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Topic: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top (Read 27 times) previous topic - next topic
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Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Yahoo Message Number: 110739
Any advice on how to keep my coach door from bending at the top, not closing properly and rattling and squeaking horribly at highway speeds will be appreciated. This will be the third time since we picked up our 2007 MB at the factory that we have had to bend it back.  We know how to bend it back, thanks to Vince and this forum, but eventually it bends again. We also know to apply lithium grease the striker post if any squeaks develop but we just can't seem to figure out what is making it bend in the first place. I find the whole thing incredibly annoying.
 Steve and Vince seem to believe that the only way this happens is that we let the wind catch the door and slam it back and that is also annoying. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED ONCE! We are extremely careful with the door because we don't want it to bend.
 The only other thing I can think of that might make it bend is if we are pushing the door too hard to close it but we try to do the "8 inches and then a firm pull/push" as the manual suggest.. Another thought is that sometimes the top of the open door sticks in the door stop if we haven't put lithium grease on it and we have to tug it to get it out. Other then those two things I can't think of anything else we might be doing wrong. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Stephany Smith
2007 MB
2007 MB
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110740
Hi Stephany
 I had the same problem for years.   But eventually I realized the door was indeed bending when blown open by the wind.  The reason is that there is little metal
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110741
Can you describe the procedure Vince suggested to straighten it?  I have the same squeak problem on our '06

-Dave '06 MB Indianapolis
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110742
Hi Dave
 To straighten the door, you take a short length of two by four and place it between the door and door frame at the level of the catch (about the bottom of the window).  The bend
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110746
Quote

Hi Dave
 "To straighten the door, you take a short length of two by four and place it between the door and door frame at the level of the catch (about the bottom of the window)... Have someone hold the wood piece while you gently, and in stages, bend the top of the door toward the frame by pushing on it." > Good luck

Gus Weber
This is the technique that the factory once used and still recommends to those who go it alone. However, as I learned from Tim Pease (Extra Mile RV) the Mothership now uses a 'jig' to apply pressure until the bend is no more.

Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110750
As an aside . . . the LD factory puts lithium grease on lots of stuff, storage locker latches to whatever. Makes a mess over time. Do not use lithium grease on rubber or some plastics, as they will be damaged over time. Silicone grease would be preferable
bumper
"Yonder" '05 MB
"WLDBLU" glider trailer
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110759
Quote
"I still wish I knew why our door was bending in the first place!"

Stephany Smith 2007MB
I don't know for sure, but I can't imagine anything that would make your door bend other than hitting the stop - if your stop latches at the center of the door.

Chris
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110777
Okay I'm confused. When I talked to Vince he said the door would bend if the wind blew it against the "stop and I thought the "stop" was the metal latch that the top of the door hooked into when it was open. I know this has not happened.
 Some of the replies (and thank you everyone) sound like they mean the door slams back and closes. This would make more sense to me because maybe closing it too hard would have the same effect.

I have straightened out the door aga
2007 MB
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110779
Quote

"Any my last question, what the heck is a jog anyway!" :)

Thanks Stephany Smith 2007 MB
Stephany
 I'm not sure but it seems as if you are asking about a jig, as in j-i-g!
 I refered to the fact that the Mothership is now using a JIG, a device which is connected to the door which will put pressure in the appropriate place to rebend a door which has become misaligned for whatever reason.

Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Jiggs (the dog)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110780
"sgskyway"  wrote: Does the door bend on everyone's coach sooner or later? Do some of you not have this problem at all? What do you think I might be doing wrong if mine has bent three times?

Any my last question, what the heck is a jog anyway! :) --- A contibutory factor to the entry door getting bent out of shape is that it's 78" high and 23.5" wide; the long, skinny rectangle tends to "sag" outwards at the top opening corner.  As others have said, the door can (and does, if one is not vigilant) smack back against the catch; this usually happens when a gust of wind catches the door. a few "slams" can tweak the door.
 Another cause of potential "door tweak" (and one that some might not think about) is using the door edge or the door handle as "support" or a grab hold when entering and exiting the rig. Repeated weight/pulling/stress on the door *will* pull it out of shape, so it's a good idea to be aware of using the grab handles -- and not "hoisting" oneself by the door handle! -- on the inside and outside of the rig when going in and out.
 As to a "jog", might you be thinking of a "jig", a device which holds a piece of work in place and guides the tool(s) which are working on the piece? ???

Joan
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110782
"Does the door bend on everyone's coach sooner or later? Do some of you not have this problem at all?"
 For what it's worth, I've never had the warped-door problem on my 2003 midbath. Also for what it's worth, I almost never latch my door open. (In the midbath, the door blocks the dinette window when open, so I figure I'd lose as much air circulation as I'd gain.) These two facts may or may not be related. :-)

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110794
"Any advice on how to keep my coach door from bending at the top, not closing properly and rattling and squeaking horribly at highway speeds will be appreciated.

Quote
Steve and Vince seem to believe that the only way this happens is that we let the wind catch the door and slam it back and that is also annoying. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED ONCE! We are extremely careful with the door because we don't want it to bend."
I stopped the bending by installing a door stop on the side of the coach, near the top of the door where it is the closest to the side of the coach when all the way open. See the Photo section and look for 'Door Stop' for photos. If the door is caught by the wind, the top of the door is kept from bending, by the limit of the door stop.
 The door stop is made with a 'door latch' from the Lazy Daze factory with a rubber tip applied. I got the rubber stop from Ace Hardware. The 'door latch' is the same one the door 'latches' to, to keep it open.

Cheap, works great, low maintenance.
 I showed it to Vince one time, at the factory and mentioned that it would be a cheap easy fix for them to include on new rigs, but....

Chris Hunter
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110795
"never latch my door open" - Agreed
 That dumb latch at top of door on outside is a pain, I stopped using it very quickly after taking delivery of Starr an '07 - we too like full ventilation of window - though I will have to agree the leverage on the door handles and now see need to tweak the coach door due to weigh factors on handles -

IMHO - Poor design of door -

Virginia, Jim and Cricket
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110796
"The door stop is made with a 'door latch' from the Lazy Daze factory with a rubber tip applied. I got the rubber stop from Ace Hardware. The 'door latch' is the same one the door 'latches' to, to keep it open"

Chris

Good idea. I will be adding one of these soon.
I have seen double latches but none with a rubber tip.

It doesn't take much to bend one of these doors.
It should be easy to make a straightening jig out of a 2X4, some short pieces of 1X2 and a big c-clamp.

Larry
2001 MB
* Not to be confused with Larry W (3000 of my posts are actually from expert Larry W due to Yahoo transition mis-step)
Re: Need Advice on Stopping Coach Door From Bending At Top
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110808
This may sound like a crazy, stupid can be substituted for crazy, question, but is the 2x4 wood placed on the hing side or lock side of the door?  I assume the lock side but wanted to make sure.

Tks,  John K.
 
Bent?? Coach Door
Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 110925
On Mar 6, 2010, at 12:40 PM, sgskyway wrote:

Quote
To straighten the door, you take a short length of two by four and place it between the door and door frame at the level of the catch (about the bottom of the window). The bend in the top of door will now be outward. Have someone hold the wood piece while you gently, and in stages, bend the top of the door toward the frame by pushing on it. You will be able to tell when it is straight.
I guess this is as straight-forward an explanation as possible. But, I am spatially-challenged and I can not "see it".
Anyone up for a movie or picture?

This may be a new question?
 It sometimes requires a few tries to get our door open. I can not tell that it it bent in any direction. The separation of the door from the frame appears the same on all sides.
Our door has been closed by the wind several times, never the other way.
I adjusted the location of the pin the lock caches on, but it made no difference.

Is the door bent or what?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy