Simple solution to keeping the entry door propped open

As most of you know with our vintage of unit, the entry door limit linkage is not designed to keep the door stable in a wind gust so several have come up with some good solutions.  One of them was a strap at the top (Marty and Chris did this if I remember correctly) and while I thought that was a workable solution, I was never motivated to implement that on our coach.

While at the GNR I noticed Winnebago designers came up with a simple, workable and inexpensive solution for immobilizing doors on the smaller units and trailers - it's a simple aluminum rod bent down on both ends that fits into a padeye on the door and on the sidewall.  The ends are covered in black heat shrink tubing to protect the contact surfaces.

My Winnebago buddy came up with some part numbers for their aluminum door props and I bought the smallest version.  Sure, you could use steel rod (I have bunches of it in my shop) but it would have to be primed and painted not to mention my rod was 1,500 miles away  8).

Here's the Winnebago part numbers for three different lengths.  I needed the shortest length (12.7") but use the longest length possible to minimize stresses.

• 127647-02-01A is 322 mm long
• 127647-01-01A is 452 mm long
• 127647-03-01A is 494 mm long

The marine padeye has an opening for 3/8" rope (sailors call that line) and the aluminum rod is 0.317" in diameter.  I wrapped several layers of electrical tape around the rod ends until I had a snug fit in the padeyes - I didn't want the rod working around in the padeye and the tape acts as a sort of shock absorber.

Be sure and use stainless steel fasteners and a stainless steel padeye.  Notice I installed the rod down low on the door, this way the screws are in the door frame, the other padeye is on fiberglass and it should be plenty strong.  I would have used a backer plate but I didn't bring a saw with me to cut a small piece of wood.

John Canfield said:

While at the GNR I noticed Winnebago designers came up with a simple, workable and inexpensive solution for immobilizing doors on the smaller units and trailers - it's a simple aluminum rod bent down on both ends that fits into a padeye on the door and on the sidewall.  The ends are covered in black heat shrink tubing to protect the contact surfaces.

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John,

Our 2013 Sunstar 35B came with that exact door holding rod. Works great.

R

RLSharp said:

Our 2013 Sunstar 35B came with that exact door holding rod. Works great.

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Ah-ha, so they are on larger units as well!  When I noticed that door prop it took me about 100 milliseconds to decide I liked it and that would be perfect on ours.

Great idea, John. What hardware did you use to attach the pad eyes, self tapping screws?

Thanks Bill.  Yup - #8 x 1/2" pan head stainless steel.  I thought about using pop rivets but the ones I have are too large in diameter or too small. 

John, is that sturdy enough in a wind to keep the screws from rounding out the holes and pulling out? The door probably would  be,  but what about the body side?

Probably so Marty but when I get home I'm going to through-bolt that padeye with a backer plate, probably overkill but that's okay.

John,
My 2013 Sunstar 27N came standard with that very same rod, except it was to short to keep the door open past 90 degres so I went to Lowe's and purchased a length of 1/4 aluminum rod and a 4" piece of  1/4 id x 3/8 od clear vinyl tubing. Bent the rod by drilling a 1/4 hole in a scrap piece of 2x10 and bent the ends at a 90 degree angle and just slipped a length of the tubing on each end, problem solved. All while in a campground in Myrtle Beach, first improvement after purchase.

John, thanks for this tip and the pics.  We have been traveling since June and have wanted to keep our door open many times but it was always windy.  I was planning to add something when we got home and that rod will work fine.  Is is permissible to use a Winnebago part on a Country Coach  ?

We plan to travel thru Kerrville after Christmas on our way to somewhere warm in the SW.  Maybe we will see you there.

Thanks, John.  I had posted about this very issue years ago when I first joined the forum.  At the risk of sounding like a total newbie, what website would I use to order using those part numbers?

Steve

2dalake said:

John, thanks for this tip and the pics.  We have been traveling since June and have wanted to keep our door open many times but it was always windy.  I was planning to add something when we got home and that rod will work fine.  Is is permissible to use a Winnebago part on a Country Coach  ?

We plan to travel thru Kerrville after Christmas on our way to somewhere warm in the SW.  Maybe we will see you there.

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Gary - you now have official permission to use a Winnebago part on your Country Coach - only because you were a former Winnebago owner  .  Give us a PM when you are going to be in the area.

Steve N Dee said:

Thanks, John.  I had posted about this very issue years ago when I first joined the forum.  At the risk of sounding like a total newbie, what website would I use to order using those part numbers?

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We've talked about keeping the door open before, but it has been a while.  Call Lichtsinn to order parts.

Actually the strap was mine and he stole it.. Can I sue? Where a lawyer? How about that Larry H. Parker guy.. 

This was to keep from springing the door in the wind, not hold it open. Looking at that body ring, on mine that's all fiberglass. Unless there is bracing to the frame, I'm not gonna be doing that on a fairing.

BTW- 8 years later it still works great. I just need to guide it IN, rather than out from time to time

Found it: http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r192/SCVJeff/DSCN4121.jpg

SCVJeff said:

Actually the strap was mine and he stole it.. Can I sue? Where a lawyer? How about that Larry H. Parker guy..

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As soon as I saw your post, I remembered that was your creation! 

Looking at that body ring, on mine that's all fiberglass. Unless there is bracing to the frame, I'm not gonna be doing that on a fairing.

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The padeye on the front cap is near the radius and very secure - not worried at all.  I'm not going to leave the door open in gusty winds, if the big awning comes in, the door gets closed.

Great idea with the backing plate John. I knew you would come up with a solution!

Man, I can just see one of my kids coming by and trying to slam that door........
Ouch, I wonder what it costs to straighten out a bent door...... er would it be to mend a broken elbow??? 8)

Right, never underestimate the destructive force that children have.

It's surprising how many RVs have this problem, and the solution offered above certainly looks like it would hold the door open but I'd still be concerned about damaging the RV at the mounting points if the door got tugged hard - for any reason. I dealt with this problem a little over a year ago and came up with a cheap, effective solution that's, essentially, invisible and which requires no maintenance, adjustments or the need to install or remove anything. It does require a little work to make some bends in a small piece of metal that you buy at Home Depot for 76 cents. That, two screws and a spacer are all that's needed.

Picture 1 is a picture of the metal strap I used. Like I said, I got it at Home Depot for .76 cents.
Pictures 2 and 3 show how I trimmed and bent the strap so it would hold the door's scissor-bar in place when the door was open.
Picture 4 is the top of the door where the strap covers the scissor-bar. It uses the scissor-bar's existing mounting holes. (Longer screws and a spacer were needed here).
In picture 4, you can also see how the bend in the metal strap holds the scissor-bar in place when the door is open.
In picture 5 you can see how the metal strap flexes upward when the door is pulled closed. When it's open, you have to give it a tug to overcome the gripping effect of the metal strap, but that's a good thing - it's what keeps the door from slamming open in the breeze.
Picture 6 shows how the metal strap is totally invisible when the door is closed - and unless you're really, really tall and looking for the metal strap, you wouldn't see it when the door is open, because it lies flat on top of the door.

When I first posted about this, there was some concern about metal-on-metal friction - the metal strap wearing into the scissor-bar. There has been virtually none of that - nada. The door just doesn't open and close that often or that quickly, and the strap simply doesn't put that much pressure on the scissor-bar to wear into it.

This is just another option you might consider if you're having this problem.

Kev

Nice job Kev. If anyone is concerned about wearing on the bar, you could put a little bit of grease under the strap although that may defeat the purpose. The door may have the tendency to shut if there's grease there.

Nice work Kev! A good solution for under a buck! That's my kind of mod!

Thanks Rene, and if you look closely at picture 5, you'll see that I originally wrapped the scissor-bar with one wrap of electrical tape - out of an abundance of caution - just in case the metal strap was exerting more pressure on the scissor-bar than I thought. Truth is, even that wasn't necessary. A little more than a year after doing this, the tape is still there and there are literally no signs of unusual or excessive wear. And the best part is... my door stays open!

(Thanks Marty)