The Silver Streak E-mail ListArchive Files[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] Re: [SilverStreak] New Stainless Steel Hinges
Ralph, Please do send me the pictures, and I will post them in the Silver Streak section of the website. Maybe a little write-up to go along with them too? I can probably just use what you have below in your Good news and Bad news. -Tom ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ralph Cooke" <rcooke@bak.rr.com> To: <sslist@tompatterson.com> Sent: Monday, May 26, 2008 6:20 PM Subject: RE: [SilverStreak] New Stainless Steel Hinges > STAINLESS STEEL HINGES > I picked up my new Stainless Steel Hinges and my partially repaired > door on Friday morning 5/23/08. I spent Friday and Saturday > completing the repairs and replacing the door seals on the door, and > installing the hinges, then the door on my 26 foot 1972 Cont. Atlas. > I had the hinges made up slightly oversize to hide all of the damage > from four or five hinge replacements over the past 35 years. Based on > the hole patterns, the original hinges were much smaller, such as the > older 1960's style. I have taken a LOT of pictures and as soon as I > get time I will download them to my computer and make them available > to Tom to post, and will send them as email attachments to anyone who > wants them, just send your email address to me at > rcooke@bak.rr.com > > GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS. FIRST THE GOOD NEWS! > The hinges fit and the doors operate perfectly. I had to use a small > "drift" to help line up all of the holes for the Pop Rivets. The Pop > Rivets are Large Head 3/16" Aluminum with a Steel Shank. These are > the strong, large head, rivets we use in Auto Racing and are available > from "5 Star" in boxes of 500 Rivets. 5 Star is a maker of racing > body panels and bodies for various classes of circle track race cars. > I used an Air Operated Rivet Gun to "Set" the rivets, as a small hand > rivet tool is not really adequate, it can be done, but will be a lot > of work and very slow. > > Because the previous instillation of many sets of hinges left the > trailer body looking like "Swiss Cheese", I also ran two 1/4" 4" long > stainless steel bolts through each hinge and the body of the trailer, > into the, sliding door cabinets next to the hinge side of the door. I > used Stainless Steel Lock Nuts and 1/4 inch Stainless Steel fender > washers to secure the bolts. > > I installed the hinges with a layer of "CRL" Aluminum Silicone > Sealant. I bought the Silicone Sealant from a small local RV shop. > "Camping World" does not carry this sealant. I also used this sealant > to seal the new Aluminum panel that repaired the damage to the top > "latch side" of the door. The use of the sealant sealed all of the > extra holes in the trailer body and the two doors, as well as > providing a seal around the Pop Rivets and Bolts that were used to > mount the hinges to the trailer body and the doors. I used quite a > bit more of the sealant that necessary, but I am more interested in > "Function" than" "cosmetics". I lubricated the hinges with Silicone > Spray Lubricant. > > NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS! > PRICE. My cost was $540 for the set of hinges. I asked if there > would be a lower price per hinge set if we order hinges in quantity. > I was advised that as everything is very precise "Hand Detail" work so > each set of hinges would cost the same. Each hinge takes a little > more than 3 Hrs for a total of 6 hours labor for a set of two hinges. > The shop rate is $75 per hour, for a labor total of $450. The special > Stainless Steel Hinge material, plus the stainless plate and TIG > welding supplies added another $90 for the total of $540.00 I know > the material cost is accurate as I chased down the hinge material and > the stainless plate and my cost was $81.40 including tax, so I was > only charged $8.60 for the welding supplies. > > Only one man at the shop is capable of building the hinges, so "mass > production is out of the question" > > I have been advised that if I prepay for each set of hinges, I can > have any number of hinge sets made up at the $540.00 price, it will > just take time, as there is only one man who can make the hinges, and > it is all detailed and very precise "hand" work. The guy that built > the hinges is quite a "Craftsman". I had been told in the past, by > several larger fabrication shops, that they could not build the > hinges. > > I was further advised by the shop owner, that he does not want to get > into the "Hinge" business, and has no interest in building a lot of > hinges and hoping to sell them. I was also advised that if they did > go to that effort, they would have to mark them up at their standard > 40% mark up, making the end price $756.00 + Taxes of $54.81 for a > total of $810.81. As the shop has no interest in searching out > potential buyers of the hinges, and or advertising, they will only > build the number of hinge sets that I can prepay for. > > I will help anyone who wants a set of hinges get them at a price of > $550 + shipping, I will check the shipping cost with UPS (they are > more dependable than USPS for shipping high value items). My guess is > the cost, with insurance, will be in the range of $25 to $40, > depending where in the country they are shipped to. Because I have to > be involved, I will add $10.00 to my $540.00 cost for the hinges, to > cover my gasoline expenses only. > > I sure wish there was a cheaper way to get good dependable hinges for > our Silver Streak's, but I, as well as many others of you, have been > trying to get a source for hinges for the past two + years, and this > is the only success I am aware of. > > I was able to purchase a set of "New" Silver Streak Hinges that I > bought on Ebay over a year ago for $450.00 + $25 Freight, which I > never installed, as I knew they would not last and there would by no > more "Original Silver Streak Hinges" at any price. I saved the hinges > to use as a pattern for new stronger hinges and am now convinced I > have a "PERMINANT" set of Stainless Steel hinges, they look good and > should out last the trailer. As all of us Silver Streak owners are in > the same "Leaky boat" with respect to finding a solution to the hinge > problem, I am willing to take a bit of my time to facilitate a > solution to the problem. > > Several of you indicated that you needed more than one set of hinges, > I suggest you get one set and assure your self that you are truly > satisfied with the hinge fit and quality before you commit to more > than one set of two hinges at $550.00 + freight per set. > > For anyone on the West Coast, I will be attending the Vintage Trailer > Rally at Smithwoods RV Park at 4770 Highway 9, Felton CA 95018, Phone > (831) 335-4321, on May 30 through June 1. If you can drop by, you can > see the new Stainless Steel Hinges installed on my Silver Streak. I > hope Tom will have a chance to attend the Rally, as his opinion of the > hinges would carry a lot of weight. Lets face it if it were not for > Tom Patterson, we would not have this great resource for our Classic > trailers, and we would not be able to share information and knowledge > about our Silver Streak and Streamline trailers, campers, fifth wheels > and motor homes. > > Ralph Cooke > rcooke@bak.rr.com >
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