Stuck tambour door

[bkahler]

My 74 Argosy motorhome has one tambor door and of course it gets stuck about after about 3" of travel.



There is no access from behind or from the sides. When pushing up it travels fairly smoothly but then within a very short distance it starts binding and it quickly reaches a point where it won't move at all.

Any suggestions on how to fix the problem without destroying the door?

Thanks!

Brad

[perryg114]

Silicone Spray.

Perry

[bkahler]

I think I've got a can of that around somewhere. I'll give it a try this evening.

Thanks!

Brad

[perryg114]

Look for obstructions in the track. Sometimes there are nails, screws, or rivets that hold the track in that are coming loose. Also look for problems with the scrolls that it coils up in. Lube the scrolls on each side as well.

Perry

[bkahler]

Perry, I have no access to the tracks. I can't reach in there, I can't get access from the sides or the top. From what I can see I either get it to start sliding or I tear it out.

I'm hoping the silicone spray will do the job.

Brad

[perryg114]

You can spray silicone along each edge and you can usually see the scrolls with the door partially open. There is very little film left behind with that silicone so you can be pretty liberal with it. You could get an inspection mirror and a flashlight to inspect things. It could be something as simple as a shopping bag got wrapped around something.

Perry

[Protohyp]

If the door is bent even the slightest amount it binds...try rolling it by hand in the middle of the door

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by perryg114

... You could get an inspection mirror and a flashlight to inspect things. It could be something as simple as a shopping bag got wrapped around something.

Perry

Duh, I just bought an bore scope and keep forgetting that fact! I'll use the scope tonight and see what is lurking up behind the door.

Thanks for jarring my memory

Brad

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by Protohyp

If the door is bent even the slightest amount it binds...try rolling it by hand in the middle of the door

I've tried various angles and positions on the door and after it reaches a certain point it just stops. Any pushing after that and you can feel the door wanting to start buckle.

We'll see what the bore scope shows this evening.

Brad

[vswingfield]

I had several in my Excella behaving just that way. Silicone spray worked on all of them. I kept thinking, "I can't get to the scroll part, no way this is going to work." It did.

I still haven't learned to ease up on them. I keep slamming them open now.

[perryg114]

Pushing real hard on them can cause them to delaminate.

Perry

[bkahler]

Silicone spray did the job! It still wants to bind real easy when opening but at least I can now get access which should allow me to pull the inside cover to look closer at things.



The cabinet was nice and clean inside which kinda surprised me considering how the rest coach looked.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Brad

[perryg114]

Remove that rear trim panel and I bet you can see the scrolls then.

Perry

[adonh]

Interesting remains of an old clock above the cabinet. Is that original?

Don

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Remove that rear trim panel and I bet you can see the scrolls then.

Perry

That's what I'm hoping. I'd like to keep the tambor door but if it's worn out or broken I might have to do something different. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can clean things up to be good as new.

Brad

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by adonh

Interesting remains of an old clock above the cabinet. Is that original?

Don

Don, I honestly don't know. Maybe Fred would have a better feel for whether the clock is original to the coach.

I'm not sure what to do about it since some of the numerals are missing. If it was intact I'd leave it. I'll spend some time looking for either the missing numerals or something that can be put in it's place.

Brad

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Don, I honestly don't know. Maybe Fred would have a better feel for whether the clock is original to the coach.

I'm not sure what to do about it since some of the numerals are missing. If it was intact I'd leave it. I'll spend some time looking for either the missing numerals or something that can be put in it's place.

Brad

Here's a source for the numerals: Klockit - Inserts & Dials, Numerals.

As far as the works go, I like this one: Seiko High Torque Continuous-Sweep Mini Quartz Movement. It's a little pricy ($13.99 including your choice of a set of hands vs. as low as $3.25 for the plain movements), but the continuous sweep means that the second hand moves smoothly around like an AC powered clock instead of once a second. Most importantly, that means that it doesn't go "clunk!" every second. I've retrofitted this movement into my hand on the wall clock and the quiet is a huge improvement. Well worth the price.

[bkahler]

Vaughn, thanks for the links!

They have several dial faces that would be a good replacement for the numbers currently existing and the continuous movement clock is definitely the only way to go.

Thanks!

Brad