Cargo Trailer Barn Door Entry Mod

[rmaddy]

I'm working on plans to convert an enclosed cargo trailer. I've been thinking about a way to modify the typical way that the barn doors are latched and locked. My goal is to have the barn doors setup in such a way that they can be opened from the inside, sort of like the rear doors of a van. This would allow for emergency egress through the back if ever needed.

I've done some searching on the Internet but I haven't found any reference to anyone doing such a thing. Is anyone aware of this being done? Any links?

I have some rough ideas on how it might be setup but I'm asking if anyone has some good suggestions on making it real.

My current thoughts:

- I only need one of the two doors to be openable from the inside. Both would be a bonus.
- I should be able to close and latch both doors from the outside.
- I have little need to close and latch both doors from the inside. Being able to close and latch one of the two from the inside would be a bonus.
- Whatever setup is used should function in a way that I can't get locked inside.
- There should still be a way to securely lock the rear doors during transport or when away from the trailer. This can be either internal or external.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[highdesertranger]

I like the way the barn doors lock so on mine instead of trying to reengineer the barn doors I did this,

I purposely ordered my trailer without the man door on the side, then I installed an RV door. an RV door has a screen door built in and can lock/unlock from both the inside and/or the outside.

then I am going to install an emergency escape window on the wall opposite the door.

so now I have an exit on both sides of the trailer. I bought my windows and door at a RV surplus yard they were quite reasonable.

highdesertranger

 

[rmaddy]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but having an egress window up front directly across from the side door doesn't really help in most cases. It seems to me that you need the 2nd exit to be toward the rear of the trailer. Imagine you are in the back of the trailer and something catches fire near the front. Now you can't get to either of your front exits. Having one exit in the front and one in the rear gives you an exit in either case. But I guess it also depends on the size of your trailer and its layout.

Having a rear egress window is my fallback option if I can't come up with a good solution for the rear doors. But a rear window isn't ideal for my current planned layout. Though an egress window in one of the rear doors might actually be an option for me. Hmmmm....

 

[highdesertranger]

it's not directly across from the door but forward of the door. I am much more likely to have a fire in the rear as that is where my 4wheelers will be. I wanted to have an escape on either side and the escape window is directly above my bed. highdesertranger

 

[MrNoodly]

- Whatever setup is used should function in a way that I can't get locked inside.

The easy solution I've heard of for this is to put a lock of your own through one half of the latch, with the external latch left open.

 

[MrNoodly]

Inside you could use heavy duty slide bolt latches.

https://www.mcmaster.com/latches

 

[rmaddy]

Inside you could use heavy duty slide bolt latches.

https://www.mcmaster.com/latches

Thanks for the link. That's a good starting point for my search on appropriate latches and stuff.

The real trick is finding a way to latch both the top and bottom of the first door from a single handle due to the height. Once that first door is fully latched closed, having something like a normal van latch on the other door, usable from inside and outside, would be the key to making this work while I'm in the trailer. Some additional setup on the outside that can be securely locked would be needed for transport and times away from the trailer.

 

[B and C]

The left barn door (from the outside) normally shuts first and should already have a single handle to latch it top and bottom. The right door will have one too. Just lock the handle where it can't be closed on you and use a pull handle and use the heavy duty slide bolts that MrNoodly recommended. For transport, remove you lock that is keeping the door from being locked from the outside and then lock the door using the stock hardware. I do hope you put an RV door up front too and an escape window.

 

[rmaddy]

I do plan on an RV door up front but the whole idea of my rear door setup is to act as my rear escape so no escape window would be needed.

None of the standard barn door latch can be used with what I want to do. Think about how the normal setup works. You first have to close the right door (which has a flange that gets pinned behind the left door). Now you close the left door which has the handle and the big vertical bar. To engage the bar you have to rotate it with the handle so the handle is against the doors. At this point you can pivot the handle into the locking clasp on the right door or just let it hang down (putting a lock in the clasp so the handle can't be locked into it). At this point I technically can't be locked in but neither rear door can be opened from the inside at this point. The left door is held by the big vertical bar and the right door's flange is held behind the left door.

The whole goal is to have a setup that can be opened from the inside.

 

[travlin man and wife]

Why not get another set of bar locks like the one on the outside and mount them on the inside. some mods would have to be made to mount the latch top and bot but should not be too hard. big trucks salvage yard would be a good place to het hardware.

 

[B and C]

Ah, not in the states. I have no idea of what you are working with.

 

[rmaddy]

I'm in the states too. I guess it depends on the trailer. What I described is how it works on an Interstate Loadrunner (https://www.trailersplus.com/img/Trailers/4RALS1425LK072214-106.jpg). But I realize it's setup differently on say a Haulmark Transport (http://distillery-trailercentral.s3...4T2-DBL_DRS_Enclosed_Cargo_Trailer_nInQ4e.jpg).

 

[B and C]

The easy way would be to just put an RV door in the back door you want as an escape door.

 

[rmaddy]

That may be part of it but it's not that simple. There are two doors. For the RV latch to work at all on one door, the other door needs to be latched shut is some appropriate fashion.

 

[highdesertranger]

I don't think you understand what B and C suggested. install a RV door into the barn door not just the latch. highdesertranger

 

[rmaddy]

Oh yes, I did misread their suggestion.

Now that's an interesting idea to consider.

 

[travlin man and wife]

Cut a2x2 or 3x3 hole in one door and frame it out with aluminum and use the peace cut out to make the door and open to the inside so it cannot be blocked.