Entry Door Hinges

[gunworks]

Has anyone replaced the main entry door hinges? I need to replace both of them as previous owner (kids) really destroyed them. Top hinge is so loose that pin will not stay in. I ordered two from Airstream mothership, but cannot figure out how to remove the old ones. If you loosen the screws on the frame, they just turn and do not come out. Do you have to get behind the paneling and put a wrench on a nut, or is the threading into the frame just stripped. At a loss at this point.

John

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by gunworks

Has anyone replaced the main entry door hinges? I need to replace both of them as previous owner (kids) really destroyed them. Top hinge is so loose that pin will not stay in. I ordered two from Airstream mothership, but cannot figure out how to remove the old ones. If you loosen the screws on the frame, they just turn and do not come out. Do you have to get behind the paneling and put a wrench on a nut, or is the threading into the frame just stripped. At a loss at this point.

John

If the Airstream factory sent you the hinges, they are obligated to teach you how to change them out.

Andy

[HiHoAgRV]

If your unit and mine use the same attachment method, there are nuts on the back side INSIDE the walls . My PO decided to remove the door and actually got 2 of the 4 bolts to drop off the nuts, once again, inside the wall. I used a 1" hole saw and made an upper hinge and a lower hinge access hole. I could then get a wrench into the wall and re-install the nuts. Some folks say to remove the wall section but for me to do it, I would have to remove the gally.
There may be a better way, but thats how I did mine .

[TinCrumpet]

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

If your unit and mine use the same attachment method, there are nuts on the back side INSIDE the walls . My PO decided to remove the door and actually got 2 of the 4 bolts to drop off the nuts, once again, inside the wall. I used a 1" hole saw and made an upper hinge and a lower hinge access hole. I could then get a wrench into the wall and re-install the nuts. Some folks say to remove the wall section but for me to do it, I would have to remove the gally.
There may be a better way, but thats how I did mine .

Hi do you have photos of how you did it?
regards
Hans 280 diesel

[Chevyman]

The screws on my 1976 Argosy 22 would not budge. So I started opening up the inside. Couldn't completely remove furnace/end table. I got the interior metal opened about 10" and I can touch the nuts, but I don't have a direct visual. I used a mirror and saw they are covered with a semi-hard setting putty. It took me 6 hrs. to pry/scrape/gouge/ putty almost completely off the one nut. Does anyone know how to remove the putty easily? Does anyone know what size the nuts are?

[BarnacleBill]

When I replaced the hinges on our 1995 LE, I only replaced the half on the door. I did not want to tear the rig half apart. Replacing the door half worked great. For some reason the frame side did not have as much wear.

[Chevyman]

You got lucky. I had my outside door handle mechanism break on the inside of the door latch. I had to remove the bottom door hinge pin to get in. Well, having ten thumbs, in the process of drilling the bottom of the lower hinge and using a punch(on a air hammer) to drive out the pin, the punch got stuck in the drilled hole. While trying to free it, the bottom half of the frame side hinge housing split apart. Tried a marine epoxy that "will glue anything together" and it was feeling secure for a month and then promptly came apart. Ergo, I'm trying to replace the bottom hinge. I've tried an impact driver on the screws and no go.

Thanks for the good idea.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by gmanoliu

Does anyone know how to remove the putty easily?

Try softening with a heat gun

[Chevyman]

Well, I just replaced the lower hinge on my entry door and when we had the door clearances even all around the door, we snugged her down. We were so proud. Then, we tried to open the door and much to our dismay, it would only open about 1/3 of the way. As with many simple (or so you would think) tasks on an Airstream, we tried everything we could think (at least to our minds) of. Of course, I'm trying to get it done to take it in a few days to a big car show. I swear they know when you are trying to hurry.
Anyone have the easy way to adjust the door that we are missing?

Thank you

[Chevyman]

Well, just a follow up. The so called door adjustment problem I was having was caused by myself. I had gone to Sonny Hare in Calera, AL and wanted a lower hinge. When he brought it out, I (a mere rookie A/S bumbler) told Sonny that the hinge was the wrong one. Well, I was wrong and when I went back to him wanting the right one, He told me he thought I was wrong, but he doesn't argue with the customer. I told him in the future to set me straight. I have the right hinge now and it should go better.

[rgwatkin]

I have a 2012 28ft FC and noticed recently the exterior door was hitting door post low causing it to be difficult to close. After inspection, notice that the upper hinge was loose to the trailer/exterior. Of course there is not way to tighten the screws as they just spin the bolt/nut are not attached to the frame. So, called AS and they gave me a process to remove dinette piece, trim piece on the right side of the door and hole saw two 3/4" holes in the approximate location of the bolts. Really no problem with this. Problem was there was all kinds of sealant around the nut that had to be cleared before a socket could be put on. Additionally, there were some other aluminum pieces in proximity which prevented the socket from going over the nut also which I had to pound flat with a ratchet extender which was quite a effort. The nut is recessed the thickness of the wall so makes it difficult to work on. I think the reason the hinge was loose in the first place had to do with the compression of the seal between the trailer and the hinge. Obviously for corrosion prevention but...not a good design at all.