash the glass but you are not getting in.

3. Dual secure locking mechanism (as required by DOT)...
This was part of the security feature of this door, it had not only handle like all storm doors do, but if you lift up on this handle two 'claw like' latches swing out & down and work like a pair of top & bottom dead bolts with hooks on them.

4. Very difficult to break in, this is a security door...
You can't open this door with those security latches, especially when you consider the bus door jam is made of steel and not wood.

5. A perfect fit...
I had a 32" opening, so I had to find something that would fit... I did have to fill in above the door, I used some 3/4" plywood and then mounted the outside light on that. The door comes in 36" & 32" sizes and can be purchased with left or right hinges...

I bought this door at Lowes, cost me a little over $300. My alternative was to use an RV style door, but I wanted more glass than those have.

front2.jpg


door-07.jpg


http://www.larsondoors.com/storm_doors/products/349_17
 
On my short bus I got rid of the original "manual" bars + and brackets and mounted a liniar accuator above the door. I welded a couple of tabs on the bar that connects the 2 doors + a simple mount on the other end of the accuator. It takes apx 5 seconds for the door to open or close. The accuator was like $70 new on ebay. Its has plenty of power-i'm sure it would work a larger door no problem.
 
My solution has worked well for me, I used a Larsen "Secure Elegance" storm door on mine, it contains the five items that were important for me...

1. Full view window top to bottom...
I wanted a big window with a clear view so when driving I did not have hampered visibility.

2. Tempered Safety Glass (as required by DOT)...
It also had to be made with the right materials so that if I ever got caught up in a DOT inspection, this thing would pass. The glass is double tempered safety glass with a plastic membrane in the middle... same thing as an automotive windshield. You can break it, and the glass will shatter in a gazillion pieces, but that membrane holds it all together, and you can't actually get through it. You can beat on it all day long with a baseball bat, you'll smash the glass but you are not getting in.

3. Dual secure locking mechanism (as required by DOT)...
This was part of the security feature of this door, it had not only handle like all storm doors do, but if you lift up on this handle two 'claw like' latches swing out & down and work like a pair of top & bottom dead bolts with hooks on them.

4. Very difficult to break in, this is a security door...
You can't open this door with those security latches, especially when you consider the bus door jam is made of steel and not wood.

5. A perfect fit...
I had a 32" opening, so I had to find something that would fit... I did have to fill in above the door, I used some 3/4" plywood and then mounted the outside light on that. The door comes in 36" & 32" sizes and can be purchased with left or right hinges...

I bought this door at Lowes, cost me a little over $300. My alternative was to use an RV style door, but I wanted more glass than those have.

front2.jpg


door-07.jpg


http://www.larsondoors.com/storm_doors/products/349_17

Is this mounted on the outside surface? As opposed to inside the space where the original bus door was.
 

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