BAC Forum

General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Tom Fisher on December 07, 2014, 01:02:55 AM

Title: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Tom Fisher on December 07, 2014, 01:02:55 AM
The small door, passenger side, closest to battery door, won't unlatch. The rear side latch will unlatch but not the front side latch. The door is so narrow that I can't warp it enough to get it open. I am in the process of trying to figure out a small tool that I can squeeze between the door latch and the skin around the wheel well. Any ideas?
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Jerry Carr on December 07, 2014, 01:27:59 AM
Hi Tom, I have an 06 Thunder and have not had this same issue but... while at a rally (Ale Trail) earlier this year I did help a  member with the same problem I was able to push the door forward and also applied some outward pressure to snap the door open.
The issue was that the clearance was very tight the latch only has about 1/8" clearance. Once we did get the door open I filed the latch and we got it working just fine. 
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Gerald Farris on December 07, 2014, 01:59:25 AM
Tom,
It will be easier for members to respond to your question with the correct information if you list the year and model of your coach. Either include it in your signature line, or in the body of your question. There are many different basement door designs that were used throughout the 20 plus years of Beaver diesel pusher production, therefore the year and model is very helpful.

Gerald
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Tom Fisher on December 07, 2014, 02:08:41 AM
Thank you for the comments.
Gerald, when I checked my post, I did notice that the info on my coach wasn't there. But is was there when I placed my first post, about a month ago. I haven't quite figured out this system but I will. I have a 2005 Beaver Monterey.
Jerrad, my door is around 14 inches wide. I really am worried about twisting it, but I haven't figured out a different method yet, so I'll give yours a careful try.
Thanks
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Steve Huber Co-Admin on December 07, 2014, 04:43:24 AM
Tom,
To add your coach info, go to Profile, Forum Profile, and enter the info in the Personal Text block.
Steve
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Keith Moffett on December 07, 2014, 05:40:48 AM
Tom
We have one door that does that.  I have found that the hinge side gets slid down the track just about 1/8 inch making it hard to get enough travel on the handle to pull back the pins and let it open.
I really have to push on the one side before pulling on the handle.  Once the torque is off that pin it will retract and so open but it sometimes takes two people, one to push and one to operate the handle.
When you get it open lift the door all the way up and try to slide it away from the stuck pin just a bit.  I also use WD 40 in around the pins to clean out the dirt as it can cause the pin to stick and not open the latch.
Hope this helps some!
Keith
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Gerald Farris on December 07, 2014, 02:40:37 PM
Tom,
I am sorry that your first post was lost. It was posted when the forum was in transition from the old software to the new software that we are using now, and it was unavoidable to loose a few post that were made during the transition. It will not happen again.

Gerald 
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Roy Warren Co-Admin on December 07, 2014, 08:13:14 PM
Tom,
I have had a couple of latches stick intermittently and found that if I push real hard on the door I release some pressure on the latch and it will release.  I have had to move a door away from the latch also. Someone mentioned using WD 40, but I have always strayed from using WD 40 around any aluminum parts.  I usually use a grease free silicone spray for lubrication.  For some reason WD 40 can cause some aluminum to corrode.
Roy
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Steve Huber Co-Admin on December 07, 2014, 08:42:00 PM
Tom, (Update)
To add your coach info, go to Profile, Forum Profile, and enter the info in the Personal Text block. This will add the info below your avatar on the left side of the post. To add the info to the bottom of your post, enter the data in the "Signature" box on the Forum Profile.
Steve
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Steven Hoffman on December 08, 2014, 10:38:23 PM
Tom

My coach is older and I am not sure if the latches are similar.  I have one that sticks occasionally and I took an old screwdriver and bent about two inches at the end to a 90 deg angle.  I then ground the bent part thin and flat so I could push the latch by inserting it between the door and frame.  You may have to reduce the shaft size to fit. 
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Tom Fisher on December 11, 2014, 12:16:50 AM
I would like to thank everyone that submitted a comment. They all sound good and I am going to try every one until I get it open!
Thanks
Tom
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Tom Fisher on December 18, 2014, 03:24:48 AM

All that answered, thanks! I studied the one about grinding down a screwdriver and I ground the end (about 1/2 inch)  to a piece of no. 8 ground wire. Then I bent it at 3 different angles that would let it squeeze between the door and the panel. The angles allowed me to turn it so the ground part slid down between the two latch pieces. And the no. 8 ground wire was strong enough to allow me to twist it enough that it poped open the latch. Found the problem to be the softer metal wire that pulls the latch open, had somehow straightened enough to not be pulling the latching mechanism quit far enough. I will now carry the No. 8 ground wire with me when i travel.
Tom
Title: Re: Basement door won't open.
Post by: Larry Fritz on December 20, 2014, 05:33:37 AM
Tom, I did something similar to your approach but used some "piano wire" that I happened to have. That worked. I like your #8 wire better because it is larger in diameter.

For others reading about these locks, I have found that if you can take the panel adjacent to the latch loose (or even one side), that you can get that latch unlocked. On my 98 Patriot, most of the adjacent fixed panels are fastened underneath with only two or three screws and easy to remove so you can lift it up since it hangs on the hinged piece.  Larry Fritz