Emergency Exit Window Latch

[ronnilu]

Just to alert everyone to a potential problem we just had with our emergency exit window. When we left the Buellton rally on 4-18-07 we travelled 50 miles north to Pismo Beach & began setting up. We found our emergency exit window ajar (in the bedroom), with the latching lever (the one with the red tip) hanging down on the OUTSIDE of the rig. It had come unlatched while enroute on the highway and the window had been flapping & flopping in the wind. The window's top flange with pop rivets is bent and loose and the window can't be closed from inside without me lifting it up from the outside to get it inside the window frame. I subsequently found that when closing the day/night shade down it comes in contact with the latching lever. In our case it causes the lever to pop out from under the little ridge in the bracket that secures the red handle, & allows the handle to vibrate up and over to the point the wind pulls the window open, the handle to come out, and the window to flop around & be damaged. This is not really a problem when parked, but we travel with the shades up and when we were ready to leave we didn't know the handle was not really secure since it was in the closed position and lying in the bracket that is supposed to hold it in place. Just a heads up to everyone to double check that lever & make sure it is actually locked down in place under the edge of the latch. Since our discovery I've pulled the shade down several times, and every time hear the little 'click', raise the shade & find the latch was moved to the unlocked position. Mike

[SKOOBDO]

Does your lever need to be moved toward the window then lifted up to disengage the lock? Mine won't unlock unless it is pushed down and then slid over and pulled up to unlock. I have the same year unit as you do. Do you have "dual panes"? It's a good thing you noticed it in time before you lost the window which could have completely shattered.

[ronnilu]

Allison-Skoobdo, yes the design is supposed to keep the lever secured under the ridge, and is supposed to be unlocked by pushing the handle down, then out toward the window. Unfortunately, unless you really push down quite deliberately and push the lever under that ridge, it only goes part way & for all appearances it looks to be properly locked. That's why when we raised the shade to travel we didn't know it had been clicked out of position & was able to vibrate loose. Also, we do not have double pane windows, & not having them I don't know if it would make any difference or not, although I wouldn't think so.
It's just that the shade makes contact with that lever just enough to allow it to pop partially out from under the bracket. It may be that a little bend in the lever will eliminate the problem but I don't want to mess with it until the dealer takes a look at it & we resolve the damage to the window.

[Emmel]

Well we LOST the entire window the first season we had this Montana. This is our second one and we thought we had the handle secured, but unfortinatly, we didn't get it done right. I ordered a new window from Keystone and got the whole frame and all. I removed the window from the frame and installed it in the existing frame on the Montana. Shipping and all was around $125. Not bad for my own mistake! I didn't even know it was gone till I washed the rig the day after we came home. Suprise!

[padredw]

Exactly the same thing happened to us on a trip through Mississippi last year--except that we did not find it in time; the entire window was shattered. We had to replace the window and frame entirely.

NOW this is why I write. The latching mechanism in the old window was exactly as the other posts have indicated. That is it OPENED when pressed DOWN--so easy to accidentally open the latch which pulling down the curtain (which is what we suspect happened to us).

The NEW window has a latch which requires lifting and opening UP, so the chance of accidental unlocking which lowering the curtain is much less.

Evidently this was a design flaw that was discovered, but there was no notice to us and we paid for the new window in full.