Entry Door (Journey) Rattles non-stop

flashajt · 11-20-2007, 04:06 AM

Well, this has been my only real challenge for the past few months on our rig. As soon as you hit 55mph (or above) the entry door just starts rattling. The door itself is not loose - its something INSIDE the door. So here is what I have tried to date with no success;

1. Wrapped black electrical tape around door latch on body - heard that was a cure all. Didnt help with our noise.

2. Took black plastic panel off entry door and padded all areas. No help.

Now, all rigs will have little rattles and noises - but this is a non-stop very loud rattle. Today I am going to play around with the deadbolt latch as I notice that it is a bit loose (fingers crossed). But has anyone else had this problem with their winne door? What was the fix? Thanks again for all of your help...

flashajt · 11-20-2007, 04:06 AM

Well, this has been my only real challenge for the past few months on our rig. As soon as you hit 55mph (or above) the entry door just starts rattling. The door itself is not loose - its something INSIDE the door. So here is what I have tried to date with no success;

1. Wrapped black electrical tape around door latch on body - heard that was a cure all. Didnt help with our noise.

2. Took black plastic panel off entry door and padded all areas. No help.

Now, all rigs will have little rattles and noises - but this is a non-stop very loud rattle. Today I am going to play around with the deadbolt latch as I notice that it is a bit loose (fingers crossed). But has anyone else had this problem with their winne door? What was the fix? Thanks again for all of your help...

Mikeso · 11-20-2007, 06:09 AM

Are you sure that it is the door? I have had an extremely loud rattle also but it is actually coming from just underneath the doorway. If you look at the back of the enclosure for the front steps and give it a soft tap with the side of you fist I think you will find that this is where the noise is coming from.
Mike

flashajt · 11-20-2007, 06:12 AM

Going to check now Mike - good suggestion! What did you do to fix?

The Sunde's · 11-20-2007, 07:05 AM

I think Mike hit the nail. I had the same problem and it was the vertical plate just aft of the step. We the wind/speed hit about 55 it would start the rattle. It took some duck tape and block of wood wedged between the two objects. No problems after that.
Good Luck

arkaussie · 11-20-2007, 02:07 PM

I sure hope you have had success but if you haven't. We have a Horizon with an Atwood door and it rattles because the outerlayer rattles against the inner layer I believe. Recently I sprayed some expanding foam into the space between the 2 skins hoping to eliminate the rattle. When I move Dec 1 we should know if I have improved anything.

flashajt · 11-20-2007, 05:49 PM

Thanks for everyone's replies. I played around with the step today and it is as secure as it could be. Nothing rubbing on it - I hit it, moved it, not a single noise.

So Lindsay - I think we are in the same boat as you. I pulled the plastic backing off the door and began hitting the door (gently) and found a very similar rattle in the mid-lower part of the door. Seems like it is exactly as you stated, between the door skin and the frame itself. Please let me know how your trip next month goes please.

gwedgewo · 11-21-2007, 03:28 AM

Just a suggestion that works for me. I used to have a very loud rattle from the door. I now spray the hinges and rubber gasket around the door with silicone spray every couple of trips. No more noise from the door. Spray into the gaps in the hinge to make sure it gets on the hinge pin. Works for me, maybe it'll work for you.

The Sunde's · 11-21-2007, 04:38 AM

Just to make sure, did you notice a plate just infront of the front wheel and just left of the step as your looking at it? This is what makes the noise. You can shake without much noise but the wind force is what causes it and it is loud. Try wedging it with almost anything to make it totaly solid. Then go for a drive. Hope this helps..

vicsryd · 11-21-2007, 05:43 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by The Sunde's:
Just to make sure, did you notice a plate just infront of the front wheel and just left of the step as your looking at it? This is what makes the noise. You can shake without much noise but the wind force is what causes it and it is loud. Try wedging it with almost anything to make it totaly solid. Then go for a drive. Hope this helps.. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Others have posted the rigid splash guard between the step and the wheel well referred to here usually makes a lound TWANG at speed and with the airflow versus a rattle. In my case I found with the Kwikee step retracted it was making contact in one place. Bent the guard towards the wheel about 1/4" and all was well.

The other rattle we had was between the main door and the screen door. The rubber bumpers on both the inside and outside were not aligned properly to keep the screen door tight. The screen door would flex at the corners while going down the road and touch the door frame.

Gary CA · 11-21-2007, 08:05 AM

An experienced service tech, old hot rodder, slipped a dollar bill between my door and the door frame. Shut the door to see how easy the bill pulls out. Well the bottom was very loose and easy to pull. He took a towel and rolled it up placing it at the top of the door and shut it firmly. This adjusted the lower part of the door so there was no wind noise or viberation. I then remembered that is how a body mechanic adjusted the door in my old '57 Chevy truck. Good old trick.....

DonGee · 11-21-2007, 09:22 AM

Had the same problem with my '05 Horizon, braced the splash guard and that helped . Was at 3 Ts in Lake Havasu and they very carefully removed the rivets from the side of the door and then shot glue up between the inside and outside door with a long snouted applicator. So far it works.
Don

Fakrwee · 11-21-2007, 09:47 AM

Boy, so many rattles. I had a loud plastic rattle sound on the bottom of the drivers door. Door was nice and solid with no wind noises. Turns out the rattle was the plastic step cover under the door. I looked for screws to tighten and couldn't find any. When I took it in last week for some fix it's, I mentioned it to the service manager. Ha, Turns out the plastic cover on the steps is GLUED on.

that's why I couldn't find screws to adjust. So now they are going to show me how to glue it back on when it get's loose again.

wagonmaster2 · 11-21-2007, 06:52 PM

I have a rattle at the top(I thing, anyway that's where the passenger seems to think it is) and I'm beginning to think it may be part of the awning over the door. It only happens around 55-65 with a good head wind. Next time it happens I'm going to use some duck tape on it to see it that's where the noise is coming from. I'v done adjustments on the door and screen, added new rubber bumpers, added some foam weather stripping between the screen and door, and probably other thins I've forgotten about and the rattle is still there. The wife still thinks its coming from the top edge of the door.
Wagonmaster2
2004 Itasca Meridian 36G

SeeTheUSA · 11-22-2007, 03:31 AM

My door used to drive us crazy, certain wind conditions made it REALLY bad.

Then I started putting a little dab of white lithium grease on the latch post - where the door latch hooks -and problem solved.

The latch post is about 1/2 inch round and sticks out from the door jam about 2 inches - has sort of a brass color to it.

flashajt · 11-22-2007, 02:49 PM

Everything you all said is such good advice. I looked over everything - we drove from SC to Florida yesterday and listened to the rattle the entire way. This was with a towel wedged in the door, in between the screen, etc. Nothing helps. I think it is the door skin rattling against the inner frame. Need to look at getting inside there and padding it. All other little noises I can handle but this is loud and constant. Anyone know a quick and clean way to get under the door skin?

P.S. When I hit the door with my fist, I hear the skin rattle on the door frame. I am pretty sure its the culprit.

arkaussie · 11-22-2007, 05:45 PM

If your door is similar to mine then you have 2 skins on the outside of the door and that is the problem at least I believe it is in my case. As I said in an earlier post I will not know anything till I get on the road late next week.

I pulled the inner liner (vinyl)off and also the door lock then I was able to get between the 2 skins in the hole for the door handle.You could also drill out a lot of pop rivets and move the outer skin that way. If I went to that much trouble I would use something like felt or thin carpet to keep the 2 skins apart.

What I did do as mentioned above was use a low expanding foam and shoot a lot of it in between the 2 skins and tried to push it down by rubbing down the door towards the bottom. I'm don't think I did this as much as I should have and as I said the results will out shortly.

If you look in the parts manual it shows a pad, I forget what they called it, which is not on the earlier doors that seems to be there to stop the rattle. I saw this when I was trying to determine the difference in door stops between early and later models.

flashajt · 11-22-2007, 06:50 PM

Lindsay - first off, you guys have a safe trip when you leave. Secondly, thank you SO much for the details. I cant wait to hear if that fixes your problem. In the meantime, I am going to get poking around.

journey15 · 11-26-2007, 03:00 PM

We had the same issue with our 02 Journey DL. We had noticed that the door did not look like it was aligned correctly.
At our last service at the dealer, he "realigned" the door and rattle is solved.

arkaussie · 12-03-2007, 06:28 PM

Well we made it from upstate NY to Branson, MO. The storm almost got us, we saw about a dozen wrecks when we made a late evening run after watching the local news thinking we were settled in at Flying J for the night.

During our trip we never did hear the rattle we had in the door and we had a lot of wind. I do believe we have fixed our rattle but I'm sure others have rattles in different locations.

By using low expanding foam I could get the thin nozzle between the two skins at the hole for the door lock so I did not have to pull the door apart. I used about 1/2 a can and tried to squeeze it down the door. I should have did this for a longer time and maybe used a 9" paint roller or similar to spread the foam. The lower section of my door can still be made to rattle by hitting it on the outside but the wind has not found this yet. Maybe the area with foam is keeping the lower area of skins far enough apart to stop any rattling. I used the remainder of the foam to fill other parts of the door which had no insulation.

Hope you have as much luck as I did because rattles sure drive me up the wall.