2016 Vista rusting compartment hinges

[welbe13]

Have the same issues on my 2017 sunstar 31be. Winnebago is adware of the issue. Just spent the weekend removing all the hinges and replacing them with marine grade stainless steel.

[Reniram]

Originally Posted by welbe13

Have the same issues on my 2017 sunstar 31be. Winnebago is adware of the issue. Just spent the weekend removing all the hinges and replacing them with marine grade stainless steel.

I am on my third Winnebago and all have suffered from the rust issue with the steel hinges..IMHO to replace them with the same junky metal hinges is just a waste of time ..SS marine grade seems to be the correct approach and shame on Winnebago for continuing to carry on with a known fault with their product..

[Russ-USA]

2019 Vista 32YE with the same rusty hinges issue (among others). It's disappointing how long Winnebago continues production with known issues. Can someone please provide a source for the marine grade SS hinges? The other option would be to reach out to Winnebago and see if we can get the unpainted hinges since some have reported no rust issues with the black unpainted ones. Thanks.

[flapwing]

I had them replaced under warranty (see my original post) and now I just occasionally spray with WD30 Silicone.... seems to keep rust at bay

[jhedges]

I've been spraying with WD-40 as well. And I think it's helping.

[Russ-USA]

Thanks. I have been doing the WD40 and it seems to help. The doors open much smoother for sure. I'll reach out to Winnebago and see what they can do first. Can't hurt to ask.

[welbe13]

Here is a picture of some of my finished work. I found that I had to grind off the old rivets heads and then use a nail punch to push them down. I purchased a couple of stainless steel hinge sets before I went with this one from amazon. I order three boxes of four and it was enough to do every hinge. The only hinge I didn't replace was the one on the outside TV. I they are 304 stainless steel and not 316 so I guess they are not truly marine grade. I bought a rivet gun and used 3/16 blind rivets and I think it turned our really well. I spend about $360 total to do the job and buy the materials and the quote I had from the shop was 2 hours per door at $160 and hour. I did a total of 10 compartments in a day and half. I goes quick once you figure out how to remove the old one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Russ-USA

2019 Vista 32YE with the same rusty hinges issue (among others). It's disappointing how long Winnebago continues production with known issues. Can someone please provide a source for the marine grade SS hinges? The other option would be to reach out to Winnebago and see if we can get the unpainted hinges since some have reported no rust issues with the black unpainted ones. Thanks.

https://www.westmarine.com/search?Ntt=hinges

[Russ-USA]

That looks great welbe13! Thank you and Bob for the information!

[Russ-USA]

As a follow up, I contacted Winnebago Customer Care and requested if they could send me the hinge parts. They indicated they do not have access to parts and directed me to contact a dealer (over 50 miles away in IL), or find the parts in their online catalog and purchase them from a supplier.

I'm going to purchase SS ones and replace them myself. That way I know it will be done right and will last.

[welbe13]

I was a bit hesitant to do the work my self but after completing the first compartment it went fairly smoothly. Just take your time. I suggest grinding off the top of the rivet.

[Russ-USA]

Thanks welbe13. I have quite the assortment of tools including grinders and a rivet gun, so should be good to go. Taking the time and not rushing it is good advice. I may build a jig to support and hold the doors in place while removing the rivets. I'll share some pics when things get underway.