Warped door on my '91 Excella

[mudmuffin]

The door on my airstream is slightly bowed (1/4 inch) out at the bottom front edge and does not seal completely. The hinges are functional. I talked to an AS service person who told me they correct this problem at his dealership as follows. Lock the door, have a helper hold the upper part of the door in its proper location, place a piece of 2x4 lumber accross the bottom 1/3 of the door and push hard. This bends the door into its orginal curved shape. They "fix them all of the time this way".

Has anyone heard or done this and did it work?

[Minnie's Mate]

No idea about this repair technique, but I was at Jackson Center yesterday and was talking to an elderly couple whose 2004 Safari door was struck in an RV parking lot by a Class C moho and the replacement cost was $3,000! It would have been $4,000 if the frame had been damaged. It might be worth taking it to the dealer and letting them try their "expert" hand at it rather than risking damaging it further yourself.

[myboyburt]

Originally Posted by mudmuffin

The door on my airstream is slightly bowed (1/4 inch) out at the bottom front edge and does not seal completely. The hinges are functional. I talked to an AS service person who told me they correct this problem at his dealership as follows. Lock the door, have a helper hold the upper part of the door in its proper location, place a piece of 2x4 lumber accross the bottom 1/3 of the door and push hard. This bends the door into its orginal curved shape. They "fix them all of the time this way".

Has anyone heard or done this and did it work?

Yes, this is exactly how the door on my 93 Excella was fixed. Ours was warped more than yours too. We had the local dealer do the correction, was under $80.00 labor if I recall...

[mudmuffin]

Thanks Leon. Did you watch them do this? I was not sure as to the actual force required and potential damage to the outside of the door. I would take it to the dealer but that is several hours away. In explaining to the service rep he stated that I could do the same thing he would do at the shop and save the travel time and money. Charles @ MaryLynn

[Roadtoaster]

Mudmuffin, I have seen this done on "sprung" pickup truck doors and it worked well. Were I doing it, I would have the wife hold the 2 X 4 and just begin springing (pushing) the door lightly until it gradually moved back into position.

Good luck.

Greg

[the ponz]

The door seal on my 1986 sovereing is in great shape. It was not, however, making a good seal with the coach near the top of the door and would allow rain water to leak in. I did in fact use the exact 2x4 method you descrided to adjust the door to fit properly. I discovered it was easier to have three people for the project: one to hold the lumber, one to push on the top of the door and one to push on the bottom of the door. If somewhat equal force was not applied to the top and the bottom of the door at the same time, I found the door had a tendancy to bow out at the bottom when I pushed on the top. Having someone push (or simply hold it in place) on the bottom as I applied force to the top worked much better than simply applying force on the top alone.

It has been two years since I put the wood to the door and it hasn't leaked since.

ponz

[casarodante]

Originally Posted by mudmuffin

The door on my airstream is slightly bowed (1/4 inch) out at the bottom front edge and does not seal completely. The hinges are functional. I talked to an AS service person who told me they correct this problem at his dealership as follows. Lock the door, have a helper hold the upper part of the door in its proper location, place a piece of 2x4 lumber accross the bottom 1/3 of the door and push hard. This bends the door into its orginal curved shape. They "fix them all of the time this way".

Has anyone heard or done this and did it work?

Do you have pictures of this before? Ours is slightly out at the bottom so I have a vested interest in this.

[TPdrums]

BUMP...

I have this very same problem, and I'm trying to figure out just what you are prying against. Where are you resting the 2x4..? Can someone post a quick pic?

I read in the manual, that it's best to remove the rivets around the perimeter, and then bend the door. Replacing the rivets and adding more to substantiate the change, and keep it from bending back.

Thanks for any helpful replies.

[Silver Otter]

Without endorsement because I haven't tried it, check out this video:

Airstream How To: Adjusting Trailer Main Doors - YouTube

[OverToyed]

Funny, I just noticed today, before reading this post, that my door wasn't seating properly at the top. I just grabbed the top and twisted it a bit and voila!

[TPdrums]

I ended up strategically placing a few pieces of hardwood, and a couple clamps. Then proceeded to press on the door in the right places to get a better seal. Had to check and bend a few times. It worked though, I just didn't think it would bend in quite the direction I was needing.