Replacing Emergency Exit Cover

Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli wrote:
I needed a Hinges old style hinge which was just curled metal that slipped into similarly curled metal. There may be a small retaining tab on one of the hinges to bend to allow the hatch cover to slide out to the side. Open all the way, release the red hatch lever and lift the whole screen and cover up 90 or more degrees to slide past the frame.
There was no replacement hatch cover available for my 22x22 hatch opening so I had to purchase aluminium angle, plexiglass, aluminium rivets, marine sealant, and fabricated my own cover. Works better than the original and since it's double pane and clear, I can stargaze while laying in bed.

Hi Jeff – Watched your video showing the construction of your custom cover. Great job and done on-site. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Yep, looks like we have a different hinge. The screens have two hinges riveted to the lid frame, so the screens do not slide off with the plastic cover. Sounds like your emergency cover has the type of hinge often used on 14 x 14 roof vents. We have replaced plenty of those before…thank you SW sunshine ;)

Our cover has an extruded aluminum-type piece riveted to the side. This slides into the piece riveted on the side of the lid frame. No rocket science and pretty darn solid ? The crossbar and opener are causing some confusion. All this is hard to describe but easy to understand when you see it!

Once the rain showers and winds stop, we’ll try taking things apart. No real rush other than we want to get the new cover on and stop the minor leaks. We can actually see a couple of cracks in the cover from the inside. Makes it easy to spot where a few drips come down the inside of the frame off the cover. No water gets to the surrounding ceiling area.

Sorry we missed you both at the TCA rally in Quartzsite. The rally was lots of fun and we’re looking forward to next year! Here’s hoping our paths cross at the 2024 rally.