LPG Doors

Fulp46 · 07-30-2014, 09:40 AM

I have a 2014, 279RKSWE, fifth wheel. While driving down the road the LPG doors will fly open while still in the latched position. I then have to make a stop on a busy highway to get the doors closed; last for a few miles, then they are open again. Keystone says there is not a design problem! The door is very flemsy. Still under warranty, had it "fixed" once by dealer, had the same problem on the next trip. Duct tape last for about 20-30 miles. Finally had to bungee to keep closed to make it home.

**JRTJH** · 07-30-2014, 10:18 AM

They are flimsy doors and do "wobble" a bit. So far ours haven't come open in transit, but it may just be a matter of time.....

One thing you can do to improve the doors rigidity is to buy a piece of .0032 thick aluminum sheeting (or a similar thickness metal) and cut it with a jig saw to fit inside the existing door skin. Mount your locks through that new thicker door and it should improve rigidity significantly.

I know it's an "owner improvement" at your expense, but better to fix it rather than wait until the warranty expires and find that the door is damaged such that it can't be "beefed up"

byrdr1 · 07-30-2014, 12:04 PM

could you bend the metal tabs back a little tighter?
I know on some of the doors on my camper that I have bent them tighter or looser as needed? You have to kind of play with them to get them the way you want them. make sure the nuts that hold it all together are tight too.
JUST a suggestion.
randy

Steve S · 07-30-2014, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by byrdr1

could you bend the metal tabs back a little tighter?
I know on some of the doors on my camper that I have bent them tighter or looser as needed? You have to kind of play with them to get them the way you want them. make sure the nuts that hold it all together are tight too.
JUST a suggestion.
randy

X 2, I've done this on all my trailers and I've also always added a 3rd thumb latch.
Very simple to do plus your trailer is in a campground and not sitting on a dealers lot.

jsmith948 · 07-30-2014, 12:29 PM

X3 - but I would remove the tab before 'adjusting (bending) to avoid damaging the door. And I'll assume you know that there should not be a lock on your propane door.

Yosemitebob · 07-31-2014, 08:18 AM

True it should not be locked but I did install the lock on the top in an emergency you can open the bottom and pull it open but how many have done this just saying.

Ken / Claudia · 07-31-2014, 10:59 AM

I do not know your trailer if it has only 1 latch on the door put on another. Adding another another layer of anything to make the door less flexable is a good idea. My AF trailer propane door was 2 layer with 2 latchs for the 2 30 lbs bottles, never had a problem. It did not flex nor open while traveling.

byrdr1 · 07-31-2014, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by byrdr1

could you bend the metal tabs back a little tighter?
I know on some of the doors on my camper that I have bent them tighter or looser as needed? You have to kind of play with them to get them the way you want them. make sure the nuts that hold it all together are tight too.
JUST a suggestion.
randy

Picture was just an example of the tab. I did not even think about the locking cylinder side it. thanks for pointing that out.
randy

vampress_me · 07-31-2014, 06:57 PM

Our door was doing this too. And I was pulling over every couple of miles our last trip to close the top latch, the bottom latch did stay closed thank goodness. Frustrating! I figured out that ours was doing this because the inside latch tab piece was being bounced down by gravity, it would unlatch itself, even after I made sure it was tight. So, I took apart the back of the latch with a screw driver, flipped the latch tab so it now opens up instead of down. Now, the only odd part is that you have to remember to turn the little latch handles counterclockwise instead of clockwise to open, and the little handles are horizontal when closed instead of vertical. But, problem solved.

bsmith0404 · 08-01-2014, 04:18 AM

If they are opening while still in the latched position then it has to be from flex. That tells me there is very little overlap on the latch. You can try to stiffen the door, but my question is how big is the gap between the edge of the door and the trailer opening? If it is too large you could put spacers behind the hinges to get the latch side closer giving more overlap and prevent the flex from allowing the door to open.

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