Not wanting to hijack the post (2002 42' DGFE for sale in Utah) I thought I would start a discussion on Bay door options. It appears many others find the head bumper doors undesirable, I also have been trying to come up with a suitable but cost effective solution. Due to the slid all my driver side doors are this way. I have hit my head many times and also find it very difficult due to a back problem that limits my ability to bend over.
Has anyone tried to build a cafe style door conversion. I think the smaller compartments could possibly be done as one door, so maybe not too difficult. I just don't want to reinvent the wheel if someone has already figured this out.
I am a bit of a DYI person and this is right up my ally as I am in the Auto Body repair industry and in my younger days have done quite a for of glass work. I was hoping someone may have done this and had some photos. I know I can engineer it myself but if someone has already found a good way it does make thing more simple.
Tom.
Can you give me advice on how to fix my bay door..a tree stump got in the way in Ontario Canada provincial park.
It can be difficult to asses how much damage there truely is off photos but the most important part of the repair is to address the repair as two repairs you need to repair the inner panel and then the outer panel. You will need to grind back to clean undamaged glass structure to start. Adding to the difficulty is I am not a great writer and an even slower typest. I would be happy to talk you through it if you pm me and I would be happy to send you my work phone number.
Tom,
A café style is hinged on the side?
I've seen these hinges on various SOB coaches. I don't know the proper name. I call them "multi-link" hinges. They travel out as they rotate to clear the panel next to it.
I inspected one at a show; with the door open it was a little wobbly when I lifted up on the end but I think the hinge linkage tightens as it moved into the closed position. I read the name on the hinge and tried to find them on the web but couldn't locate any -this was back in '08 and I don't have the name anymore.
Thank John that does look like a possible option.
I'd check around at salvage yards for used doors. There's one in Kentucky that has a few foretravels
http://rvexteriorbodypanels.visonerv.com/cgi-bin/f/foretravelmotorhomeparts.pl (http://rvexteriorbodypanels.visonerv.com/cgi-bin/f/foretravelmotorhomeparts.pl)
@Hans Foretravel can repair or make you new doors. It will cost you a coach buck or 2. :(
see ya
ken
Back in 2002 I bought a new 6 foot bay door from the company store in Econdido (North San Diego) for my 1991 coach. The top edge had crumbled so bad from the hinges wearing out I decided to just get a new one. It was a steal at $417 (with MC discount). Now I wish I had bought two at that price.
IIRC, the door fits coaches all the way to year 2001. Part number is P3750.