Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 06-27-2020, 09:07 AM   #1
Winnebago Camper
 
Harvester's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 34
Side Garage Door Latch

Right after taking delivery of the new 2020 MW 22R, I wanted to store some items in the back "garage" compartment. There are two access doors on the 22R, a larger one on the passenger side, and a smaller one on the back. I opened the larger door and used the small latch to keep it open. Almost immediately the two screws holding the latch in, started coming out of the frame. I tried to screw them back in, but they just keep coming out. So cannot use the latch at this time. This vehicle is still under warranty, and have brought it up to the dealer. They have agreed to fix this, but what I'm curious about is what procedure they will use. My goal is to get it fixed and keep it that way. Should mention that the dealer is 250 miles away, so hoping to get it right the first time...

What I've noticed is that the screws were probably installed with too much pressure, stripping out fiberglass material on the side of the Minnie Winnie. The installers also used some sort of dark sealant material to prevent leaks. That sealant is helping to hold the latch onto the side until it gets fixed. One observation I've had is that this large side door is possibly a bit too heavy for that latch with just two small screws holding it in. However, every Minnie Winnie 22R I've seen has the same latch - so I'm guessing it's a design that works??

Has anyone else experienced this? And what was the preferred solution? Also open to other ideas - like not using the latch, and maybe a bungee cord to another hook point.
Attached Images
  
__________________
2020 Minnie Winnie 22R with E-350/6.8L
Harvester is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2020, 09:29 AM   #2
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Pflugerville/Austin, Tx
Posts: 7,371
Screws in fiberglass or other thin material is prone to fail. So the idea is to move to better fasteners but that is also unlikely to be what the dealer does.
Quick fix?
Stick some thin wood pieces like toothpicks in,glue them in place and then run the screws back in to last a few times or at least get you off the lot! For that fix, I would do it myself to avoid the drive!
Better?
Use fasteners that are designed to hold in thin material like paneling or soft material like sheetrock. My best option might be to go back with "mollies which expand behind the material to make about a one inch wide grip on the back of the material. Like this but shopped for better size as you want it to grip thin stuff as well as be short enough to fit in the wall space without going through the inner wall. They come in lots of versions and sizes and I would not recommend this particular length. Look for little stubby one!
I would also make it a DIY project to make sure it got the proper care in installing!
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-1...ews/1000103135
__________________
Richard
Why no RV year, make and floorplan on MY signature as we suggest for others?
I currently DO NOT have one!
Morich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2020, 10:11 AM   #3
Winnebago Camper
 
Harvester's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morich View Post
I would also make it a DIY project to make sure it got the proper care in installing!
Thanks for these suggestions!

I have some of those plastic sheet rock anchors. The ones you hammer into the sheet rock, then put in a small screw to hang heavier pictures on the wall. I would probably have to bore out the two holes a bit before using them. I'll try to also look for a shorter version of the anchor screws (shown on the link). Before doing either, I'll insert a small nail or wire into the existing screw hole to measure how long it can go back before hitting something.

Yes, I've been thinking all along DIY for this one - which is one of the reasons for my post. Part of me wants to hold the dealer accountable, as they made it abundantly clear about the Platinum Winnebago Dealership they hold. If there was "ANYTHING" that kept me from giving them 5 stars on the Winnebago survey - they want to know about it now, and get it resolved before then. Blah, blah, blah...

So far, I've had five problems with this RV after delivery. The Onan generator did not work (carburetor problem due to non-use). The local Onan service center fixed it free under warranty, but was a logistical hassle. The Zamp solar panel controller was not working. I read the Zamp docs on the error code, and found out the wires from the solar panel were reversed polarity - easy 5 minute fix with my screwdriver. The fuse panel has a red LED always on for one of the coach fuses - even though there's no issue with the fuse. To fix this, the dealer will need to replace the fuse panel circuit board. It's not a big deal, but would prefer it was correct. There's also some laminate on the trim underneath the fridge that's a little cracked, exposing a bit of the particle board. I may post another thread on this, but I'm not losing any sleep about it. The dealer said they would fix this, but I'm tempted to do something myself. Then finally there's the garage door latch - which I'm probably going to make a DIY project.
__________________
2020 Minnie Winnie 22R with E-350/6.8L
Harvester is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2020, 10:44 AM   #4
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Pflugerville/Austin, Tx
Posts: 7,371
I would not recommend the plastic anchors for long term as they only expand the width of the screw which forces the sides outward. That gives only about an 1/8 inch of expansion which is not too much grip on the back of the fiberglass as fiberglass tends to crumble a bit once the jelcoat is broken.
Can we assume the space inside the RV is not an area where you would want to add a small board to screw into? Nice, simple, and easy but prone to looking like something you don't want!
Even though the molly is a harder fix, it does have the advantage of spreading out far more to like 3/4 or 1 inch wide behind the fiberglass. Harder to place as the molly tends to turn over the hard surface of the fiberglass, so I have to grip the molly with longnose while getting the first few turns of the screw which makes it flatten out on the back.
Another point on the molly is how thin/thick the fiberglass is found to be. Ideally the thickness is near the same as the distance between the molly head and the flattened section on the back of the fiberglass. But finding that ideal size molly is not always possible, so there are times when I have added some sort of spacer or "standoff" under the molly head and on top of the wall.
Don't forget to add some sealer between the latch and the break in the fiberglass to keep water out. Sneaky leaks can do lots of damage.
That personal touch and desire to get it working and looking the best possible is really hard to get at any shop as it takes time, knowledge, practice, as well as caring!
Best of luck to you.
__________________
Richard
Why no RV year, make and floorplan on MY signature as we suggest for others?
I currently DO NOT have one!
Morich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2020, 03:07 PM   #5
Winnebago Camper
 
Harvester's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Posts: 34
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morich View Post
Even though the molly is a harder fix, it does have the advantage of spreading out far more to like 3/4 or 1 inch wide behind the fiberglass. Harder to place as the molly tends to turn over the hard surface of the fiberglass, so I have to grip the molly with longnose while getting the first few turns of the screw which makes it flatten out on the back.

Another point on the molly is how thin/thick the fiberglass is found to be. Ideally the thickness is near the same as the distance between the molly head and the flattened section on the back of the fiberglass. But finding that ideal size molly is not always possible, so there are times when I have added some sort of spacer or "standoff" under the molly head and on top of the wall.
Thanks again for the detailed advice. I'm now off looking for items to bring this DIY solution to life.

First off, I was able to find a couple very small "hollow wall drive anchors" at Ace Hardware. One is 13/16" and the other is 7/8" long - both are 1/4" in diameter, requiring a 5/8" drill hole. They are made to anchor onto thin walls, with a minimum of 1/8" thickness, up to maybe 1/4". I'll just have to make sure there's a 1" clearance (depth) behind that fiberglass. These anchors have two small teeth on the lip, that bite into the surface. For this fiberglass application, I'm thinking to flatten that out, and use the long nose pliers (as you've mentioned). Those teeth were made for sinking into wood or dry wall, maybe not ideal for fiberglass. The other consideration will be the thickness of the latch itself. The screws will have to be long enough to reach the end of the anchor threads, while going through the hole on the latch.

I also went to Home Depot (who sent me over to Ace, as they didn't have the above items), and recommended something called "Mr. Grip". It's perforated thin metal strips that you put into a stripped screw hole. Using the same screw, it will basically fix (conform to) the stripped area creating a solid fit. I'm not sure it's the best idea for this, but got it as a backup plan. It was cheap enough, so can just keep it around for other fixes that may come up.
Attached Images
    
__________________
2020 Minnie Winnie 22R with E-350/6.8L
Harvester is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-27-2020, 03:38 PM   #6
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Pflugerville/Austin, Tx
Posts: 7,371
The grips can work good but onlyif the wall material is thick enough to get a grip along the length of the grip. I'm guessing the fiberglass will be around 1/8 and then some type of foamboard that won't hold the grip too much.
If the molly is a new thing for you, some hints will help. since you want to get the molly in the right spot. I would use the old holes and either drill or just use a flat screwdriver to kind of ream out the hole big enough to force the molly in and then before putting the latch on, tighten the screw in the molly until you feel it begin to get tight. The trick is that as you turn the screw, the far end of the molly is pulled toward the head and that makes the sides spread out behind the wall. It's kind of a feeling when it gets tight enough but not so tight that the head breaks off the screw. Kind of different when running them into a space with foamboard as it makes it feel stiffer because the sides have to press the foam out of the way. If it begins to squeak, usually time to stop! Then once the main part is in the wall, unscrew the screw all the way out and put it through the latch to retighten and get it down so the latch is lined, etc.
Sound like extraa to put it in and then take it out but it avoids the thing you are mounting flopping around and getting marks on the wall and such, so when it's a kind of iffy deal like you've got, I like to go slow and easy in two steps. Whether to bend the hooks first or just see how they work on the fiberglass might be my method as the hooks do make the molly body grip the wall rather than turning or me having to hold it with pliers. I'm thinking they will just bite in and make it easier to tighten with it holding itself.
Worst case? If you do turn too far and break the molly (better to stop sooner!), it's not a total loss but take the screw out, break the molly head off by twisting with pliers like longnose and then push the body into the wall and you can start with a new molly in the same spot!
If you've got a pack so that there are spares, it might be worth trashing one by screwing it up when outside of the fiberglass and counting how many turns it takes to spread it out? Waste one but avoids the chance of breaking and all that "learning experience" you don't need on the motorhome side!!!
Easy go once you've done a few. Those little shorties look just about right.
__________________
Richard
Why no RV year, make and floorplan on MY signature as we suggest for others?
I currently DO NOT have one!
Morich is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
door


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
50 Amp service in garage. Now what? kwilkins Plumbing | Systems and Fixtures 20 08-16-2014 01:18 PM
Journey airbags drop and garage height? Going Jessie Winnebago Class A Motorhomes 15 08-27-2013 11:37 PM
Garage Tpflyer Plumbing | Systems and Fixtures 44 02-20-2013 09:39 PM
U/A Shower Door Latch KIX Plumbing | Systems and Fixtures 7 11-27-2008 01:00 PM
Painted Garage Floor LongGone Winnebago General Discussions 15 02-28-2005 05:45 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Winnebago Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:41 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.