Stuck Bay Door

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Stuck Bay Door

September 14, 2015, 07:32:06 pm

OK, this comes under the heading "Help!" It's not a toilet overflowing or a washer leaking, but it's pretty darned inconvenient since all our most-needed items are in the large bay with the sliding bed.

I had a problem last week: that bay door wouldn't open. Hmm. Did the "Foretravel Shuffle" (what's it called, when you hip-bump the bus doors and press the calf of your leg against the bottom of piano-hinge doors?). That cured it. "Odd," I thought. But it worked.

Sunday we tried getting in the same bay. No luck. Did the shuffle. No luck. Tried using the key. No luck. Tested the key on the adjacent bay door. No problem. The range of motion was roughly 8:00 o'clock to 10:00 o'clock, less than I expected and an odd angle/orientation. But I know the key works and what a lock feels like when it is working.

Looked inside one of our working bay doors and operated the lock with the remote. Clearly, a couple of things could be wrong. The plug that supplies the current to drive the small shaft back and forth could have fallen out of the mechanism. Seems unlikely? Something in the bay could be stuck against the shaft. But everything is in large plastic tubs with lids and I don't think they can get that close. Or, there could just be a malfunction, lack of lubrication, or whatever.

As I said up front, "Help?" It's not that we can't buy toilet paper somewhere if we need it, but our tools, tarps, and a bunch of other stuff we're going to need soon are also in that bay.

With thanks always!

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #1 – September 14, 2015, 07:35:19 pm

Would be helpful if this is one of the full width bays and you can climb inside and see whats going on with the mechanism. I had one bracket pull out of the fiberglass on the door and with the play in it, the latch didnt pull on it enough to disengage the lock. I was lucky that Its where the sewer hose storage used to be and the open hole was a good fit for me to reach in and unlatch it.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #2 – September 14, 2015, 09:09:43 pm

Good suggestion, Matt. This is large bay in our 40' — open on both ends. However, I can't fit through the opposite side that still opens, because on top it has what appears to be a monocoque frame member across the top (under the slide), and on the bottom entry is restricted by the raised lip of the moveable bed/tray in the bay. The space in between was even too narrow for Susan.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #3 – September 14, 2015, 09:22:18 pm

Perhaps something here will prove helpful?

Basement Door Actuator

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #4 – September 14, 2015, 09:27:46 pm

Quote from: LookingWest – September 14, 2015, 09:09:43 pm

on top it has what appears to be a monocoque frame member across the top (under the slide), and on the bottom entry is restricted by the raised lip of the moveable bed/tray in the bay. The space in between was even too narrow for Susan.

Can you pull the Joey bed out a little, climb in/lie down, and have the other person push you in?

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #5 – September 14, 2015, 09:50:20 pm

Tim,

Great news — music to our tired ears tonight. Thanks! What's the best longer-term course of action?

Richard & Susan

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #6 – September 14, 2015, 09:53:37 pm

Michelle,

Sadly, the Joey bed doesn't come out the slide side (street side) of the coach — only the curb side.

Our 7-year old grandson would love to go in there, but I'm not sure how much help he would be when he got to the locked side (street side) and we'd probably be hung by his parents for sending him in there!

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #7 – September 14, 2015, 11:02:20 pm

When Rudy visited us in Minnesota this summer one of his bay doors wouldn't open. The latch on one side was misaligned relative to the pin. He was able to crawl in there to see what was going on and twist it enough to let it pop open. Then we straightened things out so that it aligned correctly and fixed the latch on the other side. Rudy smiled.

In your case the structure under the slide and the joey bed don't leave much room. Send in the kid but tie a rope around him first. With the basement full of stuff it is tough. I know no one could get through mine. When it is unlocked and you pull on the handle does one side seem to come loose? If it does can you get a long pole and a flash light and rap on the stuck latch from the other side?
If that fails call MOT first. This has to have happened many times before and there is probably a tried and true method.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #8 – September 15, 2015, 03:55:48 am

I hate to bring the black cloud out but, The first clue I had that I had a rear bulk head separation was the same bay door would stick hard. Its right inline with the rear bulkhead.
If the bulk head separates it torques that bay door out of square and the outside door latches are pulled out of alignment.
Perhaps the coach is leveled and its twisting the frame? Try to put the coach in travel mode and see if the door stops sticking.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #9 – September 15, 2015, 06:02:21 am

If the key will not turn, you can pull the weatherstriping and get a long 1/4 inch wide flat blade and reach up and push the little plastic holder off the arm. Look at a bay that is open. You need to raise the coach all the way up.

Also, go to xtreme and plan two weeks to have the slide pulled and then repaired. They have an aprtment you can stay in for just the cost of electric really.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #10 – September 15, 2015, 05:13:19 pm

Thanks, all — very much!

Lon & Cheryl: No worries about the "black cloud." I'd rather know I had bulkhead problems while parked than at some point when it might really matter! I started the coach, brought the air up, and went back and forth between "Travel" and level. Even manually tilted the coach a bit to each side, to be sure all the recent rains were off the roof and slide/slide topper awning. No luck on the door. I'm hoping that means good things for the bulkhead — that, and a reasonably thorough inspection before purchasing last May.

Roger & Susan: I think if I send the grandson in on a rope, the rope will probably be used on me next! <big smile> Susan may fit, and she was game to try squeezing between the structure under the slide and the joey bed. I just get claustrophobic and couldn't watch her do it, so she bailed out. May be worth another try. As for one side of the handle coming loose, no. Both sides are anchored super-tight. Based on all everyone has said, and the searches I've done, my guess is the mechanism. MOT is a good idea. Advice from those who have solved the problem previously is always a help.

John: Good advice, on both counts. If Susan can't get in, and we don't get a simpler solution from MOT, we'll raise the coach, pull the weatherstripping, and try the screwdriver technique. I just ordered some 3M weatherstripping cement for a spot that is loose on our utility bay door, so I should be all set. As for Xtreme, thanks for the encouragement. I'd really like to get all the decals off the coach, get the headlight conversion done — and maybe try what they call their "painted graphics." I'd be happy white and we don't need full body (as gorgeous as that would be). But our decals are showing their age and an update would be nice.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #11 – September 15, 2015, 05:27:37 pm

Ok so if the key turns one way locks the latch, the handle won't move and the other way unlocks the latch and the handle will move. If the catches on iether side won't let go try pulling up on the handle and push in on either or both sides at the same time. If you had to push them in to get the to catch the maybe they are too tight and too much tension to let them release. Just thinking here.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #12 – September 15, 2015, 08:38:16 pm

Roger & Susan — Good thought! I'll try tomorrow night (full day of appointments earlier), and let you know if that works! Otherwise, Susan is ready to crawl into the bay. :-)

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #13 – September 16, 2015, 09:22:47 am

Quote from: John S – September 15, 2015, 06:02:21 am

If the key will not turn, you can pull the weatherstriping and get a long 1/4 inch wide flat blade and reach up and push the little plastic holder off the arm. Look at a bay that is open. You need to raise the coach all the way up.

I just finished doing this after our summer's trip...

I don't have electric actuators so there may be a big difference.
Look at an open door and see where you can push up on flat steel push rod close to the outboard end.
Pull the weather stripping.
I only had to have a little more than room to get my head under to look straight up. (and a light)
I used a steel forms ruler with a notch cut out.

hth

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #14 – September 16, 2015, 09:55:59 am

In the past I had similar problem I called to Nac., either MOT or FOT can't remember

, I was told to take piece of flat wood put in handle and hit with a hammer trying to move the door handle enough to allow door to open. It did work for me just another suggestion if compartment door still will not open.

Tony

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #15 – September 16, 2015, 11:01:01 am

Thanks Brays & Tony!

I have to be away from the coach today, but will try a steel ruler in addition to/instead of a long screwdriver. We have steel forms rulers from 15 to 36". <smile>

And Tony, I'll give the Nac solution a try first. That would sure be simpler than fishing inside with rule/screwdriver, or Susan having to go in from the other side, under the slide.

Thanks to everyone, as always. The Forum is great. Eager to say thank you personally, to those who will be at GrandVention.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #16 – September 22, 2015, 05:47:16 pm

Just a quick update for everyone who was kind enough to offer suggestions for fixing our stuck bay door:

This turned out to be a door with the black enclosure that makes it impossible (as far as I could tell?) to get a steel ruler or screwdriver to reach the lock mechanism. In our coach all the bus-type doors on the passenger side have the black enclosure that protects the cables from cargo potentially jamming the mechanism. All our other doors (under the slide, as well as the water manifold block door) have no enclosure and would have been possible to address by removing the weatherstripping and pushing the arm off the lock/handle mechanism.

So, Susan decided to crawl in from the slide side — which is why I couldn't get in, because the opening is very narrow between the frame member on top and the joey bed lip at the bottom. Maybe if I lost a few pounds . . . . or, well, maybe a lot of pounds.

Thankfully, that bay (our biggest) was NOT full because we recently removed about half the contents to reorganize it. Don't know how we would have solved the problem if the bay had been full. But as you see in the photos, she squeezed through the opening, crawled across — moving things out of her way as she progressed — and then took the six screws off the access panel of the black enclosure and disconnected the arm between the actuator and the lock/handle.

We later found one actuator had been replaced on the slide side of the coach. We're going to go ahead and replace ALL of them, in hopes we don't have to do this again (although even a new part can fail <sigh>). If anyone thinks photos of the access panel and mechanism would be helpful, happy to take more pictures and post. We were just happy to have access to our supplies and tool box again, so we stopped with what you see here. <smile>

Photo 1 (left): After entry between the frame member and joey bed lip
Photo 2 (center): In the bay after we had gotten the passenger side bus door open
Photo 3 (right): Sliding our the victorious locksmith ( ! )

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #17 – September 22, 2015, 06:03:25 pm

R u guys shreading in the park..

That might be a NONO ...

Glad you got the bay door open...

Hans

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #18 – September 22, 2015, 06:05:27 pm

Richard, that's too funny, what a cutie Susan is, (a 'pixie' for sure!) ....in fact, looks almost like she's enjoying her little "bay trip".....what a good sport! Congratulations on your well-planned/well executed solution.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #19 – September 22, 2015, 06:11:21 pm

Looks like Susan is ready to tackle the annual maintenance on the Aqua Hot. Nice light too. Glad you got it open.

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #20 – September 22, 2015, 06:18:52 pm

Thanks, all. <big smile>

Susan is pretty good, so she may be ready for the AquaHot, Roger & Susan.

Hans, ha! Yep, shredding in the park. Come with being working full-timers — stuff we can't just throw in the recycling bin. Hope the park doesn't toss us out. <wink>

Dani, we'll see you soon! Yep, Susan is my "pixie," as you dubbed her during our first meeting (and a VERY good sport). <big smile>

Re: Stuck Bay Door

Reply #21 – September 22, 2015, 09:55:42 pm

There should be a merit badge for that type of achievement.

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