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Old 11-17-2019, 06:28 AM   #1
FlyboyTR
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Default Trailmanor Door Latch Mod

Many people have added a window sash twist-latch to hold the top and bottom halves of the doors together...or in alignment. I did the same but went with a different type latch. I preferred this type latch because it is adjustable. I do admit....there is nothing pretty about it. But for me it was a better option.

YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/1-vrbRZ60XI
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Old 11-17-2019, 06:30 PM   #2
Shane826
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A lot of TMs came with the cam-lock (window sash lock)... What did yours have originally? Mine had a rubber strap that didn’t keep everything aligned at all.
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Old 11-18-2019, 03:10 PM   #3
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I have the nylon lock. My experience is that the door shifts out of alignment when something else is out of alignment. When I was adjusting my shell heights earlier this year I noticed that it had a profound affect on the door alignment. As well, if you level your TM with the four jacks only, and not at the wheels as well (level side to side at the wheel first, then level with the 4 jacks), you can get a slight sag in the frame which will cause the door to be out of alignment.

The door latch mod is useful to compensate if you don't quite get the levelling process done right, or if there is an issue with the shell height. (I have a technical article in the works, but given family issues I haven't had the chance to get the final details (mostly good labelled pictures) completed.

The last camping trip we had we had no issues with the door alignment, but it does take a lot of care when levelling.
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Old 11-18-2019, 03:35 PM   #4
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This idea of using clamps of any kind to force the door halves into proper position has disturbed me ever since the Tennessee factory switched to the window sash clamp in about 2007. The problem is that the upper door is attached to the wall of the front shell, and the lower half of the door is attached to the wall of the body box. Those two walls are supposed to be parallel to each other, and lie in the same plane. If they are, the door halves stay aligned as they swing, and don't separate as you open them. On the other hand, if the walls are not parallel, the door halves will separate as you open them - as seen in your video at about 2:00-2:05, Travis. So if the doors separate, and you force them together with some sort of clamp, then something's gotta bend. I don't know what it is, but I don't like the idea of forcing some parts to go where they don't want to go.

The proper fix is to align the walls, and it is not hard to do. Once done, the doors do not separate as they swing, and the original white nylon slab does a fine job, without forcing anything.

https://www.trailmanorowners.com/for...light=triangle - - especially post #3

I've written about my misgivings several times, and never gotten much traction. So aside from saying that I corrected the problem on my own TM, I'll put it aside.

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Old 11-18-2019, 05:18 PM   #5
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In addition to what Bill wrote, the shells can also be in the same plane, and still be out of alignment. If the two halves open or bind when the door is closed, the shell is not parallel with the box. See post 17.

https://www.trailmanorowners.com/for...t=shell&page=2

This will cause the end of the shell (front end for the front shell, rear end for the rear shell) to sag slightly. On the front and sags, the top door will separate slightly from the lower door when closed. The solution here is to adjust the shell height by increasing it by a 1/4 or 1/8" to compensate. If you raise the shell too much, the door will bind.

The specification for shell height is measured FROM the bottom of the aluminum skin on the box, TO the bottom edge of the lift arm bracket inside the pocket stop when the shell is locked in the open position. The specification is 39.5", but if you have the shell sag, you could increase this to 39 3/4".
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