Hurricane Hinge Inner Side

thingiverse

Hurricane hinges are commonly used on pickup topper windows and teardrop camper galleys. To prevent water intrusion, they are made of two seamless pieces of extruded metal that slide together from the side. These parts can be challenging to find and replace, and expensive at around $90 for a 4-foot section. My pickup truck topper had a fragile inner side, which is attached to the glass door. The brittle material was cracking around the rivets one by one, putting the entire glass door in danger of falling off. Initially, I tried epoxying the inner side back in place, but this solution did not hold up for long. Later, I designed a replacement part for the inner side, adding extra material to accommodate glue and epoxy while compensating for plastic being weaker than metal. Due to printer limitations, I had to print the part in five sections to cover the necessary length. I chose black ABS to withstand high temperatures and ultraviolet light. I removed the old rivets and epoxy, cleaned the surface thoroughly, and epoxied the new pieces into place. This solution has held the window firmly in place even in daily direct sunlight since August 2017 – but I will update this post if it fails.