Falling Shower door

[sander17]

We have a problem with the shower door jumping off the hinge plates.
When traveling on the wonderful patched roads of our state and various
campgrounds, sometimes we enter the trailer to find the shower door laying on the bathroom area floor. Looking at the attached photos, you can see that it is not held on by very much. Just a lip on a small piece of plastic.
The steel pin inside the plastic is an odd size: approx. 0.170", so a longer
3/16 pin will not work.

Is this a common problem? Is there an easy solution? Would replacing
the plastic solve it? The lip that holds it to the plate with the hole is
very short. It would be nice if the center pin had a tapped hole down the
center, but it appears to be hardened, so modifying it is out.

Even if the plastic is replaced, I don't see how this is a good solution.
Is there an "upgrade" design for this hinge?

This is in our 96 Excella, mid-bath.
Thanks for any help.

[overlander63]

Maybe a piece of aluminum channel with a 6 mm pin will do the trick.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by sander17

We have a problem with the shower door jumping off the hinge plates.
When traveling on the wonderful patched roads of our state and various
campgrounds, sometimes we enter the trailer to find the shower door laying on the bathroom area floor. Looking at the attached photos, you can see that it is not held on by very much. Just a lip on a small piece of plastic.
The steel pin inside the plastic is an odd size: approx. 0.170", so a longer
3/16 pin will not work.

Is this a common problem? Is there an easy solution? Would replacing
the plastic solve it? The lip that holds it to the plate with the hole is
very short. It would be nice if the center pin had a tapped hole down the
center, but it appears to be hardened, so modifying it is out.

Even if the plastic is replaced, I don't see how this is a good solution.
Is there an "upgrade" design for this hinge?

This is in our 96 Excella, mid-bath.
Thanks for any help.

You may have bad axles, if so, they can easily cause your problem, when the trailer bottoms out.

Andy

[sander17]

Terry,
I am not sure where you would install the 6mm pin and the channel.

Andy,
The axles seem to be ok, with a reasonable down angle. The problem only happens
when we go over a really nasty pothole, poorly installed road patch, or a sneaky hump
in the road that sets the whole trailer to rockin. Have you run into problems with this
door hinge design? Maybe just bending the plate to squeeze the plastic a little more
might help. It would be nice if the boss on the top of the plastic piece was an eighth
of an inch taller, that would keep it from sliding out when the whole trailer flexes.
Is the plastic piece a common part available by itself?

Thanks for the responses.

[sander17]

******BUMP*****

Anyone else have any ideas?

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by sander17

Terry,
I am not sure where you would install the 6mm pin and the channel.

I was thinking about a 1 inch piece of aluminum "angle iron", mounted on the wall, with one flat part directly over the hinge area, like an inverted capital "L". Drill a hole in the part that will be over the door, and insert the pin where the hinge is. Of course, if you do this, you may not even need the pin, just drill the hole in the angle, and insert the hinge.

[jnerges]

We have the same problem in our 05. Thanks for bringing this up. I think the design needs some help. I look forward to the solutions.


John

[sander17]

Originally Posted by overlander63

I was thinking about a 1 inch piece of aluminum "angle iron", mounted on the wall, with one flat part directly over the hinge area, like an inverted capital "L". Drill a hole in the part that will be over the door, and insert the pin where the hinge is. Of course, if you do this, you may not even need the pin, just drill the hole in the angle, and insert the hinge.

Let me see if I get this right:
Wouldn't you need to attach the angle aluminum to the door? Then remove the cast zinc block with the small pin and drop the large pin thru the hole shown in the above photo and a similar sized hole in the angle aluminum? But without any way to keep the pin vertical, the door would wiggle horizontally. Of course if the two aluminum surfaces are rubbing, then the wiggle room would be minimized.
I have not yet measured the hole in the aluminum plate, is it 6mm? If so, my local hardware store may have a tough time filling that order. Hmmmmm....

[overlander63]

No, you'd attach the angle aluminum to the wall, and let the angle of the aluminum protrude over the hinge area of the door, perpendicular to the floor. Drill a hole in it, and put the hinge pin through the hole you drilled into the door.

[sander17]

Originally Posted by overlander63

No, you'd attach the angle aluminum to the wall, and let the angle of the aluminum protrude over the hinge area of the door, perpendicular to the floor. Drill a hole in it, and put the hinge pin through the hole you drilled into the door.

Ok, call me dense, but I'm afraid I'll need a sketch. Where do you drill the hole in the door?

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by sander17

Ok, call me dense, but I'm afraid I'll need a sketch. Where do you drill the hole in the door?

You shouldn't have to drill a hole in the door, use the spot for the hinge pin that's already there. If it's threaded, so much the better. Just get a bolt with the proper threads on it, and screw it down into the door through the angle aluminum.

[Mikethefixit]

Stephn
Shhhhhhhh I think I know what the problem with that bathroom door is. Shhhhhhhhh I think its the driver. DON'T tell Dave I said that.IT Could never be wonderful Michigan roads,
Dave we had something like that happen the last time we were out. We have bad Axles ya know. The rough ride Sheared all the rivets out of the frame of a large mirror on the back of the bathroom door. ITs about 12"x5.5 ft. tall.
I could not figure why I could not close the door, I found the corner of the mirror diggin in the carpet. MaryLou found what was left of the rivets laying in the carpet, thats what got me to lookin.
So thats the reason we are grounded till our axles come. U will figure a solution to the problem and I wanna see In August when we see ya,providing we get our axles and have them installed by then.
Hope to see U then
Roger

[sander17]

Originally Posted by overlander63

You shouldn't have to drill a hole in the door, use the spot for the hinge pin that's already there. If it's threaded, so much the better. Just get a bolt with the proper threads on it, and screw it down into the door through the angle aluminum.

I believe you are thinking of a different design. This door has a zinc block that slides down the channel of the door frame with a headed stainless dowel pin captured inside it. The block is located by a screw that pushes against the inside of the channel to hold it at one place along the extrusion. The dowel pin is the odd size one mentioned in the first post. It sticks out of a hole in the zinc block and has the plastic spacer surrounding it. The plastic piece has a very shallow boss that fits in the aluminum plate with the hole in the first photo.
So the only hole would be the one in the zinc block, at 0.170" diameter. I suppose I could remove the pin, tap some threads in this block, and use a shoulder bolt for a hinge pin. However the block is very narrow and a bolt that fits the aluminum plate would be too big for threading into the zinc block.
Maybe a pull dowel would work, if I got lucky and the OD matched the big hole and the threaded center could be joined to the zinc block with a short set screw. Unfortunately, every pull dowel I have seen is made of rustable steel.
The obvious solution would be to replace the plastic pieces. Maybe a new one would grip the frame better. I was kinda hoping that someone on the forum who is familiar with available parts might know if they are available.

[sander17]

Originally Posted by Mikethefixit

Stephn
Shhhhhhhh I think I know what the problem with that bathroom door is. Shhhhhhhhh I think its the driver. DON'T tell Dave I said that.IT Could never be wonderful Michigan roads,
Roger

Hey Roger,
Remember the rally in April? Then you know who the driver was.
I'm gonna tell!!!!
You had better watch out at the Metro Detroit Rally!

[2airishuman]

hi mr sista!

it might help us seeing a pic of the the full hinge area, topnbottom...

i think the newer version of the hinge on my classic will fit it, maybe.

IF the issue is it's hopping UP on road bumps and jumping off the lower pin hole,

it would seem a rubber wedge jammed into the top opening (of the door frame) would keep it from doing this...

if the hinge has gradually sagged and it's really the top that comes out, wedge it from the bottom.

the main door panel aluminum framing can become loose 2, there should be screws that tighten and square up the frame.

more pix please!

2air'

[sander17]

2air',
As part of the diagnosis, I had to open the door frame to get the zinc block out, so I know it was ok.

Tonite after work I'll take some more photos with the door mounted. My point and shoot digital camera has a bit of trouble taking a macro photo when there is so much shiny aluminum in the field of view. I may have to break down and read the manual to use the manual focus!

Of course, the tacky solution is to buy two stainless steel butt hinges and mount them on the outside of the door and frame, but I am trying to avoid that, no matter how reliable it would be.