Entry Door Problems (2000 3023)

As time has gone on, the entry door on my 3023 is becoming more & more difficult to match up (the top piece to the bottom piece), and more & more difficult to open and close once it is mated together. It seems like the rear, door-side corner of the front shell is not raising enough, and that it is weighing heavily on the door halves’ mating surface. I have experimented by gently and carefully raising the shell’s support strut (that resides just aft of the door) with a bottle jack. This small amount of lift/support seems to take the weight off of things, and allows the door to mate up and to open and close as it once did. Is this a common/known problem, and is there a known fix? Perhaps it is a function of torsion bar rigging? Please note that the shells are not hard to open and close, though they are a bit harder now than when I bought it (and did not have door problems). It also seems like it is more difficult to get the square aluminum tube-latch thingy on the front, door-side to “make” until the door mismatch is “made right”. Please note that it is not a trailer leveling issue; I have leveled and tried and leveled and tried ... I’ve even tried non-level configurations to see if that would change anything. The only thing that seems to help is the bottle jack – and I am applying very modest pressure with the thing, for fear of goofing something up inside the shell where the strut attaches. Any help, insight or advice (and even ridicule) are welcome.

Thanks in advance,
Don

i am having the exact same problem, i think, did you find a way to fix it without using a jack? take a look at my link below, these are pictures that show our issue, just to be sure we are indeed talking about the same problem, thanks

https://picasaweb.google.com/1012327...3782/Traimanor

lsattan

[commodor47]

One of your photos shows a bent or compressed door hinge attachment point. Too hard to tell from the photo whether or not it is a simple compression. If that part of the hinge has moved back towards the inside of the TM, it could have raised the end of the door latch panel - see attached thumbnail.

Dick

Welcome to the club I have a heck of a time to close my entry door, I have the TM all nice and level too. We are leaving for a week camping next week and I will have time to check my problem out, this trip is the longest one so far since we got the TM in May, so we are excided for sure. I carry a bottle jack and all kind of tools. I will report back if I get any results on my entry door, that is my major project this trip it is driving me nuts.

I just got a L shaped thing to put in my cordless drill to work the scissor jacks I got it at a camping store, I will enjoy that so much I hate that crank, this is so nice Zip, Zip and I am done, 9 bucks. Another thing I am going to try this trip is when I unhook from the Explorer, I am going to lower the front as far as it goes then open the front shell, I have to try that I heard that it is so much easier, I will level side to side first then once the shell is open then do a the final level. That front shell kills me, I need my wife to help But it closes nice and the back shell raises so nice. OH, can’t wait to hang my flat screen TV on the cabinet over the sink, just finished the set-up yesterday will take pictures. Wish me luck on my entry door I will have a week on that door problem.

Lazy, Dave

[countrygirl]

Originally Posted by Scottie Dogs

Welcome to the club I have a heck of a time to close my entry door, I have the TM all nice and level too. We are leaving for a week camping next week and I will have time to check my problem out, this trip is the longest one so far since we got the TM in May, so we are excided for sure. I carry a bottle jack and all kind of tools. I will report back if I get any results on my entry door, that is my major project this trip it is driving me nuts.

I just got a L shaped thing to put in my cordless drill to work the scissor jacks I got it at a camping store, I will enjoy that so much I hate that crank, this is so nice Zip, Zip and I am done, 9 bucks. Another thing I am going to try this trip is when I unhook from the Explorer, I am going to lower the front as far as it goes then open the front shell, I have to try that I heard that it is so much easier, I will level side to side first then once the shell is open then do a the final level. That front shell kills me, I need my wife to help But it closes nice and the back shell raises so nice. OH, can’t wait to hang my flat screen TV on the cabinet over the sink, just finished the set-up yesterday will take pictures. Wish me luck on my entry door I will have a week on that door problem.

Lazy, Dave

Scottie Dogs...love your enthusiasm!!!

Originally Posted by countrygirl

Scottie Dogs...love your enthusiasm!!!

Thank you countrygirl, at the age of 66 my wife and I try to live every day to the hilt. Our TM and our Scotties are our life and we will retire in January and we are off to explore our wonderful USA. There is no second chance to enjoy what we have. We have been camping for 40 years and our trailer is just perfect for us, nothing on the market like it.

Thanks again, Dave

If you really don't like jacking get your TM a power tongue jack . Best thing I ever did for myself and my TM , I love it more every time I use it . Only drawback no wheel but it only takes a few seconds to get used to that .

Hi All,

Have you tried to raise the front of the front shell to fix the rear part of the front shell binding? This is part of the shell alignment procedure - you measure the distance from the bottom of the base/box up to thr inside of the pocket where the arm bends. In my case it measured 39 1/2 inches on all four arms. How does yours look? All the same or differant ? Then check the rear shell, it should be somewhere in the 38 to 38 1/2 range. I do know in this forum is a laid out step by step procedure on how to level the shells.

Good Luck

Bob

[irenepl]

I had the same problem with my 2720. I drilled a small hole in the flanges between the top and bottom halves and used a bolt and wing nut. Once installed the door works flawlessly. I then purchase our 3326 and had a similar problem. This time I drilled a hole in the plastic retainer and into the lower portion (of course this has to be done where the door is perfectly aligned and closes properly) and inserted a spring pin. With out this fix my door would not latch without some upward pressure on the lower half of the door. Now it works effortlessly every time now matter how I level the TM..(and I am very careful in the leveling process!!!!) Hope this help and good luck on your trip!

Hi irenepl,

I would be interested in pictures of the mod you have made to see how it works. Thanks in advance.

Bob