Door Grab Handle

Topic: Door Grab Handle (Read 1211 times) previous topic - next topic

Door Grab Handle

March 08, 2013, 01:49:18 pm

I am trying to get the touch handle/porch light working again. I found the rubber gasket under the top part of the handle is hardened and broken up. FOT Parts is not available, no one will return a call. MOT Tried but they do not have one.
Can anyone tell me who makes these handles ? Maybe I can get ahold of them for parts info.
Thanks
Gary B
95 U280

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #1 – March 08, 2013, 02:09:39 pm

You might know it. I looked one time on the web and found this.
Illuminated Assist Handles 5500L : RV Parts Nation
They Have the 5500L complete handle and they also have the Gasket, acrylic handle and the bulb as individual parts.
I ordered the gasket for 7 bucks and the bulb for 2 bucks, as usual the shippping is 8 bucks.
Gary B

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #2 – March 08, 2013, 02:20:11 pm

Great info Gary..so the handle we have on our coach is the 5500L..??. Raason for asking is that my acrylic handle is broken in the middle.

Hans

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #3 – March 08, 2013, 02:45:45 pm

Right Hans, Handle is 15 Bucks.
Gary B

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #4 – March 08, 2013, 03:31:32 pm

Gary, I gotta ask. My 1989 GV has a light that only illuminates the handle when the outside "porch" light is on. No "touch to turn on" on these older models?

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #5 – March 08, 2013, 03:44:14 pm

FYI, Foretravel parts has the lighted plastic part, with "Foretravel" engraved, for less than I found them on the net after having it engraved as an option. Note that there are two different styles of handles, the ends are cut or notched differently depending on the style of the socket base where the handle sits. The tech took my just purchased complete system back to the counter, when he went to get the gaskets and new handle and had to make a second trip for the correct handle style.

The parts counter had said they did not have the gaskets several times, but the service tech, told me they did, and returned in a couple of minutes with the correct parts.

A touch module can be added to any coach, the wiring diagram was included with the switch. Mine was not working, and the tech installed a new one in about 21 minutes! I did have the wiring in place, your coach might not have the wires.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #6 – March 08, 2013, 03:52:40 pm

Dave, Twice recently I have called FT parts only to get voicemail and receiving no reply to a message left. Don't know what is going on but I think that they should at least have the courtesy of returning a call. In the meantime if I am able to get parts elsewhere that is what I will do.
Gary B

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #7 – March 08, 2013, 04:40:42 pm

I recently changed the grab handle on our coach as the old one broke in two as I was entering. I called and talked to Mike in parts and he sold me the new acrylic replacement part which I thought would be a very simple install... not! I bought the handle thinking it would be plug and play getting it from FOT rather than online. It turned out that I had to cut and shape the ends to make it fit. I thought maybe that was standard procedure with these. It was a Royal PITA! Ultimately, I made it fit much snugger than the original so it was worth it. The old one was very cracked...
Don

Quote from: Gary Bouland – March 08, 2013, 03:52:40 pm

Dave, Twice recently I have called FT parts only to get voicemail and receiving no reply to a message left. Don't know what is going on but I think that they should at least have the courtesy of returning a call. In the meantime if I am able to get parts elsewhere that is what I will do.
Gary B

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #8 – March 08, 2013, 05:00:01 pm

It has to be so frustrating to call parts and leave messages and not get replies. I have so far, knock on Walnut, gotten thru I think every time. I was frustrated by them suggesting parts did not have the gaskets, twice, once on the phone, once at the counter. That is when I bought a new complete set up. It was the tech that was going to install the new module who told me gaskets and handles were in stock.

I will save your link to parts, for the next time I need to do the repairs.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #9 – March 08, 2013, 06:45:09 pm

If you get the generic handle- have Your name engraved on it. Something different.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #10 – March 08, 2013, 07:02:53 pm

Quote from: sfbmw – March 08, 2013, 02:20:11 pm

Great info Gary..so the handle we have on our coach is the 5500L..??. Raason for asking is that my acrylic handle is broken in the middle.

Hans

A temporary repair that might be of use.
Lucite Entry Assist Bar Repair

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #11 – March 08, 2013, 08:01:10 pm

Barry, Here in the south we have a word for that kind of fix but me being politically correct I can't tell you what it is.

Gary B

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #12 – March 08, 2013, 08:18:56 pm

My belief on that handle is Decorative, not functional. mine was replaced by Xtreme, so it has XTREME down the handle, I only touch it to lite the lamp. grabbing the handle is asking / begging for a break.
Dave M

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #13 – March 08, 2013, 09:23:47 pm

When we bought our coach in CA, the door handle lit up when we touched the metal parts but then after driving home to MN it wouldn't work or it was on all the time. I took it apart and there was a enough moisture in there to be dripping out. I dried it all out and sealed it up with silicone and reassembled it. It worked for a while and then started misbehaving again. I took it apart again and more moisture. So i left the bottom wire off, added more sealant and reassembled it. It works with the porch light but the touch function is disabled.

It seems that the water gets in around the acrylic handle and even taking care to leave the drain area open it just gets too damp. It was nice when it worked.

We told the original owners about our trip back to MN. There was rain, hail, a tornado and lots of wind. They told us that in the 10 years they owned the coach it had never been driven in the rain, really.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #14 – March 09, 2013, 08:13:11 pm

I noticed that the metal part of the handle is a bit pitted. Don't know if it lights up or not, or even if it was supposed to, but that would certainly be a cool thing to have.

Some day when it is cooler we'll get back down to Nac and ask questions about our coach. I'm assuming that their computer knows all about what our coach was supposed to be like when it was built. Maybe if the computer is in a good mood, and the right person asks nicely, it will be willing to tell us what it knows.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #15 – March 10, 2013, 12:11:02 pm

It is suppose to light up when you touch the bottom or top of the handle. Do a search as there are several threads with all kinds of details on that handle. Including swaps to LED lights in the handle.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #16 – March 10, 2013, 01:28:32 pm

Dave,

Standard equipment list on your coach says "lighted entry handle with touch switch". If it is not working, a number of things to check, first, before buying a new handle assembly, on the net or with your 10% parts discount from Foretravel.

The handle is controlled by either/or the interior switch, or a separate touch module, mounted maybe in a bay below near by on the ceiling. A wire runs from the module to the handle's bottom mounting screw as the ground making the light work for a minute or two as you find the door lock in the dark. The light will work without the module in the system or with a dead module,from the interior switch.

I don't think that the top metal part of the handle should switch on the light, on ours I think only the bottom metal works to ground and switch on the handle and porch light.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #17 – March 10, 2013, 02:14:17 pm

The grab handle and the porch light should both light up when the metal part of the handle is touched, or the switch is turned on. Before doing a lot of looking take the handle off and check the little bulb in the top half of the handle.
Gary B

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #18 – March 10, 2013, 05:18:40 pm

The voice mail for FT Parts gives three alternate phone numbers. I always try Mike Grimes first, then the other two. BTW, Billy Jack just moved to parts. I've always gotten someone, never left a message or sent an email.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #19 – March 10, 2013, 05:52:13 pm

Quote from: amos.harrison – March 10, 2013, 05:18:40 pm

BTW, Billy Jack just moved to parts.

Back to parts from being a service writer? Is there a new service writer (besides Joshua, who was new last year)?

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #20 – March 10, 2013, 06:01:27 pm

Jeremy is scheduling service again. I don't know any details.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #21 – March 15, 2013, 06:46:32 pm

Gary.
The illuminated assist handle Item # 5500L at RV Nation is NOT a replacement for the one on my 2003 U 320. It is smaller and has an entirely different foot print. I am returning it and facing a 20% restocking fee. (mea culpa). I will try FOT and Mike Grimes as I should have in the first place. I had been told in the past that these were no longer available so I did not investigate appropriately.

Re: Door Grab Handle

Reply #22 – March 15, 2013, 07:50:14 pm

Quote from: Horace B. Cupp – March 15, 2013, 06:46:32 pm

The illuminated assist handle Item # 5500L at RV Nation is NOT a replacement for the one on my 2003 U 320. It is smaller and has an entirely different foot print.

I had been told in the past that these were no longer available

Horace,

We were told that the 2003's with the doorbell in the handle are apparently unique to that year.

Michelle

Affiliate Notice