Which way for the door?

[Scootman7]

The things that go through my head!
I was under the impression that the door on the van had to open from from the right so that there was less chance of the wind catching it while you were driving along and smashing it open. BUT. I have noticed a few newer vans driving around up here and a lot them have the door opening the other way. Is this a qld thing?
Scoot

[belinda]

Our Sydney-made van's door opens from the left and I wish it didn't.

The lock on the solid panel in the door isn't the best, and several times we've arrived at places to find it flapped open. If the door opened the other way it wouldn't be such a problem.

[trodler]

Hi Scoot.
The ideal situation would be to hinge it towards the front of the van so that if the door came unlocked it would not rip off while travelling. But because most larger vans have a window in front of the door, the door is hinged towards the back of the van so that it doesnt block the window.

Cheers
Trodler.

[scootman]

Thanks for both of those bits of info Trodler. I think if I ever want to put an annexe on my van I will have to hinge it so that itopens towards the van.
Scoot

[retro1]

When you open the door it may be a good idea to check where your external light is. When the door is open you really don't want to be covering it as on a hot night when you want the van to cool down the door will have to be shut so you can see. I think other than that it is personal choice.

[Jim]

You might like to know how door openings are defined.

Some of the methods different trades use are rather complicated but this is how I leant to define door openings years ago in refrigeration.

There may be cabinet makers or chippies who have more complicated ways of doing it.

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When the door swings TOWARDS you and the HINGES are on the left side of the door it’s called a LEFT HAND DOOR.
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The reasoning (as with the above example) is you would normally open it with your left hand.
Your frig door in the kitchen is a good example to visualize.

All commercial and domestic refrigeration cabinets (In my day) swung outwards and all spare parts lists, referring to ‘handed’ parts, always conformed to the above system.

The same method would apply to exterior doors on caravans when you’re standing outside as I’ve yet to see a door on a van that didn’t open outwards.

In Australia if one door is fitted on a van it’s recommended that it be on the kerb-side (near-side) or at the rear, but not on the road side only (off-side).

It’s a recommendation only and not compulsory.
There are no recommendations about which way doors swing, it depends on the particular van as to which way it opens is better suited.

But there is an assumption with a caravan is that the lock mechanism will be adequate to keep the door properly shut when on the move.
Add the fact that it’s illegal for anyone to be inside a van when it’s moving, so no one is going to be in the van to open the door while travelling.

If a door tends to come open when on the move the van is technically unroadworthy.
Best to fix the problem eh..