Box truck rear door options

[KevinLee]

I just bought a truck with a 16 foot box that I plan to convert into  a stealth camper. A couple of selling points were the over cab extension that might make a good bunk, and a man door on the side so you don't need to go in and out of the roll up door in back. Originally I thought I would put in a divider and use the back for a motorcycle garage and the front for my living area. After loading my bike in back I started having second thoughts, it looks like I need 7 or 8 feet in back leaving only 8 or 9 feet up front. Even with the loft bed over the cab, that's not much space. I decided that even though it would be a little less stealthy, I'm going to get a hitch mounted motorcycle carrier. 

That brings me to the back door. Some of the wooden boards in the roll up door are rotting, and a couple of hinges and one of the rollers have fallen off. I still have the parts, but I'm questioning if it's worth repairing. I'm thinking of eliminating it completely and walling off the back and putting in another man door. I'd like to keep it looking industrial, so I don't want a normal house door, and I'd prefer a smooth finish like the aluminum skin sides for the rest of the back wall. Can anyone give me suggestions on where to source the materials for something like that? I'd especially be interested in some creative engineering using salvaged materials (I'm on a tight budget.)

Thanks in advance.

 

[MrNoodly]

Until you said "tight budget" I was going to suggest framing out the rear opening with steel or aluminum, skin it with marine plywood and install a steel industrial door.

 

[KevinLee]

That's exactly what I had in mind, until I thought seriously about my budget. Right after posting that it occurred to me though, I live in an area where there are probably a lot of industrial surplus dealers around here, so I might just need to do a little research and scrap yard scouring.

 

[Matlock]

Hey Kevin, looks like you have a nice platform to start with with the Box Van.
As for the roll-up door. Why not keep it, scrounge repair pieces and fix it, then build a wall 4' inside the opening. Using that space for your garage and park the bike sideways. You'll still have a stealth look from the backend and just need to store a ramp (pull out) to push the bike up and down into the garage area.

If my 10' box was 12 or 14' that's the route I would have gone.

 

[KevinLee]

I have thought about having a garage space in the back. Unfortunately the wood for the roll-up door is so far gone that I should probably replace the whole thing. Even if I bought the wood myself and tried to transfer the hardware to the new boards, it would probably take more time and money than framing in a new wall and door(s). I'm still considering having a garage, just have to put in two walls.

 

[maki2]

Put a sheet metal skin onto a solid core, flat house door. You might find a scratch and dent solid core door at a store or on the free section of craigslist.

 

[technerd88]

I have thought about having a garage space in the back. Unfortunately the wood for the roll-up door is so far gone that I should probably replace the whole thing. Even if I bought the wood myself and tried to transfer the hardware to the new boards, it would probably take more time and money than framing in a new wall and door(s). I'm still considering having a garage, just have to put in two walls.

This is what happened to me, because mine is an 85. Im just framing mine with ground contact boards and ground contact plywood. its way way better than the stock door and all I did was buy a cheap steel door and installed it. just seal it all up real good so if you add a/c its energy efficient, same thing with heat.

 

[technerd88]

This is what happened to me, because mine is an 85. Im just framing mine with ground contact boards and ground contact plywood. its way way better than the stock door and all I did was buy a cheap steel door and installed it. just seal it all up real good so if you add a/c its energy efficient, same thing with heat.

I also plan on building a small "garage" closet on the back for my generator and A/C and tool storage with a marine vent fan in it and on the door side where I put the entrance on the back Im going to add a small porch and some fold out boards that can make it bigger if I and my partner want to sit out there and makes it easy to unload groceries!

 

[frankgibbons]

You can use the Goplus 600 LBS motorcycle carrier. It's worth the money.

https://rvingreviews.com/towing/best-rv-motorcycle-carrier/

It is solid and stable, plus the ramp is long enough to make loading easy. I re-drilled the pin location to pull it closer to the truck, mounted some skateboard wheels on the outer tie-down arms to roll it around and used lynchpins to hold the ramp on. The shoe that holds the front wheel solid is the best part.

I love this carrier.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

Check out this guy's build. It comprises stealth, but I dig the hominess the back door gives. I might do this and just try to back into a place where the door is not so obvious if I need to stealth camp. I also really like the floorplan.

 

[highdesertranger]

never use residential windows and doors for a mobile application. highdesertranger

 

[trailer-t]

highplainsranger, If you could explain more, what is the issue with the residential doors/ windows? Assuming it is going in a cargo trailer instead of a box truck. I was thinking of putting some windows in my cargo trailer. Thanks T

 

[B and C]

Square window frames and door frames will crack in the corners. Look at RV's, they all have rounded corners.

 

[tx2sturgis]

never use residential windows and doors for a mobile application. 

Hey, you should probably inform all the commercial manufacturers of mobile homes, tiny homes, and park trailers, etc that they are doing it wrong.

 

[B and C]

TX, they probably only get moved once in their lifetime and generally over paved roads.

 

[maki2]

Just in case you are doubting what people say about square framed doors in trailers....I can prove that what was said is true.

My vintage fiberglass travel trailer has a square entry door. I bought it as a fixer knowing I would have to do quite a lot of repairs to it. The photo above shows what happened at the corners of the square framed door, all four corners suffered this way and the aluminum metal frame had broken welds at all the corners. I did keep the same door as it would be a big job to rework the shape of that opening and then fabricate or purchase a new custom sized door. As part of the renovation I reinforced the whole area it was mounted in and reinforced the door frame as well. Fortunately my windows have radius corners and they did not develop cracks at the corners.

You can put in a square door if that is your only practical choice for whatever reason. But you can't just install it the same way you would in a house. It needs extra reinforcing to constrain the movement so that the corners don't separate. Sheathing both sides of the wall with plywood can help, much the same as gets done for earthquake and high wind retrofit reinforcing in older houses that were not framed using modern steel reinforcing plates such as the Simpson Strong Ties. Where there is a will there is a way. You just have to think it through for how to build it to resist the forces that get put on it.

 

[wayne49]

I have not seen an RV door that had rounded corners in all four corners.
I have a travel trailer and a class C, both have issues with the entry doors.
No problems with rounded windows in either.

Thinking about it, I have also had vehicles with door issues and it was usually misalignment at the top with the square corner.

 

[maki2]

Of course the whole theory of mobile vehicles not being able to have square corners doors actually is not true. There are millions of cargo trailers on the road and almost every one of them has doors that have 90 degree corners.

It really depends on how you build the wall, you have to build it so that it can't rack.

 

[trailer-t]

The original caution was about "residential" doors and windows. I am still wondering about what window is ok in a typical cargo trailer.
My side door from the factory is more of an "RV" style door--but it definitely has square top corners. No issues on it in 5 years-but no off road use either.

Thanks T

 

[highdesertranger]

sorry for the delay. 90 degree square corner will stress crack at the 90. just like in the picture Maki posted. houses even do this and they don't move down the road. if you notice airplanes and boats all have radius corners so do most 95%+ RV's now-a-days.

so that covers the why you don't want them from a design longevity point of view.

but also from a safety point of view resident windows do not use DOT approved safety glass. you might say, "what do I care about that I am not in the trailer when I am towing it. so what if the glass breaks in shards and go flying though the air. well what about the people next to you on a motorcycle, convertible or just pedestrians that just happen to be in the wrong place when you have an accident that sends glass shards flying through the air.

go to an RV salvage/surplus yard and get the proper windows and doors. if you get them this way they are not expensive at all. at the place I bought mine from the window were $1 per inch for used windows and $2 per inch for brand new windows. so for my 48"x30"brand new window it was 96 bucks. and for my used 36x24 window it was 36 bucks. I think you would be hard pressed to get the wrong type of window much cheaper.

highdesertranger