What Do I Need to Build a Custom Lift-Up Side Door on an Enclosed Trailer?

Updated 08/31/2026 | Published 07/18/2026

Question:

Good morning We have a 20’ enclosed trailer that we’re going to be cutting open and adding a lift up wall. Can you tell me the parts I’ll need for this? The wall will probably be around d 10’x6’ or so. What materials will I need to make this door work? Thank you for any insight Best Jesse Echanique

asked by: Jesse E

Expert Reply:

Hey Jesse, cool name!

That's definitely a custom project, and there isn't a single off-the-shelf kit that'll give you everything you need. For a lift-up wall that's around 10' x 6', you're looking at building the door and reinforcing the trailer opening first, then adding the hardware to make it all work. You'll need a heavy-duty hinge, gas struts sized for the finished door weight, latches to keep it closed, support cables or limit straps, and weather seals around the perimeter to keep the trailer dry.

The biggest part of the job is reinforcing the opening. Once you cut that much out of the side of the trailer, you've removed a lot of its structure, so the framing around the opening has to be strong enough to support both the trailer and the new door. Once you know what the finished door is going to weigh, I can help you pick out the right gas struts and recommend some other hardware to match. That's really the key piece of information for getting everything sized correctly.

expert reply by: Jesse M

Jesse E.

7/22/2026

Great info! Thank you. Yeah I didn’t assume it would be a direct off the shelf thing since it’s custom. But yeah, we’d be framing the opening as we cut the wall out to make sure it’s all supported. Once I figure the weight, I’ll give you that info. Thanks for the info!

Jesse M.

7/22/2026

@JesseE Ok gotcha. Sounds good. We have piano hinges, gas struts and latches so we should be able to provide those for you. Our gas struts go up to 150 lb capacity I believe so as long as the door doesn't end up being crazy heavy, we should be able to hook you up. Here are links to those sections of our catalogue if you want to see what all we have:

Helpful Links

dept-pg-gas_struts.aspx

dept-pg-trailer_door_hinges-sf-piano_hinge.aspx

dept-pg-trailer_door_latch.aspx

Jesse

8/30/2026

@JesseM Ok we’re starting construction today. Since it’s essentially a sideways door, I want to make sure we get all the pieces that will create a weather tight seal when closed. Since we mentioned that there’s no off the shelf kits available since it’s all custom, what trim pieces will we need to order to create the door seal? Thanks for any info. Jesse

Jesse M.

8/31/2026

@Jesse For a door seal I recommend the Rubber Medium Half Round Seal for RV and Trailer Doors # SR35ZR. It has an adhesive strip on one side and comes in a 15' section. It is 11/16" wide and 3/8" tall.