Door latch very stubborn.

[Dan Murphy]

On our coach we are having trouble opening the door.If we stand to the left side and pull on the handle just right it may open but most of the time it seems to hang-up and you must give it several jerks to get the door latches to release.
I have taken the panel off that surrounds the handle and tried to lubricate and everything seems to work properly---as I work the handle all the parts move---- but when re-assembled it still won't open as it should.
 Where would the adjustment be to make this door open?? has anyone else had this problem? any suggestions?

Thanks,
Dan

[David T. Richelderfer]

I see our coaches are several model years different, but here's my experience.

About a year ago I was having a similar problem.  Two things: 1) If you have not yet done this, unlock one window that is large and easy to crawl in, and two) try pushing in on the door while pulling on the exterior opening handle.  Pushing in on the door will take most of the pressure off the door catches to make the door easier to open.

In my case, the door finally got so bad the exterior opener handle was not able to open the door, and I had to slide open the window over the couch to crawl in.  The inside opener handle worked as good as always; it was only the exterior opener handle that had become unattached from the linkage used to release the door catches.

After removing the exterior door handle assembly from the door I found one side of the plastic handle's hinge had broken which allowed the handle to get sloppy and not properly move the linkage to open the door catches.  I put in a new exterior opener handle assembly.  It's now good as new again.  I purchased the assembly from BCS.

[Gerald Farris]

Dan,
From my understanding, it is a common problem on the late model Contessa. At the Kerrville Rally there were 2 Contessa coaches with the same problem. Since I was not involved in repairing either coach, I can not tell you exactly where the adjustment is located, but the correction is a fairly simple adjustment. You just shorten the rod (one or both) from the handle to the latch. A call to the BCS Service Department will probably give you the location and procedure.

Gerald

[Dan Murphy]

Gerald,
thanks for the reply. When I had the cover off the assembly I could see the rods you speak of but they looked as if they were operating the way they should when the handle was pulled. Is it possible that they operate differently when the cover is put back on and buttoned up?

[Dan Murphy]

David,
Thanks for the reply also. I need to unlock that window because Im sure Ill get locked out sooner or later. And pushing in on the door does not seem to help in our case. If we make just the right pull on the handle to the left it may open but Im afraid we are going to break the handle using such an abrupt jerk.

[LEAH DRAPER]

Well finally someone has surfaced with the same problem I have been having for about a year now.  I have taken the handle of the door off several times trying to fix the problem.  NOT FIXED.  I have also lubricated everything I could see to no avail.

Gerald, calling BCS does NO GOOD EITHER.  I called Sean and he told me the whole door has to be taken apart,
window has to come out, metal framing around the door has to come off, I was told to go have a repair person fix it.  RIGHT.....I probably know more at this point than they would.  I am pretty sure I know where it hangs up, it is around those "pegs, two of them on the opposing side of the door opening, top and bottom.  Don't know what they are called but opposing them in the door are finger like clamps or jaws that grip them when when the door closes.
I just don't know why or what is causing them not to fully release.

If this is such a simple fix why can't we find out what it is and let us know.  (Maybe some one should tell BCS
also)!

My hope is that those Beavers who have had this problem (the later Beavers) will respond and let us others know.

[Gerald Farris]

Leah,
The 2 coaches that had the same problem at Kerrville (both late model Contessa) that you are having were repaired by Premier RV from Tucson. They were at the rally doing mobile service. It was a pretty quick repair, so I am sure that they did not completely disassemble the door. I will see if I can get an answer for you, and get back to you if no one else answers with the correct procedure.
 
Gerald

[Dan Murphy]

Hi Leah
I have taken my door apart partially also and it looks like the linkage is working fine but the handle still "hangs up" when I try to open on a regular basis.If I stand to the left and jerk just right on the handle the door might open on the first try but we are getting very tired of that and we are also afraid we will break the handle off.
I told Premier about my problem when I was in Tucson about a week prior to Kerrville and they said they fixed it and they charged for the repair. The technician said he made a slight adjustment to the striker or something like that. Anyway the repair did not last long as we are still having the same problem getting into the coach.
I wonder about the repairs made at Kerrville now that Ive heard what Gerald reported.

Dan

[Larry Dedrick]

Come on Dan, Tell Kris, " you should have made that trade in Redmond" 

                 Larry D

[LEAH DRAPER]

Well it sounds like if Premier in Tucson did it, either they didn't, or the "fix" they are touting does not fix it or last for any length of time.  That make me very skeptical

[David T. Richelderfer]

Dan - All the symptoms you have related in your original post and this last post sound exactly like I could have written them from my door problem of a year ago.  We started having the door opening issue in the Summer 2013 and had a repair guy "fix" it while at the Canyonville Rally in September ($250!!).  After his fix the door opened well for several weeks, but consistently got harder to open over the Winter while we were in Nevada and Arizona.  On the way home from wintering South last March 2014 I went to Camp Beaver to get some things fixed.  The tech at BCS "fixed" the door problem again.  His repair job lasted for about two weeks until the door handle would not work but intermittently again.  I am a pretty big guy and had to rip on the handle to open the door too.  Leslie was unable to open the door at all late last Winter 2013-2014.  I ended up accidentally seeing that one side of the plastic hinge on the exterior opening handle was broken.  After I took that assembly out of the door the broken hinge was easy to see.

BCS charged me something like $175 to fix the door.  When I finally found the problem BCS sent a new exterior door opener assembly (about $80) for free.  I told Ken to keep the $100 difference and credit it to paying for the several times I consulted with him on the phone.   lol

[LEAH DRAPER]

David
What you are relating sounds plausible if those of us having the problem have the same exact handle in the door that you have.

Am having trouble visualizing exactly where/what part you are talking about, don't suppose you still have the "broken handle" for a picture do you?

Leah

[David T. Richelderfer]

I sent two emails to albq... and dank... with several pictures.  Hope they come through with the pictures intact.

My brother is here with me in Yuma.  I notice his door handle is identical to mine.  His coach is a 2000 Marquis Tourmaline, mine is a 2004 Marquis Sapphire.

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks David, I did get your email with the pics. Your handle does not look exactly like mine but similar. It is bitter cold here in Indiana so I am not going to take the door apart again. I was trying to get a handle on the "true fix" as we will be at Lazy Days in 3 weeks for some service and maybe they can fix it for good. I have had 2 others try to fix and it still is not right.
Jeff adjusted the door at Bend RV and it was "adjusted" again  in Tucson but those adjustments did not last long. I think I will also call Ken at BCS and get any input he may have.I might need to order the assembly to take with me to Florida.

@Larry Dedrick---we will be down there in 3 weeks---you need to order some Black Butte from Bend my friend!!

[Keith Moffett]

Ok, heres an idea that is just a guess but an educated one.
Perhaps one of you with this problem could use a flat pry bar from the inside to gently pick up the open side of the door when it is closed and latched fully.  While you are lifting have someone open the door from the outside.  If the difference is noticable then the weight of the door is riding on the latch causing it to bind.
This thread strongly reminds me of a similar door problem that turned out to be a hinge problem rather than the latch.  Wasnt on a motorhome though so I may be way off.