[Rick_A]

I'm just starting on fitting the Oil access door and noticed a post by Vern that showed his aluminum door. Since the kit includes the fiberglass door it never occurred to me to make it out of aluminum.

So what's the downside of the fiberglass door and what's the benefit of the extra effort to make it out of aluminum?

BTW. I plan to use the spring loaded hidden hinge from justrvparts.

Thanks.

 

[Mike S]

So what's the downside of the fiberglass door and what's the benefit of the extra effort to make it out of aluminum?

Thanks.

Do you have any idea how tempted I am to answer "No Pinholes!"

But I shall maintain my decorum, and not say that.

 

[Steve]

oil door

Vern mentioned the glass door had a tendency to flex. I'm planning to make an aluminum door and already bought the latches from the surplus outfit in Kansas.

You using epoxy or microsuperfeatherfil on your oil door, Mike S?

@#$% baffling,
Steve

 

[bsacks05]

On my oil door I bonded in a couple stiffeners to the backside (two balsa wood strips covered in epoxy and micro) to prevent flexing. I also used a Hartwell latch instead of the protruding fasteners Vans supplies.

 

[shamer]

Rick,

I used the fiberglass door with the same hinge you're going to use and a single hartwell latch. The secret is stiffening the door. In my case I used quarter inch foam and covered it with carbon fiber. The foam is in a "U" shape to clear the latch. It's light, stiff, and doesn't distort in flight.
I really like the spring loaded invisible hinge. It looks great, works good and it wasn't difficult to do.
You'll like the end result.

Steve Hamer
RV-6 0-360 BA Hartzell
Apple Valley, Ca

 

[CNEJR]

I used a European Cabinet Hinge from Home Depot. Reenforced the fiberglass door with a little FG. It pushes inward, pull it halfway back up and it snaps in place. Not my idea, but it really works and looks nice.

 

[Sam Buchanan]

I'm just starting on fitting the Oil access door and noticed a post by Vern that showed his aluminum door. Since the kit includes the fiberglass door it never occurred to me to make it out of aluminum.

So what's the downside of the fiberglass door and what's the benefit of the extra effort to make it out of aluminum?

BTW. I plan to use the spring loaded hidden hinge from justrvparts.

Thanks.

I installed a Hidden Hinge from Just RV parts this morning on my RV-6. Write-up is here:

http://thervjournal.com/hidden_hinge.htm

I also elected to go with a new aluminum door. The Hidden Hinge is a clever item.

 

[vlittle]

The aluminum door has a few advantages:

- no pinholes!
- doesn't get soft and flex when hot
- the elephant ear camlocs on the fiberglass door tend to cause the paint to peel due to flexing.

I think it's quite possible to use a hartwell or camloc latch on a fiberglass door, but I would still rivet (or glass) stiffeners to minimize the flex.

I used aluminum because I was replacing the old fiberglass door with the camloc latch, and I had the aluminum handy.

Oh yeah, I saved about an ounce.

 

[rvtach]

I used a European Cabinet Hinge from Home Depot. Reenforced the fiberglass door with a little FG. It pushes inward, pull it halfway back up and it snaps in place. Not my idea, but it really works and looks nice.

Chuck-

How 'bout a photo or 2. Can't quite picture this but I like the sound of it.

 

[Rick_A]

Nice write up Sam.

Great write up Sam. I also like the way you framed the cowl on the inside.

 

[647jc]

My hidden hinge experience

My experience with the hidden hinge from Just RV Parts was not so favorable as others. I installed the hinge on a new RV9A cowl and had issues getting it to fit / work properly. The RV9A cowl (and probably other new cowls from Vans) have a small area of solid fiberglass (no honeycomb underneath), just above the oil filler door where the door hinge should be mounted. This small area is indented on the underside of the cowl and provides a place to rivet / epoxy Vans recommended hinge configuration. So, the location of the hinge is pretty well determined for you by this indentation.

If you mount the Just RV Parts ?hidden hinge? in this location, the geometry of the hinge will not be correct. The hinge installation instructions (although very terse) say to mount the hinge with the door attach point as close to the edge of the door as permitted by the door opening. This insures the door will open UP out of the opening before it begins to pivot. If you mount the hinge with the door connection further in and away from the door edge, the geometry of the hinge will cause the door to start pivoting before if clears the door opening and the top edge of the door will catch or hang up on the top edge of the opening. This may not be as big a problem with a thinner aluminum door but the fiberglass door is thick enough for this to be an issue as I found out AFTER I drilled the hinge to the cowl and door.

So, since the position of the hinge mount point to the cowl is predetermined by the cowl indentation, the only way I could see to move the hinge mount point on the door closer to the top edge of the door was to move the edge of the door closer to the mount point. I actually sawed about ?? off the top edge of the door and epoxied it to the upper door opening thus moving the hinge mount point closer to the top door edge. This corrected the geometry enough so the door now opens and closes without getting hung up along the top edge. I also had to provide a pretty good gap along to top edge of the door and opening to insure proper clearance.

Had the hinge been manufactured with a slightly smaller radius, none of this would have been necessary and it would fit a standard new RV cowl much better.

Overall I?m disappointed with the product and installation process. The $40.00 price is pretty steep considering what you get and the product really doesn?t FIT a current RV9 / RV7 cowl. I know the product isn?t necessarily designed for an RV cowl ONLY but perhaps they should consider making a version that would fit a newer RV cowl (smaller hinge radius). They should also consider providing a bit more detailed installation instructions, perhaps even providing some recommendations on how to install on an RV cowl since I assume that is where most of there hinges are getting installed, after all, the name of there web site is ?justrvparts?.

Anyway, I don?t profess being any kind of an expert on anything. I?m just a first time builder plodding along as best I can and the above was my experience and opinion of the product, your mileage may vary.

 

[N916K]

Make a hidden hinge

There is no need to purchase a special hinge. Just take some of the .032 bent angle scrap that you have laying around and make your own. I used three pieces riveted together along with a piece of hinge to create a hat section. By using a hat section it's very easy to fine tune the fit after the hinge is installed by closing or opening the hat section.

As far as the fiberglass door goes, use two more pieces of the bent 032 and your fluting pliers to reinforce the door. By fluting the angle you can fine tune the fit after it's all riveted together.

The inset that's formed in the stock cowl isn't very good so I just shaped the door the way I liked it them cut the cowling so the door just fit. Then I glass the step in the cowling from the back side. Kind of like Sam did with aluminum. You can also use a piece of stainless as a strike plate for the latch. That provides yet another tunable part and increases durability.

Cam