Major problem with door being ajar

[xraymiller]

I have a 2016 Jayco Precept 31UL and Bauer keyless entry. I’ve had this problem at several campgrounds. After leveling the RV, the door doesn’t line up with the pins making it very hard to open the door. Especially from the inside. I basically have to sit on the stairs and put my shoulder in to it. I have even tried re-leveling the RV with same results. I feel like I’m going to be trapped in at some point.

Has anyone had this same problem?

[psw757]

Had similar issue on previous coach.

Couple things to look at

Check the striker plate for proper alignment on door, there are two screws that allow minor adjustment.

Check the 4 screws on the inside of door that sandwhich the housing in the door, I’ve seen them come slightly loose allowing some play in the housing.

If there is any resistance on the deadbolt/lock pin it won’t lock or if it is already locked won’t allow it to unlock. Door must be seated properly shut to allow that pin to move properly without faulting.

Give these a try and report back

Also, I added a small amount of lithium grease to all metal components as they were all bone dry and that isn’t good.

[RVermont]

Check to be sure the hinge screws are tight. Mine vibrate loose and I can tell when I need to tighten them as the door starts to stick.
Lube strike plate frequently.

[xraymiller]

I have some lithium grease at home. For right now I used some silicone lube and it seems to help. I can still tell that the 2 pins on the Bauer keyless entry do not line up as well as they do when I’m home on a cement driveway. It will have to do for now.

[psw757]

Originally Posted by xraymiller

I have some lithium grease at home. For right now I used some silicone lube and it seems to help. I can still tell that the 2 pins on the Bauer keyless entry do not line up as well as they do when I’m home on a cement driveway. It will have to do for now.

Did you try adjusting the striker plate on door frame to better line up with pins?

Did you try to wiggle the actual housing to see if it’s moving around slightly? Grab both inside and outside of handle and see if there is any play either side to side or up down.

[xraymiller]

The strike plate is slightly higher than the pins on the door latch assembly so that I have to push it slightly at an upward angle when closing the door from the outside. The striker will not go down any lower and the keyless entry will not go up any higher. The lube as made a huge difference so far.

I thought the problem was going to be more with my auto level system.

[psw757]

Originally Posted by xraymiller

The strike plate is slightly higher than the pins on the door latch assembly so that I have to push it slightly at an upward angle when closing the door from the outside. The striker will not go down any lower and the keyless entry will not go up any higher. The lube as made a huge difference so far.

I thought the problem was going to be more with my auto level system.

The lube will help parent the components from wearing out as well.

One more thing to look at if your concerned about the leveling system is to see if the door frame where striker plate is located is bowed at all and even the door. I’ve heard of this happening but likely isn’t your issue.

[xraymiller]

I didn’t see any bowing and the hinge side looked good and tight.

One thing I would like clarification of. People say level the RV, put the slides out and re-level. To re-level I have to pull the jacks up and then put them back down. Is this the proper way to do it? Because when I put the slides out I can see that the auto-level system is still showing level.

Another quirk I noticed is that once the jacks are down and the vehicle is off, if I turn the key to ON the jacks come up (like if I forgot to get my odometer reading). But if I turn the key from off all the way and start the RV, the jacks stay down. What’s going on there?

[hawkster]

We have a 31 ul and we use a level on the kitchen floor to check auto level with slides in. We don't relevel after slides out haven't needed to. I will say on motorhomes with one large slide and nothing on the other side seem to lean a little. If yours is leaning you can go to manual level mode and fine tune it. Should be in your leveler manual. And I would say don't depend on the counter top to show level as they are bolted to the floor and may not be level. Some people use the fridge door method for level to see if it swings either way.


Sometimes on gravel after a few days the coach may level but it usually is not enough to do over again.

[psw757]

Ditto what the above post stated.

After slides are out you may need to tweak the heavier side as it may settle slightly especially if your not on a concrete or asphalt surface.

I use a small bubble level and check the cab, middle and rear of the coach.