Visit our Popular Forums

BassCan · 07-23-2014, 10:56 AM

I have not stopped yet to see if I can disable surround sound. But our movies are more audible with it on with the air conditioner. Another thing we did a while back is to pick up an adaptor for our iPad that's connects directly to the TV in the camper We play movies that we have downloaded on our iPad. Works greats. Picked it up at Best Buy.

CDONA · 07-24-2014, 10:10 AM

I haven't been able to play my pad/pod on the Samsung tv or blue ray USB ports, won't acknowledge their presence. If I load the same content on USB thumb drives it will play. I imagine a HDMI interface for pad/pod would work, if there was one. The Gopro works on HDMI and USB.

mefly2 · 07-30-2014, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDONA

I haven't been able to play my pad/pod on the Samsung tv or blue ray USB ports, won't acknowledge their presence. If I load the same content on USB thumb drives it will play. I imagine a HDMI interface for pad/pod would work, if there was one. The Gopro works on HDMI and USB.

Hmmm, no difficulty for us to pair Bluetooth to Samsung and play Pandora.

Foiled Again · 07-30-2014, 02:44 PM

I recently went to the mothership for a panel replacement.

Imagine my horror when I was sitting inside minding my own business and a gust of wind opened my LOCKED hatch. YIKES. I wonder if that thing was flapping open while I was driving down the interstate on the way there!

How did this happen? Well a quick examination showed that when locked the lock pins only went about 1/8 " into the holes drilled to receive them. Constant bouncing and flexing had apparently worn off the "pencil tip" at the end of each lock pin.

JC fixed the problem for nothing but labor - adjusting the pins or replacing them with longer ones - I'm not sure. At any rate the next day I went to N. E. Ohio to visit my sister. After checking into the local campground I decided to open the hatch and set up my rocking chairs. Son of a gun, I unlocked it, turned the handle 1/2 turn and it wouldn't move a millimeter farther. The lock pins were jammed in the door frame. I called and left a message at JC informing them that I'd be back on Monday if a generous application of a lubricating spray didn't free up the pins. It took 3 applications - plus I finally resorted to shoving the door INWARD as hard as I could, then the pins let loose. Proceeded home.

If you look at the lockpins from the inside when the door is locked you'll see that the door frame is aluminum and the pins are circular aluminum stock with a diameter of about 1/4"

I think friction will eventually cause the lock pin to be worn down until it snaps or that friction on the frame (about 3/16" aluminum stock) will cause the holes for the lock pins to go out of round and enlarge until the door no longer seals out moisture or wind and weather. IMHO there should probably be some kind of grommet to stop the metal to metal friction. I may just wrap the lock pins with some kind of vinyl tape to provide a temporary solution.

Check yours out and report back please.

Paula

CDONA · 08-01-2014, 11:06 AM

My locking rods are some form of steel (magnetic). The locking rods in lock position will extend 1/4" and 1/8" past the outside edge of the hatch as viewed open/overhead. Inside there is a 1/4" gap between the hatch and the jamb both sides. My guess JC installed longer rods, and bent them to get a tight seal closed. Maybe why you need to push in to twist the latch? I also can see daylight thru one bottom corner, no leak during monsoon parked, may leak moving. Tape would be cut from the jamb hole and create a ridge to slide over, & really have to push in to open.

CDONA · 08-01-2014, 11:26 AM

I slid the cabinet doors into my bluray player when the tray was out and jammed it. It wouldn't pull itself back in. Knowing how fragile these tray loaders are, I figured it was toast, so i jammed it back in. I pulled the player from the cabinet, and figured on a new one. 20 minutes later, I had to open it up to see inside. I had no delusions of repair, so I wasn't gentle with it. The tray would only open half way on its' own, getting jammed on the drive, basically out of time. I pushed this and pulled that, and got it back in time. It now opens, closes, and plays, reinstalled. The only change, it doesn't say close when retracting the tray, and I have to hold the close button a couple of seconds before it says load.
I still can't believe I fixed it, but, , ,
Don't slide the door into the open tray

Foiled Again · 08-02-2014, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDONA

My locking rods are some form of steel (magnetic). The locking rods in lock position will extend 1/4" and 1/8" past the outside edge of the hatch as viewed open/overhead. Inside there is a 1/4" gap between the hatch and the jamb both sides. My guess JC installed longer rods, and bent them to get a tight seal closed. Maybe why you need to push in to twist the latch? I also can see daylight thru one bottom corner, no leak during monsoon parked, may leak moving. Tape would be cut from the jamb hole and create a ridge to slide over, & really have to push in to open.

I think I'm glad I have to push in - it does make for a better seal. I "assumed" that the rods were aluminum. I will check. The frame for the door into which the rods fit is definitely Aluminum and we all know what metal to metal friction can do. Ever seen how the hitch pin hole gets out of round? I'd like to protect the hole from wear, but don't want to make it bind even worse. I will look around for something nylon or plastic that I can affix to the frame after I've drilled a matching size hole through it (I have a couple of plastic cutting boards that are very slippery. Even the sink cover has that characteristic. Of course I'll need something between 1/8 and 1/16 inch thick. I put some slides on a foot locker and have a few spares. To the misc hardware drawer!!!)

Paula

mefly2 · 08-04-2014, 11:33 PM

We had that same issue with our 2013. The inside panel covering the rear hatch IIRC is held in place by 8 self tapping pan head screws. Easy to take off and lube / inspect the operating / locking mechanicals. Ours would jam shut and be nearly impossible to open. We did just as you did but lubed the entire mechanism. It made a huge difference.
We share your concern about the elongated locking hole in the frame. Our plan is to get some thin stainless plate (~3/16) and make an adjustable locking plate to surface mount over the hole in the door jamb.

BassCan · 08-05-2014, 10:35 PM

Our back hatch can be difficult to open at times, after reading Foiled Again and MeFly's post went out to evaluate our hatch.
Won't you know it, I had no problem opening it today. On some days I would have to struggle with the handle. My observations of the locking pins:
When in the closed and locked position the locking pins in our EB are approximately 1 1/2 inches extended beyond the hatch
when turning the handle to open position, the locking pins are about 1/2 inch out but no longer engaging the holes on the sides of the trailer, thus facilitating the hatch opening.
i imagine that the lease bit of miss alignment would cause the hatch to either jam or not be secured at all.

jasperkins · 09-08-2014, 09:24 PM

I had the factory replace the lock, roller shade, and recalibrate the whole back door locking ping mechanism right before the warranty ran out :-)

BassCan · 09-09-2014, 02:15 PM

That was a good ideal Jasperkins. We have the same model.
Did you do a leak check?

jasperkins · 09-11-2014, 11:02 AM

No leaks. At least not by door yet :-)

jwp · 09-16-2014, 05:57 PM

any of you know off hand the clear pass through width of the hatch? I know it's right around the 40" +/- range but an inch or two +/- could make a big difference

Thanks

crisen · 09-16-2014, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwp

any of you know off hand the clear pass through width of the hatch? I know it's right around the 40" +/- range but an inch or two +/- could make a big difference

Thanks

Mine is here at work so went out and measured it. Inside dimension on the door opening width is 46 1/2" However the gas struts are what would be limiting factor. With the door fully open they are 44 3/4" at the bottom of the strut tube and 44" at the top of the tube. They slant inward due to the mounting position on the door. Hope this is clear.

jwp · 09-17-2014, 05:21 PM

ok, thank you very much for the measurements !

joleary60 · 09-05-2017, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BassCan

Forgot to mention that two things were broken in the 16 days of camping. The kitchen counter extension pop off when our 19 y/o son was trying to get out the door while it was extended. Looks like small wood screws were holding it in place and The bedroom towel rack broke off while stuffing a beach towel on it.

I had one of the towel racks in the bedroom break as well and I'm having trouble finding the right replacement SKU. Do you have it by chance? Thanks.