storage door catches releasing

[Dwight Wilson]

Hi folks, I am sure this may have come up in the past but I can't seem to find anything in the archives. I am wondering if anyone has experienced their basement storage doors releasing while they are in transit over some rough roads. My electrical compartment door below the drivers seat was the first to do this, somewhat unnerving when it "floats up" outside the drivers window at highway speed. This has happened a couple f times now. More recently the larger cabinet door under the drivers side slide popped open while driving. Fortunately I was able to pull over in all instances without loosing any contents or causing any accidents, especially considering it occurs on the "traffic side" . The catches appear to be in good shape but are obviously not holding properly. I am very attentive in making sure everything is latched, tight and locked before I travel. Has anyone experienced this and what have you done to resolve it? Thanks for any feedback.

[Joel Ashley]

It's hard to imagine the latches on both sides letting go, Dwight, although if you were on Saskatchewan roads at the time, maybe...   .  I haven't personally had this issue, though there was a broken screw or two on one bay door's latch when the coach was new that BCS repaired.

You say the latches look good, but obviously something's not right.  I'd first check that all the latch mounting plate and catch plate screws are in place and snug.  Looseness on either side could result in misalignment or instability, and unintentional release or a door stuck closed.  See that the latches line up well with the catches and check that something hasn't happened to the hinge to throw their alignment out of whack.

For some there can be a learning curve to properly shutting bay doors.  When you close each door, especially vertically opening ones, gently lean weight from your leg into it and be certain you hear the latch on each side fully engage its catch.  Sometimes I have to carefully do this on each side near each catch while holding the handle - just a nudge with the side of my leg after I would otherwise think the door has shut because it's flush with the coach body.  It's easy to think a door is closed because it's even all across, but you need to actually hear each latch spring into position behind its catch to be sure.

I don't know much about the handle mechanism itself, but I'd be sure it appeared to be fully and properly moving the latches completely in and out.  Wear or a missing rod retainer of some sort is conceivable I suppose, but I would think you would notice sloppiness, or a door stuck closed now and then.

Some fellows have had to replace their latches due to breakage or wear.  There is a monthly ad in the FMC magazine for a supposedly more hardy latch, if wear is the issue.

Hope some of this is helpful, or others here have more ideas.

Joel

[Edward Buker]

Dwight,

I'm not sure what the latch design looks like. Sometimes on mine the sliding part of the latch will extend more fully if I push in on a door and allow more clearance so the spring can push the latch part out further without friction or interference from the plate. Wiping them very clean and then applying spray dry lube to the plate and latch may help them extend further with tension on them in the shut position.

Later Ed

[David T. Richelderfer]

The last thing I do before driving - after slides in, after legs up, after all interior doors and windows closed, after satellite dish and fantastic fan lids down, etc. - is to walk around the outside of the coach leaning on both ends of every door and double checking the toad hookup.  I was not long a Beaver owner when I was warned of "Beaver knee" from double checking with a hard push to make sure those outside latches are all in place behind their latch plates.

On my first time driving the coach - it was the test drive lolol - the electrical bay door flew open before I had gone 1/4 mile from the dealer's gate.  It's never happened again.

[Stan Simpson]

+1 on both David and Joel. I do the "Beaver knee" thing for every door before we depart. I wait for the telltale click that indicates all is latched. When test driving our Beaver in Mesa AZ a fellow pulled up along side on an off ramp from the freeway and motioned to the back. The engine compartment was wide open!

Its never happened again.

Stan

[Dennis Crawford]

The "Beaver Knee Thing" is always recommended.  Also, you might want to spray some silicone lubricant on those nylon latches on the door to make sure that are engaging all the way.


Dennis

[LaMonte Monnell]

I always use my knee to check the outside latches and I lock them all too with the key. I know I have a switch to lock them but never have even tried it that way!

[Keith Oliver]

Dwight

I had two of mine come open on the last trip. Both on the passenger side, both the kind that swing sideways.  I had to move the U-bolt that the catch holds onto.  Fortunately that worked.  There is a fair amount of room to adjust on that style latch.