Lousy closet latches - Montana Owners Club

Yazoo · 02-08-2007, 03:25 PM

Has anyone found a better type of latch to replace the hard plastic ones they use to hold the bedroom closet mirror doors closed? I find those latches very stiff and my wife can hardly pry them back enough to get the sliding door open. Any suggestions?

OntMont · 02-08-2007, 03:43 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Yazoo

Has anyone found a better type of latch to replace the hard plastic ones they use to hold the bedroom closet mirror doors closed? I find those latches very stiff and my wife can hardly pry them back enough to get the sliding door open. Any suggestions?

We only use them as "travel locks". When set up, we just slide the doors over to the opposite sides and forget about the locks. (I did file the corners off them after my wife cut her arm on the sharp corner of one).

Joyce H · 02-09-2007, 01:23 AM

We also us them only for locking when traveling down the road. As John & Donna mentioned, we just unlock and then slide the mirrored doors to the opposite sides when we are setting on site. Works great for us. Also when unlocking these latches make sure the doors are tightly closed against the frame to take some of the pressure off the latches.

Illini Trekker · 02-09-2007, 02:28 AM

It's been posted if broken to use Velcro. Sound and it would work, give it a try?

sreigle · 02-09-2007, 03:20 AM

On our 2003 they were not bad to open. On our 2007 they are super stiff and difficult. I have to wonder if perhaps it is an alignment problem. Someday I will experiment with that. I mention it in case you want to check out that angle.

To minimize how often we have to use the latches, when in port we reverse the doors, moving the righthand door to the left, etc., so we don't have to use the latches. Then we latch the doors before leaving port. It helps.

richfaa · 02-09-2007, 05:31 AM

We also do the reverse door thing when set up. Our latches (06 3400) are very stiff and hard to open//The good news is they have never come open in transit..the bad news is they are finger and knuckle busters to open..It is just another Rv thing. We picked up some spares at Quartzsite very cheap..just in case..

CanDo · 02-09-2007, 05:35 AM

Rich and Hellen, spares are good! Last winter I went into the rig to get something out of the front closet and the dang thing snapped off - I forgot that plastic doesn't like frigid temps either! We now carry a couple of spares.

Parrothead · 02-09-2007, 05:58 AM

We do the opposite door thing also. And Joyce's hint about taking the pressure off is good. I discovered this one day when I could not get the door opened at all. As soon as I pushed the door hard against the facing, it opened fairly easy.
Happy trails.....................

LonnieB · 02-09-2007, 07:13 AM

I put pressure against the door with my thumb at the same time pulling on latch with my first two fingers. Works very easily for me, but the DW still has trouble, so they usually stay unlatched unless I absentmindedly latch them.

patodonn · 02-09-2007, 07:22 AM

Hmmmm....velcro sounds promising...

Alignment is critical..might want to adjust that just a tiny bit towards the inside of the rig.

DO, by all means, round off the corners of those latches. I'v several wounds from them over the past years, until I took care of the problem. Doesn't take much to fix it.

tbhd · 02-09-2007, 09:49 AM

Easily solved!! We all need to buy a new Big Sky. They have different latches which slide and hook. No plastic but don't know how to make them work on ours????? Have to call Keystone and find out.

DONnANNIE · 02-09-2007, 10:35 AM

What would happen if you took a hair dryer and heated up the closet door lock. Bend the latch out just enough to make it easier to open but not enough for the door to open while on the road.

Good idea about rounding the edges of the closet door lock.

I haven't tried either one yet, but I'll getter done.

sreigle · 02-09-2007, 01:33 PM

Sue, that sounds like bad alignment. I think that's what ours is since we did not have any problem with our 2003. If that doesn't help, then I'll try the hair dryer trick. Or the velcro. If I mess it up, we have a spare set we bought 4 years ago when a rash of broken latches was reported in this forum. We've never needed them. Yet. I still think the problem with ours is misalignment.

Is there some way to extend the side of the latch to provide more leverage for opening it?

Wordsmith · 02-09-2007, 01:59 PM

When we first bought the Montana, the plastic locks were not that stiff, but one of them cracked on me and I replaced it. The new one is extremely stiff. Like was said earlier, we just use it for travel locks, pulling the door to when camping.

Bowie · 02-09-2007, 02:52 PM

We have also resorted to the reversed door logic--those latches are really tough for the digitally challenged! How about leaving them in the reverse positions and just installing a dowel of proper length in each track to keep the doors from sliding? You could install the dowel in the rear door track when the front door is slightly open, then shut the front door and drop in the second dowel. Yeah, I know, more pieces of stuff to have hanging around--but if the idea works it would do away with the frustration.

Parrothead · 02-09-2007, 04:03 PM

Good idea, Bill. Ed uses a piece of PVC pipe in the stick house sliding glass door for extra security.
Happy trails.............................

The Oldguard · 02-11-2007, 07:21 PM

Easily solved!! We all need to buy a new Big Sky. They have different latches which slide and hook. No plastic but don't know how to make them work on ours????? Have to call Keystone and find out.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dennis & Sharon
04 3670
95 Ford CC DRW Diesel
Banks Power Pack
Transfer Flow Tanks
40gal ft-31 gal rear
Rhino Liner

We just looked at the new "Big Sky" at Tacoma RV at the sales lot in Fife, and are very happy to report that it looks like the new latches that slide and hook will work on our 3400RL, and they should work on everyone's closet doors!!!!

sreigle · 02-12-2007, 04:25 AM

Pictures? I need to know what to ask for when we're at a dealer's or CW. Thanks.

The Oldguard · 02-12-2007, 05:25 AM

Steve, I’m sorry that is one thing we didn’t take a picture of, and we won’t be back that way for a while. Les said he was going to get some on order. Maybe someone else will post a picture?
I will post a picture when they come in and we pick up ours.

tbhd · 02-12-2007, 07:34 AM

That's good to know that they will work on our present Montana. When we get back to Michigan we'll be checking in with our dealer also.

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