Creating new external hatches

Not that easy to slide in new upright for window. I would wait till you can tell where your framing is. Sometimes in the morning and sun just right I can see every frame member. If a window frame doesn't have proper support your asking for problems, short term and long term. Also it's not hard to find an RV around Seattle with the skin falling off and take a peak of where framing is. Maybe you can offer new roll of duct tape and a 6 pack? You also might be able to pull the window and you can sneak a peak looking down in-between the inside of the skin and bottom of window frame. I've had good results using "arctic" white to match my colors (Ace hardware)

I've not done it on an RV before, but have several times on my home and shop. Hopefully not too much different.

It's about the same but smaller bits. I'd research the framing with a stud finder or small drill bit. You could install pieces of hardwood between any vertical framing. Or aluminum, but you may have a fastening challege.

I buy aluminum profiles at Discount Steel. They are local to me but do ship.

If I build something that really needs to look good, I shop here at 80/20 Inc.. The extruded aluminum is available with a full line of different fasteners and accessories. Big guy's Tinkertoys.

Yep, lots of hatch doors on ebay. Just be watchful of the shipping costs. An awful lot of them have extreme shipping in my opinion. Most of them are overstock from rv mfgs, and are located in the midwest. I'm sure they buy them for pennies, then good markup, and more in shipping!!! I never saw a free shipping listing for a door. Small parts, yes.

I did see that there lots of plastic hatch doors for boats and such. They tend to be higher price for the larger ones, but a lot free or lower cost shipping. So I guess it kinda works out in the end. Either style, RV or marine, should require the same packaging and have equivalent weight.

As to framing, a print of the sidewall construction on our Timber Ridge shows that in the hatch area 2 of the "sides" of the hatch area are backed by alum, but the other 2 aren't. The screws just go into the lamination. Don't see a problem, unless a bowling ball gets loose in an empty storage compartment!!!

Wow, thanks for the fast responses!

Didn't even think to look on ebay for hatches. Doh! Found several that would fit and many of them seem better quality than existing ones. Thanks!

As for the cutting of the hole, I'm not to worried. I too will also be doing it under an existing window, so hoping no vertical support under it. If there is framing, I'll slide in pieces to make new framing around the new opening.

I've not done it on an RV before, but have several times on my home and shop. Hopefully not too much different. :)

RV construction is pretty basic and as long as you know how to frame a window or door I wouldn't hesitate to take on this project. Maybe cut the paneling inside of the new storage area where the new hatch will go to see what you'll be dealing with if you don't already know.

This is a follow-up to previous post. Just went to ebay and typed in RV Compartment Door and came up with 10 pages of listings. Doors start at $39 and go to over $100, depending on size, finish, and type of corners. Most appear to be new and ready to install without hassle (after you get the hole cut).
Jim Hamilton

I did this same mod in my older model Class C. The rear bed was already a Queen with a air lifts on both sides to permit storage under the bed. There was walk space on both sides of the bed. Extending the bed to the wall on the driver side permitted us to install a king size high quality regular home mattress.

It takes some exploring with an electronic stud finder to determine what is in the wall before cutting. Some pounding and a few tiny exploratory drilled holes helped locate framing materials. (Hint...drilling from the inside into wall paneling is easier to fill in a mistake than the exterior fiberglass skin. Don't ask how I know this!)

My coach maker has gone out of business, so no help possible from the factory. In my case, the sides had wood framing surrounded by the usual RV styrofoam "sandwich" of wood wall paneling inside, and exterior fiberglass. There was a large horizontal window above the bed on the sidewall, and the only framing was on both sides of that window. So the space below where I wanted to put the exterior compartment was clear of framing, and determined the size and placement of the exterior compartment door.

I would recommend purchasing a new door over the Internet to match the existing exterior windows and compartments. Just type in RV Surplus Stores in search engine like Chrome. There are lots of choices available from a few "surplus" parts stores in the Elkhart, IN area. Mine actually came from Bontrager's RV, which is just across the border in Michigan. Matching color and style looks better and helps resale over homemade. There are some new doors available direct from the same maker that supplied them to the motorhome maker, but they are more expensive. Used compartments are also available in RV salvage yards, but condition is always unknown since they made have been exposed to water for 20 years.

The interior box forming the new bed is just basic plywood cutting and gluing carpenty. I lined the box with 1 inch styrofoam insulation cut to press fit inside just to avoid cold spots on the bed.
Jim Hamilton

I think this is a more complicated project than you're expecting. There quite likely is some structural framework in the exterior wall where you want your hatch. At the very minimum, I would not recommend proceeding too far without having a pretty good understanding of the sidewall construction and framing.

If it's just plain wall, by some miracle, without any studs or equivalent, cutting a hole and putting in a hatch door would be the easiest way to go. Ideally you'd probably want some sort of solid structure surrounding the cutout, such as wood blocking between the wall skins. Depending on the wall construction of your RV, this may be practical to do or rather impractical. (A wood framed wall should be comparatively straightforward, a laminated wall rather less so).

Have you considered having the top hinged as well as an end access door from the inside? You could then store seldom needed items towards the back, such as spare repair parts or tire changing tools, and move the mattress aside temporarily for the rare times you needed them.