Entry Door Holder?

[Madrona]

Our 2003 Itasca Horizon 32TD entry door doesn't seem to have any mechanical device to restrict how far open it can go. There is a screw or two loose or missing on the hinge side, but I'm not sure if anything should be there. I did find a brand new short cable with an eye on each end, lying loose in the coach when we bought it, but I don't have any idea what its' purpose is. I can't find a picture of the door to show me what should be there, if anything. It just seems the door opens a bit too far and I'm afraid the wind might catch it and rip it off the hinges.

Anybody have a pic of the door showing some form of movement restriction or can describe it to me, please?

Thanks!

[MaverickBBD]

Contact or go to the 3 T's website. They make such a stop and install it at their Lk. Havasau, Az shop. Make arrangements in advance and you can stay at their 50 amp available site.

[Madrona]

Originally Posted by MaverickBBD

Contact or go to the 3 T's website. They make such a stop and install it at their Lk. Havasau, Az shop. Make arrangements in advance and you can stay at their 50 amp available site.

Thanks. I guess you're saying there was never a stop on the entry door by design? Seems like an odd omission. I did go to the 3 T's site to see what they have available, but it's not likely I will drive 1,000 miles for a door stop. Hoping there was something original to the coach and I can just order it. If not, I'll come up with something on my own or just be careful of high-winds.

Thanks again for your reply.

Phil

[MaverickBBD]

Yes you are correct there is nothing in the way of a stop on the original equipment. A lot of folks in our club have strung a door a time or two when the breeze came up. You can have them ship it to you and install it yourself. It looks pretty straight forward to me.

[ernieh]

Madrona,

Actually, your entry door did have a stop from the factory. However it was not really up to the job. The original one will hold the door but not if there is a stiff breeze. I added a rod to hold mine to the top of the door frame. It has served me well for over seven years.

[MaverickBBD]

Yes Ernie I stand corrected. You are correct. How about pictures of how you attached your rod. Can you open and close the door with it attached?

[tiggertoo]

Originally Posted by ernieh

Madrona,

Actually, your entry door did have a stop from the factory. However it was not really up to the job. The original one will hold the door but not if there is a stiff breeze. I added a rod to hold mine to the top of the door frame. It has served me well for over seven years.

I would like to see a picture of the way your rod holds the door also. Winny doesn't think the door needs to be held open when there is a breeze. Tiffin has a nice stop on their doors, I wonder if it can be adapted to a Winny?

[doorguy]

Maverick is correct on the 3t's door stop. I had one installed in havasu last winter and it is a godsend. You can order it and install it yourself, it is no big deal, just sheet metal screws. The owners of 3t's RV in Lake Havasu are descendants of their father who is a semi-retired consultant for Winnebago. As I was told by Tina at 3t's, the father, years ago, was an HWH representative and he convinced W. to go with HWH hydraulic systems. In fact, earlier this year W. "gave" him a new prototype of the 2012 36' DP and said "take it home and tell us what we can do to improve it". I missed him by about a week. I was really curious to see the new coach and what he thought. He is the inovator behind the products that 3t's has developed and sells. Also, they are great people and very customer service oriented.

[ernieh]

MaverickBBD,

I don't have a picture available, but the parts that I used are in the Winnebago parts book. The rod is intended to be used on some Class C's to keep the door from contacting the awning rails.

Rod is a 127647-01-01A (17.8")

Retainer eye is a 127960-01-01A

One eye is attached to the top door frame about in the center. The other is attached to the center of the inside top of the door. I had to notch the plastic inside panel for a solid mount to the door. No modification to the screen door was necessary.

The rod is easy to install or remove while standing on the inside steps (I'm 5'10").

Look under "Door holder" in the parts book index.

[FIRE UP]

Madrona,
If yours is like ours, and most likely like the rest of the Winne and Itasca crowds, it looks like the pics below. I too had issues when we first bought our '04 back about 6 months ago. I modified ours to handle the weight of the door and not "Pop" so much when it reached "full open". Below is some pics of the mechanism that's supposed to do the job of controlling the door at it's full open position. If you click on the last one, it's a short video of the mechanism, and listen carefully, you'll hear the muffled sound of the "lock" as it approaches full open.
Scott

[lvanduyn]

Hi all..
I have a new Itasca with the same door problem. There is a latch on the slide to hold the door open. If the slide is not out, there is no place to latch the door. My prevous coach had a gas spring on the door to open it in a controlled manner and hold it open at 90 degrees. I have been searching for such an item to add to the Itasca but so far have come up empty. I have looked at a lot of gas springs but none that I have found extend at a controlled rate. Anybody out there have found anything that would fill the bill???
Larry

[AFChap]

The original equipment pictured above is called the "door check strap". It is intended to stop the door from opening too far. It does not "lock" the door open, but does provide a little resisence to keep it in the open positionm As others have indicated, it isn't strong enough. It is relatively easily over-extended and bent to the point that it binds and "pops" as the door is opened and closed. I have replaced mine once, and repaired it w/o replacing since. For my '03, the replacement kit from Lichtsinn Motors Forest City, was $102.65, freight $9.68 = total $112.33.