Trap Door

[treesprite]

Does anyone use a trap door to access a rooftop tent? I was thinking of using a trap door just to have one spot in the van where I could stand all the way up, but it felt a little lame of an idea. If I had something to get to on the roof, like a place to sleep, it would make more sense (of course the trap door has some vent value, and it might be good to have in a zombie apocalypse).

 

[crofter]

This one has a trap door on the side to slide out the air conditioner. Nice solar setup. He uses cedar for inside finishes, very pretty. Link to video.
-crofter

 

[crofter]

I saw a trap door on a van with a roof deck. Could not find a tour of that van on video. The roof deck would add weight, unless you could find an aluminum one.
-crofter

 

[RoamerRV428]

you do trap type door make sure it swings fully to be latched to the roof....don't want that sucker hanging to bang your head or use up space but yea you can do that if ya want

 

[bullfrog]

Newer school buses have vents that fully open to become escape hatches that also push up for a four sided vent that might work well.

 

[vanbrat]

This one has a trap door on the side to slide out the air conditioner. Nice solar setup. He uses cedar for inside finishes, very pretty. Link to video.
-crofter

Very nice set up. Love the air conditioner! There are a few ideas that I would love to use.

 

[GoingMobile]

Marine escape hatches can serve as a skylight, ventilation hatch and over a certain size they are even called escape hatches with the idea you could climb through them to the outside. They are designed to hold up to oceangoing sailing.

 

[maki2]

The Honda Elements come with a removable sunroof area. Acompany makes roof top tents that use that as an access into the tent area. That setup could be your inspration for how to make it work. You just need a large enough, commercially made sunroof. Of course the issue being having the contour of the roof be a match to the contour of sunroof. But in the RV world there are escape hatch roof vents available for flat roofs.

 

[crofter]

Like this one, link to video.  -crofter