Door hinge flex

[Rltports]

So I am probably just being too obsessive but today I noticed the bottom hinge flex slightly when I closed the door. The top hinge doesn’t move. As you might see in the picture there is a slight gap that appears around the hinge when the door is closed. I reset the stabilizers just in case and no change. The door closes nicely but I am wondering if this is an indication I should be tightening the hinge. With that said, there is no obvious way to do that. Any comments are welcomed. Even if it is to forget it and go buy some steaks for the weekend.

[uraljohn]

Pry the small piece of plastic trim off that is between the hinge points. This is the piece attached to the trailer. Two screws visible. Tighten. Done. The little piece of chrome plastic trim may or may not stick when you try to press it back on. You can buy it by the foot at dealer. Easy Peasy.

[Wconley]

Exactly what Uraljohn said. When we did this to our trailer we suddenly found that the door closed and latched much easier! Go figure.

[Baby Zeppelin]

Had to do this twice to our door hinges on a 7300 mile trip across the country and back. I'd like to remove the screws one by one and re-install them with blue locktite on the threads to keep them tight.

Obviously the nuts the screws thread into are captive, or they'd spin around as they are tightened. I'd like to know if they are captive to a metal strip such that the two nuts for each hinge are attached to the same strip.

That way I can remove a screw to put locktite on the threads without fear of hearing the nut fall to the floor of an interior panel.

Anyone know? Or do I have to search through the parts catalog to find out?

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Baby Zeppelin

Had to do this twice to our door hinges on a 7300 mile trip across the country and back. I'd like to remove the screws one by one and re-install them with blue locktite on the threads to keep them tight.

Obviously the nuts the screws thread into are captive, or they'd spin around as they are tightened. I'd like to know if they are captive to a metal strip such that the two nuts for each hinge are attached to the same strip.

That way I can remove a screw to put locktite on the threads without fear of hearing the nut fall to the floor of an interior panel.

Anyone know? Or do I have to search through the parts catalog to find out?

According to old threads, they are NOT captive and will fall within the wall if removed. This necessitates interior trim removal and a hole saw to repair. Loosen them at your own risk.

[Wconley]

Originally Posted by dznf0g

According to old threads, they are NOT captive and will fall within the wall if removed. This necessitates interior trim removal and a hole saw to repair. Loosen them at your own risk.

YIKES! I never would have assumed this! I was going to use Locktite like Baby Zeppelin but I guess more caution is needed. Thanks.

[Rltports]

Thank you to everyone for the replies and great discussion. We’ve had our 2015 25FC for 3 months and have found this forum to be incredibly valuable. I find it hard to believe that there could be a better community of users.

[VaTravelers]

I noticed the same thing happening on our 2017 28’ International. I removed the cover and attempted to tighten the screws. They are tight but yet the hinge is moving slightly when we close the door. It closes tightly so not sure what is happening. I’m concerned the mounting point may eventually fail requiring a major door frame repair.