Quiet entry and exit?

[hikingcamera]

So I’ve seen and read that the Airstream door is really hard to get fully closed without slamming it. We are going to be camping with kiddos. I’m curious if other families have experience or strategies for entering and exiting your trailer quietly (without waking the kiddos or your neighbors)?

[majorairhead]

Closing from the outside, you can push the door rather softly til it first stage latches, then push hard in the area of the latch to fully close.

From the inside, no way that I know of but to slam it We never pull it closed using the door handle, ALWAYS pull closed using the screen door handle.

[SlowPokePete]

Originally Posted by majorairhead

We never pull it closed using the door handle, ALWAYS pull closed using the screen door handle.

Is there a reason for doing it this way?

I ask because I know I have been told to always close the two doors as a unit, not with the screen door already closed, to avoid "problems."

These Airstream tips to avoid breaking something are rather important to me

SPP

[SuperTrouper]

Originally Posted by SlowPokePete

Is there a reason for doing it this way?

I ask because I know I have been told to always close the two doors as a unit, not with the screen door already closed, to avoid "problems."

These Airstream tips to avoid breaking something are rather important to me

SPP

Hey slow poke Pete, check this thread out about why not to use the door handle to pull close unless modified. I modified mine plus added a second handle for closing.
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f45...ml#post1786439

For the OP: Like MajorAirHead, I close the door gently to the first latch and then push (or pull on separate handle) hard to close second latch. Also, when taking the dog out early for a walk, I leave the door ajar (if it's not windy) when I go in and out to alleviate the closing noises. - Brad

[Lily&Me]

Unless you’re going to be away from your trailer, just don’t close the door completely.

That’s what we always did traveling with the grandkids.

Maggie

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Unless you’re going to be away from your trailer, just don’t close the door completely.

You don’t get drafts and lose a lot of heat through the cracks in the door that way?

[Lily&Me]

A little, but that is offset by not waking small children nor neighbors who are not early risers.

Maggie

[stevejones]

If the door is properly set up and adjusted you should not have to slam it. It took several adjustments at the Factory Service Center to finally get it right. We do not have to slam ours. Will the set up last? Probably not. Like everything else the door is subject to bounces, jars, vibrations, and stress from being opened and closed.

[Rick n Mary]

Originally Posted by stevejones

If the door is properly set up and adjusted you should not have to slam it. It took several adjustments at the Factory Service Center to finally get it right. We do not have to slam ours. Will the set up last? Probably not. Like everything else the door is subject to bounces, jars, vibrations, and stress from being opened and closed.

You should not need to slam your door!

“Vinney’s RV ? In California has a good video on YouTube on how he adjusts airstream doors…. To put it like he says, you should not need to slam the door if it is properly adjusted.

My 1997 Safari, closes quietly with the 2 clicks as he shows you how to do. (Shhhhh says Rick)

[1StreamDream]

Originally Posted by majorairhead

Closing from the outside, you can push the door rather softly til it first stage latches, then push hard in the area of the latch to fully close.

From the inside, no way that I know of but to slam it We never pull it closed using the door handle, ALWAYS pull closed using the screen door handle.

Ours is also a bit difficult to fully close but I hate the notion of slamming the door. Through trial and error, we have come to the point where it is pretty easy to accomplish quietly. Just softly close the door right to to the point of contact, then from the outside, with an open palm just push firmly against the door, right at the level of the door latch, to get it fully closed (no slamming), and if you really want to reduce noise you can hold open the door latch while closing, then release the latch once the door is in the fully closed position. From the inside of the trailer, closing is a similar process, but we always pull it closed on the main door handle, not the screen door handle. It is slightly noisier from the inside, but still can be accomplished without a "slam". Too much force needed (for our door) for an inside close to use the screen frame/handle. We have also realized over time that a poor job of 4-corner leveling of the trailer results in slightly out of square in the door jamb, and can significantly complicate the door closing process. Be sure you carefully level your trailer with an equal balance of pressure from the 4 stabilizer jacks. Just enough jack pressure to take the "bounce" out of the trailer when walking through on the inside. I don't think it matters for this topic, but our trailer is an RB (forward door) floor plan.

[hikingcamera]

Oh good! I’m so glad I asked this before we pickup our trailer. I will make sure that it is properly adjusted before we leave and will be sure to learn how to keep it adjusted. I have to be honest, it’s pretty unbelievable that the expectation on a $100k trailer would be you just have to not close the door in order to not wake the entire campground.

[Life is a Highway]

We had to be persistent but the factory got it PERFECT! Then 1000 miles later the inside door hinge nuts broke free and cannot be re-tightened. Sooo its back to Jackson Center for a July appointment to start the process all over again. Our door closed with a palm push from the outside. Like Others i reinforced the door handle but we close from the inside pulling on the screen door handle.

Originally Posted by stevejones

If the door is properly set up and adjusted you should not have to slam it. It took several adjustments at the Factory Service Center to finally get it right. We do not have to slam ours. Will the set up last? Probably not. Like everything else the door is subject to bounces, jars, vibrations, and stress from being opened and closed.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by Life is a Highway

We had to be persistent but the factory got it PERFECT! Then 1000 miles later the inside door hinge nuts broke free and cannot be re-tightened. Sooo its back to Jackson Center for a July appointment to start the process all over again. Our door closed with a palm push from the outside. Like Others i reinforced the door handle but we close from the inside pulling on the screen door handle.

Hopefully my local dealer or I can figure it out, because a visit to Jackson Center is not realistic for me anytime soon. Lol!

[Acheron2010]

Yea, I was mortified, after three years of camping all over the US, a campground manager came to me saying the neighbors were complaining about my door slamming. After making the door lock mod, I gently pull it closed.

[SuperTrouper]

Here's the scary video about how to adjust the doors. Good info but don't expect engineers with calipers in lab coats! https://youtu.be/j7-PprGeESE

[majorairhead]

Originally Posted by SlowPokePete

Is there a reason for doing it this way?

I ask because I know I have been told to always close the two doors as a unit, not with the screen door already closed, to avoid "problems."

These Airstream tips to avoid breaking something are rather important to me

SPP

Screen door latched to main door, then pull closed using screen door handle or grabbing anything OTHER THAN the main door handle.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by SuperTrouper

Here's the scary video about how to adjust the doors. Good info but don't expect engineers with calipers in lab coats!

Oh great. My takeaway from that is if I breathe on it wrong, it may get out of alignment, and if it's bad enough I may need to start drilling rivets to fix it. And I have a toddler and an infant right now. I'm hosed.

Seriously though, I need an offline set of instructions for that lol. Can you imagine finding you have to make that adjustment with poor or no cell service to re-watch that video? LOL!