Laundry Basket Access Door - Montana Owners Club

8e3k0 · 08-06-2009, 07:44 AM

Looked at different ways to reinforce the laundry access door to the basement so that when you stepped on the door itself, it would not deflect and give the feeling you end up in the basket (09 3400RL). I cut a piece of 1/2 inch finished one side plywood (Fir) to fit the cutout hole approximately 15 3/4 by 22 inches and glued and screwed this piece to the underside of the door, then painted it white in color. That door is now rigid and does not deflect at all when you step in this area ( I am less than 200 lbs). Mission accomplished! Has anyone else had to reinforce this door? Thanks Ellis

Mudchief · 08-06-2009, 02:13 PM

There is no give on our door and i weigh over 200.

daneboy · 08-06-2009, 04:36 PM

My wife dosen't care for the laundry basket under the door so we don't use it. However with the history of break ins, coming up through the laundry door, I chose to lock it down with a few screws.
Jerry

Fire5er · 08-07-2009, 07:05 AM

I have thought about it because our too deflects when I walk on it, and I also am under 200 lbs.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 08-07-2009, 08:20 AM

Screws on ours came out of the aluminum frame below the door. This is a piano hing, Al added some wood under that hinge area, cause he felt this created an uneven feeling and caused screws to come out. (It was "mushy" feeling when I would step on it BEFORE the fix, now it is solid.) Also added some additional screws. He had to adjust twice, but all has been well for quite a while now.

sreigle · 08-07-2009, 09:43 AM

I feel a slight bit of give in ours but not enough to worry about. If it gets worse, I'll do something about it. Yours, Ellis, sounds like a good fix. Thanks for the tip.

simonsrf · 08-08-2009, 11:39 AM

As fulltimers, our laundry door probably gets stepped on more than most. It is flexing slightly too. Thanks for the fix.

dsprik · 08-08-2009, 06:41 PM

I have not really noticed flex in our laundry door. Now if you want to talk about the STAIR flex concerning me, that's another matter... That REALLY flexes too much for me and I will have to get underneath and try to reinforce those steps.

greener · 08-09-2009, 04:00 AM

No give to our door either. DH weighs 260#

kmh3212 · 08-17-2009, 03:45 PM

A couple of weeks after I bought my 2004 I noticed the flex in the door. The factory had only put 3 screws in the hinge leaving many holes unfilled. I filled all the screw holes with screws. I added at least 6 screws if i recall correctly. That fixed 90% of the flex.

Native Tex · 08-25-2009, 08:11 AM

We have not noticed any sag or deflection in ours and I weigh over 290. I will keep this in mind. thanks for the information.

clutch · 08-25-2009, 06:00 PM

Ours dosen't move either so at this point it is not a problem.

ols1932 · 08-25-2009, 11:23 PM

Our rig is over nine years old and almost nine years of full timing. Haven't noticed any sag in our basement access door.

Orv

ole dude · 08-26-2009, 04:03 AM

Had sagging problem, did pretty much what Ellis did for fix. However I also added some aluminum angle for the new 1/2 inch plywood to set on when door is closed, does not get in the way of the basket.

8e3k0 · 08-26-2009, 06:34 AM

Our modification works well now after much use, no give or deflection when you step on the door. I think a lot of times it depends on the type of material/wood that was on the original installation at the factory. Anyway, now I don't have that fear of the trap door effect or that one of us may end up in the basement without opening the door!! Ellis

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