Trouble closing door

[McDonald256]

We have a new 25 RB Twin and closing the door is a pain. It is hard to close or you really have to slam it. I read that the stabilizing jacks can make a difference so I checked all them and reset to touch the ground and add a little tension (1/4 turn). It closes better but if I am standing right inside the door it will not latch. I have to stand a few feet in and close it for it to catch. Is this normal ?

[NoResults]

No, its not normal. On the previous trailer a 2016 I had to have the dealer take the door off and bend it so would close and have a good seal. All good after that.



You might see if you can adjust the latch.


Dave W

[ROBERT CROSS]

Brand new AS?

Take all tension off the stabs, just touching....and wait.
It may take awhile for the weatherstrip to seat in.
You should not have to 'slam' but a firm push is good.🤔

Bob
🇺🇸

[uraljohn]

If your not to far from your selling dealer take it back and have them "Adjust" it. There are several YouTube videos on how to adjust the door yourself. It could be something as simple as the latch not correctly aligned or some thing more serious. Continue to slam to close will result in broken parts.

We never slam our door to close. We gently close it right up against the latch then gently push close. Our first AS, 2017 23D, had the door adjusted at JC. Our new 2109 FC25 door closes very nicely right from first day.

Don't delay. Get it adjusted to close properly without hard slam.

[McDonald256]

Thanks everybody. The missus is not pleased.......

[Bobbo]

My experience. We had our Airstrem in the dealer, under warranty, twice for this before I finally found the root cause and fixed it permanently. The dealer told me he had to "re-rivet" it, so he found the symptom but didn't solve the root problem.

The door latches to a post that sticks out from the door frame. That post is screwed into a movable nut that is riveted to the door frame with two rivets.

When that post was screwed tightly to the door frame, the door would either not close, or close just like you are describing.

The solution to get the door to close easily was to unscrew that post between 1/16" and 1/8". However, that left the post loose and all of the pressure of closing the door was then taken by the two rivets.

Everything would be fine for a few weeks, then it would recur. When it recurred, it was because either one or both of the rivets had failed, and the post was sagging. This was what the dealer "re-riveted." Since he ONLY re-riveted it, the post remained loose, and the rivets failed again in a few weeks.

After the dealer did this twice, I starting looking at it myself. Once I figured out what the root problem was, I re-riveted it myself. Once it was riveted securely again, I removed the post (be sure the nut is riveted so it doesn't fall down in the door frame) and got a washer thick enough that I could securely tighten the post to the door frame, but held it out far enough that the door would still close easily. That was a couple of years ago, and it has held firmly ever since.

Occasionally, I still check to be sure the post is tight to the door frame, but it has never budged again after getting my washer.

Loosen that post about 1/16" to 1/8" and see if the door will close easily. If it does, get a washer and install it.

[majorairhead]

Originally Posted by Bobbo

got a washer thick enough that I could securely tighten the post to the door frame, but held it out far enough that the door would still close easily. That was a couple of years ago, and it has held firmly ever since.

Factory put a washer behind my latch post

[turk123]

Stop.

I'm kind of an expert on this. Well, and expert with two new trailers coming out of the factory.

Both our trailers had door problems as you describe. Do not let a dealer say that slamming the door is "normal" for an Airstream. Talk to your service manager at the dealership, not the salesman. If he says it is normal, do not let them work on the door. They don't know how to fix it. Our second trailer the 2019 Classic had issues with the door. Dealer tech said, "Oh, you don't want to mess with it more than we have as the seal around the top will leak". Right!

A second dealer in California said he could fix it, but after an hour's attempt said the door was made wrong and you will have to go to the factory to get it replaced.

Both trailers did go to the factory. We live near JC (3 hours) so we knew we could take it there sooner or later. The 2017 was fixed in a matter of minutes. Set the door to close and push with one hand till it clicks.

Our most recent trailer the 2019 went to JC just a month ago. I ask them to fix the door or replace it. I told them what the California dealer said. Airstream fixed it. Our door now closes like the first. No slamming just a push and a click.

Airstream did not replace the door and in fact, just made the comment that it just needed adjustment. They adjusted our screen also that had an 1/2" gap at the bottom also.

The moral of the story is that the dealers do not want to touch the door. They never learned to fix them. Airstream told me that all the dealers are trained in fixing doors, they just don't want to do it. It can involve a large hammer. So they deffer to some excuse.

When we were at Alumapolosa several years ago, Airstream had two guys going from trailer to trailer in the main camping field just fixing doors. I followed them for a while. Every door came out operating perfectly.

Unfortunately, that means a trip to the mothership. One nice thing is that camping is free, you get to see the factory and meet a lot of dedicated technicians and you'll meet other nice Airstream owners. Just make a trip of it.

[Bobbo]

Originally Posted by Bobbo

got a washer thick enough that I could securely tighten the post to the door frame, but held it out far enough that the door would still close easily. That was a couple of years ago, and it has held firmly ever since.

Originally Posted by majorairhead

Factory put a washer behind my latch post

They put one on mine too. Mine now has TWO washers behind the latch post and works perfectly.

[Bobbo]

When you get it figured out, post back here what your solution was. It may help someone else down the line.

[McDonald256]

Will do, I’m taking it back to the dealer this week with a list of things now that we have been out twice. I can see that the catch hits at the very end of the bolt by the wrench end

[Bobbo]

Originally Posted by McDonald256

Will do, I’m taking it back to the dealer this week with a list of things now that we have been out twice. I can see that the catch hits at the very end of the bolt by the wrench end

You need the washer. It pushes the wrench end out a little more so it doesn't hit the catch. The dealer won't do that, at least unless you tell him to. That was my problem, and the dealer's solution was to loosen the latch post enough to latch, but that left the rivets taking all of the closing force, hence they broke every few weeks.

[Heckler56]

[QUOTE=Bobbo;2283538 I removed the post (be sure the nut is riveted so it doesn't fall down in the door frame) and got a washer thick enough that I could securely tighten the post to the door frame, but held it out far enough that the door would still close easily.[/QUOTE]

How does one know the nut is riveted? My rig is stock and loosing the nut corrects the hard close, however, if I remove the nut will it fall does the doorframe?

[Bobbo]

Originally Posted by Heckler56

How does one know the nut is riveted? My rig is stock and loosing the nut corrects the hard close, however, if I remove the nut will it fall does the doorframe?

In this picture, you see the rivets above and below the latching post. They secure a track to the door frame. A nut slides, some, up and down, in that track so you can adjust your latching post up or down, some.

Loosen your latching post a few turns. Push on it. If it pushes in at the top or bottom, or is loose other than sliding slightly up and down, that rivet is sheared off and needs to be replaced. If it doesn't move except for a slight up/down slide, you are good to remove the latching post.

In this picture, you can also see the second washer that I added to mine. That was all I needed to secure my latching post FIRMLY against the door frame for strength, and also have the door close easily.

[Ted S.]

How do you re-rivet, just drill out and put in a new one?

[Bobbo]

Originally Posted by Ted S.

How do you re-rivet, just drill out and put in a new one?

Yes, while using the latching post to pull the track that is inside the door frame tight up against the door frame.

[McDonald256]

So after nearly two months of my rig being in the shop they finally have the door sorted out. We will see when I pick it up. Apparently it took a trip by the tech to JC for door training. Now if they can figure out the veneer delaminating on my cabinet.