suicide door on Safari

[A-Merry-Can]

mine always said "do what you love... money will follow..."

doesn't always work, though huh?

jp

[FreshAir]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

mine always said "do what you love... money will follow..."

doesn't always work, though huh?

jp

Yeah, heard that one too. I love my kids and my 'money is following' them.....and theirs.
Neil.

[safari57]

Okay folks - Suicide doors are to the hotrodder the epitomy of style in a 30's steetrod, or a later custom. The way I look at it I've acquired a factory built hotrod attachment. Many people who have looked at the trailer have commented on how welcoming an entrance it makes for the trailer when the door is open. It just says "come on in, the door is truly open". When you walk up to it there's not a door to have to walk around, and even with the awning leg there it still leaves a nice open feeling to guests.

Or that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Barry

[A-Merry-Can]

i've got sui-s on 2 outta 3 of my babies! i'm with ya!

jp

[Someday'59]

This is a very old thread but thought I would ask here anyway.
I'm particularly interested in responses from anyone who has repaired a suicidal suicide door.

Our suicide door flew off on the freeway today. The door came off of the trailer with the hinges attached. The door failed at the rivets that attach the hinges to the trailer.

Have any of you reinforced the aluminum on the trailer after having lost a door on the highway? The holes were the rivets were are large, no longer flush (they stick up kind of like little volcanoes now) and a few of them have small tears.

We may add a hasp like Brad's and we're trying to decide about reinforcing the aluminum on the side of the trailer. (http://www.airforums.com/forums/f453...ari-25182.html post #10)

Our deadbolt wasn't enough to keep the door closed. It was still dead bolted when we picked it up by the side of the road. The handy dandy wooden doohickeys are nice but our '59 doesn't have an outside grab handle.


What to do? Limp 500 miles home with a plastic over the door or fix it on the road?

[flyfshr]

Fix it on the road like I did. I added a bunch more rivets to the door hinge to side of trailer and used the next size larger than what was on there so I could use the same holes after flattening down the 'volcanos' as you call them.

My road trip repair has held up for 12 years. Don't forget the vulkem once you get home.

Brad
FF

[oledawg]

Hmmm, "wooden dohicky" would have been nice when my suicide door came open while traveling yesterday...is there a source?


Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[flyfshr]

No source for a 'doohickey' since every trailer is different. Should be fairly easy to make your own if you have a band saw.

Brad
FF

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by Someday'59

Our suicide door flew off on the freeway today. The door came off of the trailer with the hinges attached. The door failed at the rivets that attach the hinges to the trailer.

Our deadbolt wasn't enough to keep the door closed. It was still dead bolted when we picked it up by the side of the road.

If the hinges fail like that, certainly the deadbolt is of no use.

If hinge failure is a problem on certain models I am surprised no one uses the pin modification. This is something we do on outward opening exterior doors so that they cannot be broken into by removing the hinge pins and pulling the door deadbolt and all.

The pin must penetrate the door and the jamb enough that it could hold in place without a hinge.

They can be placed anywhere on the door jamb - they do not have to be placed at the hinge.

On an Airstream hollow door it might require a through bolt or some reinforcement around the pin.



You can also buy a similar product which replaces a hinge screw, from security stores.

[flyfshr]

Although really cool, these won't work because the hinges are external and not concealed like in the illustration above.

Brad
FF

[Wayward]

Originally Posted by flyfshr

Although really cool, these won't work because the hinges are external and not concealed like in the illustration above.

They can/should be placed in the door jamb - they need not be on the hinge.


http://www.peerlessdoorlocks.com/jambpins.html

[dkottum]

Easier than a wooden doohickey is a rubber doorstop inserted under the grab handle through to block the door from opening. Put a little bungee on it and loop it through grab handle to keep it handy when traveling, hang it on the key hooks when in camp.

[Someday'59]

Originally Posted by Someday'59

What to do? Limp 500 miles home with a plastic over the door or fix it on the road?

We did limp home, then fixed the door. Three months later, I am finally read to "talk about it."

Here's the story about the door falling off: 1959 Airstream Overlander, "Someday": That Time the Door Blew Off

Here's how we fixed it: 1959 Airstream Overlander, "Someday": Assessing the Damage

[FreshAir]

Back when this thread started I posted an article under the menu drop downs at the top of this page. Click 'More' and you will find a number of interesting articles about Airstreams. Mine on this subject is the second one listed.......oh alright here it is ; Make Your Own Suicide Door Security Latch

Neil