Pop-Up Door Access Solution

[home skillet]

So as most of you know I am building my own pop-up camper in my garage. It is a hard side pop-up and so I have the problem that I can't open the door without popping the top first. I wanted the tallest door that I could get and wasn't willing to do a double door like the Alaskan.

My solution (although I plan to implement later) is a door inside a door.

Basically, I will cut out a second smaller door from the door that I already have made. This second door would be shorter than the pop-up section. I would then apply a thin aluminum frame to both of the new cut edges and a second lockable door latch. That way when I need to get into the camper (or let the dogs out) I can just open the mini-door and when the top is up I can open the whole thing as one unit with the big door. Does that make sense?



This simple design will work well with my solid carbon fiber over foam construction, but I don't see why traditional camper doors could not be modified to accomplish the same thing.
Any thoughts, suggestions, flaws that you all might have?

Home Skillet

 

[Barko1]

How much for the carbon fiber roof! Door sounds good.

 

[pods8]

As long as we're talking short height doors then yeah it sounds like a reasonable approach.

 

[home skillet]

Door Dimensions added to drawing:



Pods8 is right. This is only for quick access when stopped and not wanting to pop the top. But lets face it. If you are wanting to get into the camper with top down, then you can't even stand up inside, so a small door makes sense for just putting stuff in or pulling it out.

The "big door is just shy of 5' though and much taller than the average soft sided pop-up. Just another advantage to the hard sided pop-up.

 

[home skillet]

How much for the carbon fiber roof! Door sounds good.



The whole camper is actually carbon fiber, so I'm not sure exactly what I spent on the roof, but I guess around $1800.

Are you into some kinda project?

Home Skillet

 

[pods8]

I was actually talking a short overall door verse a fullsize door that can be done with at hard wall pop-up. I'm still debating how I want to handle things.

 

[Barko1]

The whole camper is actually carbon fiber, so I'm not sure exactly what I spent on the roof, but I guess around $1800.

Are you into some kinda project?

Home Skillet


From the bits I have on motorcycles I know quality CF costs a bunch. Just glad motorcycle don't have roofs My helmet is CF, nice and light.

 

[home skillet]

CF is really light and super strong. Yep pretty expensive, but not as bad as it was several years ago. I went through Soler Composites (an online store) for mine. Good quality from my experience.

Home Skillet