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07-13-2012, 05:59 AM
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#1
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Rivet Master
1981 31' Excella II
New Market
, Alabama
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 6,145
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Got the one more leak blues - door hinges?
Well I thought I was done with leaks for a while but I found one more to the left of the door this time. It looks like the hinges are leaking where they are attached to the trailer. The door is sagging a little but still closes ok. I have been resisting messing with them because of the potential that something will break or a nut will fall off inside a wall panel and I will have to tear the whole trailer apart to fix it. On my 81 there are two hinges that are attached to the frame with two countersunk bolts. It looks like there is no sealant or ever was any around the hinges. I have looked for other sources of leaks and I can't find anything else that makes sense. So unless the C-channel is funneling water to the left side of the door, I can't think of anything but the hinges. Obviously, it would be better to remove the hinges caulk and then replace it but like I said above I don't want to get into a month long process of removing the kitchen counter and inner skin just to get to the hinge nuts or whatever is back there. I wish I had a photo of how the hinges are mounted on the inside of the door frame. Is a nut going to fall off when I remove the bolts to the hinges or is the nut just going to turn because there is no way to get a wrench back there? I think the door sag is a result of the hinges wiggling at the attachment points and not worn hinge pins. There does not seem to be any play in the hinges when I lift up on the door.
Perry
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07-13-2012, 06:54 AM
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#2
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Rivet Master
2002 25' Safari
Fountain Inn
, South Carolina
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 714
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Perry, I backed out the counter sunk bolts (phillips head) on my 02 to see if there was any adjustment and to caulk. I did not completely remove the bolts, I just loosened them enough to lift the hinges off the frame. The frame appeared to be threaded to receive the bolts (no turning nuts in the frame). There was a pin that aligned the hinge and kept it from slipping down. I don't remember if the pin was part of the hinge or part of the frame.
Your year AS may completely different.
__________________
Bud
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07-13-2012, 08:48 AM
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#3
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Rivet Master
1981 31' Excella II
New Market
, Alabama
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 6,145
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I think mine just have a nut on the back side. I think I will have to drill a hole to find out. Mine has slotted head bolts on it which stinks because the are hard to tighten. If I end up removing them they will be replaced with socket head stainless steel.
Perry
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07-17-2012, 12:34 PM
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#4
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Rivet Master
1981 31' Excella II
New Market
, Alabama
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 6,145
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Does anyone know what size the bolts are? Are they 1/4-20 or something bigger?
Perry
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07-18-2012, 06:02 AM
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#5
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Rivet Master
1981 31' Excella II
New Market
, Alabama
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 6,145
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It looks like the bolts are 1/4-20 flat head bolts. I drilled a 3/4" hole over each screw so I could get to the back side of the bolts to tighten the nuts. It is impossible to hold the slotted screw and tighten the nut without having a second set of hands. I am trying to put the kitchen cabinet back together and needed to finish with the door before doing that. The cabinet gets in the way of the bolts on the inside. I covered the hole with some 3/4" hole covers made from chrome plated steel. These came from Lowes. I only has one bolt that was loose. The door is still not perfect but since the bolts are tight it is not going to get any worse. By the time I need to mess with the door again, the kitchen counter will most likely have to be completely replaced. I will never get this thing back together if everything is perfect. At some point I will have to remove the hinges and slot the holes a little so I have enough adjusment to get the door straight. The actual hinges don't seem to have much play in them so I think the sag is from the bolts being loose and the holes being wallowed out a little.
I did have one bolt that I could not get a wrench on but is was tight anyway. They cut the screw a little long and my socket would not fit on there because my hole was not right over the nut. There is a trim ring around the door and I did not try to mess with it. I will probably drill the head off the bolt and replace all bolts with stainless versions eventually.
On the the kitchen counter re-assemble.
Perry
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07-22-2012, 02:34 PM
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#6
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Rivet Master
1991 34' Limited
Wichita
, Kansas
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 817
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Perry,
I've had some luck in calling the AS Customer Service. Some of the technicians are familiar with the older trailers, but most are not. Also, once I called the department about scheduling a repair and got to talk to a technician who actually worked on the trailers and I asked him a couple of questions. You might call the parts department at an AS dealer and ask about ordering new door hinges, cost and availability and ask if they had a picture from a parts manual that they could scan and send to you. That way you could see to some degree how it's put together.
I have a leak at my door hinge or frame, or the stove vent hood. It's one of the many leak sources that I haven't addressed yet and I want this all to end, myself.
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07-22-2012, 03:55 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master
1981 31' Excella II
New Market
, Alabama
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 6,145
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Tightening the hinge fixed the leak but I am going to seal it as well. It is good enough for now.
Perry
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