Basement Door Bowed and Leaking

canesfan · 06-20-2016, 05:59 AM

One of my basement doors is bowed at the bottom and the other day after rain it was wet inside the door. I looked all around to see if I could figure where the water came from but no telltale signs. The door has been bowed for awhile but never leaked before. I'm assuming it is bowed enough that in the two bottom corners it's not making contact with the seal and that's where it is leaking. It's a slam latch door that hinges at the top. There's no adjust to the latch plate, so I'm wondering outside of ordering a new door if it's fixable? The top seems to be fine, it's only the bottom that's bowed. Pictures of a top corner and a bottom corner with door closed attached.

slow · 06-20-2016, 06:56 AM

Not to say that the leak is not a result of the bowed door, but often it is because of the hinge extrusion joint at the top of the door. This thread may be of interest and post #10 shows the fix: http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25170

canesfan · 06-20-2016, 08:27 AM

Thanks for the link. I will look into that and see if that's the case. Odd that this was the first time it leaked in 2-1/2 years though. But still might be worth doing even if that wasn't the cause. I was also thinking that even if the door wasn't sealing all the way at the bottom corners the lip inside would keep water out. Maybe I'll stick my daughter in there and hit it with a hose.

**JRTJH** · 06-20-2016, 11:20 AM

Is your door held open with gas struts? It almost looks like when the door is closed and locked, it's being "pushed open" from the inside. Possibly a strut is hanging up and not closing completely?

canesfan · 06-20-2016, 12:41 PM

No struts on this door, nothing in there pushing on the door. Frame looks fine. If you hold the door out horizontally so you're looking at the bottom edge you can see the bow ever so slightly. The door on the other side has struts, it's fine.

**JRTJH** · 06-20-2016, 01:30 PM

Have you thought about removing the door from the frame, taking it inside (on the carpet) and laying it on a 1x2 (or on something thinner if you don't need as much "bend") and "rebending it" ???

Another option, if your slam latches are like mine, is to bend the door lip slightly inward, which would cause the door to pull in a bit more. On mine, the "lip part of the latch" is positioned on the door molding and is secured with one screw which is only accessible with the entire door assembly removed from the trailer, but there is some "bending adjustment" if you only need about 1/8" or so.....

PerryB · 06-20-2016, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slow

Not to say that the leak is not a result of the bowed door, but often it is because of the hinge extrusion joint at the top of the door. This thread may be of interest and post #10 shows the fix: http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=25170

It usually IS the hinge strip where the water is coming in. On my Mountaineer they all leaked before I caulked them with silicone.

canesfan · 06-21-2016, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Have you thought about removing the door from the frame, taking it inside (on the carpet) and laying it on a 1x2 (or on something thinner if you don't need as much "bend") and "rebending it" ???

Another option, if your slam latches are like mine, is to bend the door lip slightly inward, which would cause the door to pull in a bit more. On mine, the "lip part of the latch" is positioned on the door molding and is secured with one screw which is only accessible with the entire door assembly removed from the trailer, but there is some "bending adjustment" if you only need about 1/8" or so.....

I had considered taking it off and trying to rebend it. I'm really afraid I'd crack the fibreglass so that is probably my last resort.

I don't think my latches are the same. They don't have anything to do with the lip. The catch part is a metal plate screwed into the bottom of the frame in front of the lip. The back part of the plate is up against the lip, so there is no sliding the plate back a little, I already tried that.

I'm going to have the hinge caulked anyway, but I really would like to get the door fixed, too. If nothing else I'll wait until Oct when I go past the dealer again and ask them what they think. I need to stop in and have them put an inspection sticker on it anyway and my salesman usually takes me out to lunch. Probably have a 2nd AC put on too if I don't do it myself before then. Or might buy something else.

jsmith948 · 06-21-2016, 07:25 AM

Our compartment door ( on the shady side of the camper ) was warped/bowed to where it wouldn't seal. Had the DW hold one side while I held the other side and pressed down/in firmly. Straightened right out with no ill effect.

**JRTJH** · 06-21-2016, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canesfan

I had considered taking it off and trying to rebend it. I'm really afraid I'd crack the fibreglass so that is probably my last resort.

The fiberglass is very malleable. You can easily bend the sheet in a 4" circle without any cracking. I don't think you'll have any risk of cracking the fiberglass by placing the door on a 1x2" furring strip (front to back) and pressing with your hands on the top and bottom of the door frame. Of course, if you're "all thumbs" or if your middle name is "Murphy"......

In the past, I've "reformed" doors using a 1x2 with the door still on the trailer. It's easier to "warp the hinge" that way, but if you're careful, you can do it without removing the door. Just watch putting too much pressure on the hinge.... (ie: make sure you push on the top and the bottom at the same time, if you leave the door on the camper)...

canesfan · 06-21-2016, 09:49 AM

Ok, thanks for all the input. I think I'm going to try to unwarp it, still going to caulk it too. I like the board trick. Since it's only bowed at the bottom, I think a board wedged between the frame and the back of the door right in the middle and pushing on both bottom corners would be the way to go. I think if I get a board long enough to sit on the ground a can put my foot against it so it doesn't "flip up" when I push on the door. Sounds like a plan. Now I need to find a board.

canesfan · 06-22-2016, 05:50 AM

So I rebent the door using the board advice, worked very well. The front corner of the door is now perfect, the back corner is about 2/3 better. I would have gone farther on the back corner but at this point it is now rubbing the frame (only in the back corner) as it closes.

Wasn't doing that before. The hinge has a lot of slop in it, but I don't think it's that. Since it's only rubbing in one corner it would seem to mean it was out of square. When I bent the door it was in the closed position so I wasn't pushing up or down on the hinge, or at any angle one way or the other on the door, I was pushing straight against the side of the trailer on both corners of the door at the same time, so I don't think I could have bent the hinge or skewed the door. Not sure why it's rubbing now. Very minor, but enough to rub a little paint off.

Ideas???

You may also like: