Another Door Latch Situation

[carlson]

Here is another latch with swinging door situation.
On the newer left side basement doors, there are two doors that open hozontially.
The front door has saged a litle and if I don't lock the bottom catch, it keeps flying open.
So keep the lock, locked when traveling.

[sreigle]

Carlson, do those doors have the same kind of turn latch the vertically opening doors have? If so, try bending the tab in a little tighter. It's a good idea to keep the doors locked on the road, in any case, in my opinion.

[carlson]

Steve,
It does but it is a double door and the twist latch is at the top and the door settles, so going done the road the door opens if I forget to lock the bottom latch.
What I am thinking of doing is moving the lock latch to the top and the non to the bottom.
That should solve the problem.
What I like about the site is by discussing the problems, it makes us think of a solution!!!

[BillyRay]

I always lock every door during travel. one less thing to worry about.

[Charlie]

Carlson-
I have a new 3295 with the same door setup on the driver side of the coach and also have the same problem. On mine it looks like they cut the hole for the latch a little lower, maybe an 1/8", on the left door than the one on the right. Going down the road the flexing of the trailer allowed this latch to come loose. What I did was reverse the lock to the top hole and put the twist latch on the bottom. So far it has worked well as the latch stays closed and have not had the door come open since. I'm not sure what the proper fix for this is, but will start by bringing it to the attention of my dealer when I take it in for some other items next week. An easy fix would be to find a lock that has a longer catch and replace the existing one.

[ken]

Carlson
Ours it doing the same thing on our new 3475. I had the door come open on the interstate. The problem is that the curved latches do not catch the top of the opening. Our door has sagged and the lower lock catch is the only one that is holding the door. Two fixes has been suggested. Extend the latch bar on top, or add an extensiion plate to the top of the opening so the latches will catch. I have made a plate and am about to rivit it onto the trailer so the top of the opening will catch the latches.
Ken and Velda Taylor
Dahlgren VA
2005 3475 Montana
2000 Ford F350 Diesel