Door wont close

[BrendaD]

2500Ram2020...how did you go about getting a new slam plate?

[formerwsp520]

We have had and still have that issue with a White Hawk. The door has been replaced and it is still an issue. The strike plate keeps moving into the door frame and finally one of the screws has stripped out. I checked our other door and the way the screws are set they prevent the strike plate from moving in. I replaced the stripped screw with a slightly larger one and am now thinking of a way to truly secure the strike plate.



We were told that the doors are supposed to be slightly bowed so that when they are shut everything is sealed. Makes some sense since there is 60+ MPH wind going past the door when hauling the trailer in the rain.


My concern is fixing the door so it doesn't leak, the strike plate doesn't move and the door shuts relatively easily. The aluminum holding the strike plate screws in the frame isn't very thick!!

[BrendaD]

This is very frustrating to hear that so many people are dealing with the same issue and it just shouldn't be this way. I'd like to see everyone make a comment to their own trailer manufacturer so they are aware of this and do something different so it doesn't keep happening. Hopefully get some advice from them as to what to do as well.

[Cavie]

GET away from any dealer. Hire a good finish carpenter or commercial door company. Have them replace/repair the door striker. Throw the plastic receiver garbage away. All will be right with the world. It is an easy fix. Just forget that it is an RV. I fixed 2 on my trailers with a Dremel tool.

[ggilbert]

i had a similar problem with my house door and it they had the door manufacture come out and look at it and the painters had warped the hinges when they took the door down to paint it.

[madmaxmutt]

Because of my recently expired warranty.... I am debating changing out the bottom friction hinge with one standard Lippert hinge. My focus has been the three hinges together are never going to remain perfectly aligned bouncing down the road. I think once less friction point will make the door require a bit less force to close.

I would have gladly swapped an outside door catch for these dumb friction hinges, which Lippert and the RV manufacturers consider an "upgrade". It isn't a bug, it's a feature....


I also see in my earlier posts, I forgot to mention that you need to put graphite on the latch mechanism also. The latch bolt also needs to be more free moving.

[denandra2]

So no one has a fix? Only way my door will latch is to remove strike plate which allows the latch and deadbolt to go into the hole in the frame. Not ideal but it works for now until I find a better solution.

[madmaxmutt]

Originally Posted by denandra2

So no one has a fix? Only way my door will latch is to remove strike plate which allows the latch and deadbolt to go into the hole in the frame. Not ideal but it works for now until I find a better solution.

If it is a friction hinge, there won't be a fix. It is designed to keep the door from moving. If you sprayed the hinges and bolts with lubricant, and it doesn't make it easier, your strike plate is probably not properly aligned.

[bearco3]

Hello,

I have the friction hinges and apparently the top one was sticking so badly it actually bent the top door side part of the hinge. Now the door hits on the latch side at top and we have to really slam it to get it to latch. Is there anyway to adjust the hinges themselves to re-center the door again?

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I have bought a replacement Lippert friction hinge and can see that the rivets that hold the hinges on the frame side will have to be ground off. Seems like it's going to be a tough job and I don't know whether that will even solve the problem.