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Old 04-20-2007, 04:02 PM   #1
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SUN #168
wobbly
Screen Door Latch

Our screen door won't stay latched. After some head scratching, it appears that the screen door latch is for a right handed door, and the T-1950 has a left handed door. Evidently the installer was in a hurry.
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Old 04-20-2007, 07:18 PM   #2
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Hi Wobbly,

The screen door latch is a very common problem. Most don't latch very well at all, so your not alone. The latch was redesigned a few years back (about 7 or so) and was designed so it was easier to open, with just a simple push down. This way, if you were carrying something, you could open the door without setting the thing down. The earlier Sunline's (and other models for that matter) used a "bullet latch". I changed the one on our last MH to the bullet latch, because the other latch never latched no matter how much I played with it, just as you described. There are very few "right hand" trailer doors, so the latch is most likely correct. Moral of the story: The spring on your latch is very weak. There is no way to make it tighter (I tried and almost broke it), so you either have to live with it or change the whole latch. I personally like being able to throw the door behind me on my way out and have it latch.

Here's a pic of a bullet latch (sorry for it being small):


Jon
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2007 T-286SR Cherry/Granola, #6236, original owner, current mileage: 9473.8 (as of 6/18/21)
1997 T-2653 Blue Denim, #5471
1979 12 1/2' MC, Beige & Avocado, #4639
Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR
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Old 04-20-2007, 07:46 PM   #3
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Hi Jon,

The latch we have is item 40349 at http://www.go-rv.com/coast/do/catalo...78&pageNum=173

The latch has a 'R' stamped on it. The T-1950's screen door is left handed using the convention shown at http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/i...fdoorhand.html

There's no spring in this latch.

As installed, the screen door would not close with the main door.

Stopped by Camping World to look for a latch, but they seem to be focusing on big ticket items and their stock of mundane items like latches was rather meager.
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Old 04-20-2007, 07:53 PM   #4
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How does the screen not close with the main door?

You have the exact latch I thought you'd have. I did a Google Image search for a pic, but couldn't find one that would work.\

I'm surprised about the "R". It could stand for something else, but who knows, maybe it is a right hand latch. Last I knew, Sunline didn't use any right hand doors in recent years, so I don't know why they would have a right hand latch in the shop.

Jon
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2007 T-286SR Cherry/Granola, #6236, original owner, current mileage: 9473.8 (as of 6/18/21)
1997 T-2653 Blue Denim, #5471
1979 12 1/2' MC, Beige & Avocado, #4639
Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR
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Old 04-20-2007, 08:29 PM   #5
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Hi Wobbly,

I had some problems with my screen door not latching. Not sure if they were the same.

I had to move the piece on the door jam to get the screen door latch to catch. I had to drill out the holes of the piece to elongate them so I could move the door jam piece farther out (toward the outside). I also installed screen door springs, got them from Camping World.

<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=oJlfl*qTN6s&offerid=63155.310824904&type= 10&subid=">Click Here
</a>[img]http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=oJlfl*qTN6s&bids=63155.310824904&type=10&s ubid=[/img]

This way the screen door closes automatically.

I also had to adjust the latch on the screen door so that it latched properly with the outside door. I did this by loosening the two screens and adjusting it’s position.

We have two doors and I had to fix both screen door latches. I also had to raise both screen doors up about an 1/8” because they were rubbing / catching on the door sill.

If your latch is similar to mine, the end of the latch that catches the door jam should be angled, with the angle toward the inside (camper) and the flat part toward the outside. I think this is how they are, I’m doing this from memory. I plan on brining the camper home tomorrow from storage so I can look at the latch and take some pictures if you would like.

Note sure if this was of any help. Send me an email if you want some pictures of my screen door latch to compare with.
Hutch
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Old 04-20-2007, 08:40 PM   #6
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Hutch,

That sounds like the kind of adjusting I've had to do. On my dad's toy hauler, which I think has the latch in question, I played around with it for a long time trying to get it to work. I was going to put a bullet latch on it, but I would have had to pay for it . Well, I made the existing one work, finally! If I remember correctly, I think that was the trailer I had to put spacers behind the little plate on the door jam. It was that far off! I've had to adjust the screen doors on EVERY single one of my trailers too, except the 1550 which was magnetic. It had its share of issues too though. The magnets are the best idea, they just need to be stronger. The magnets on the 1550 were quite weak and the door bounced back quite often.

Regardless, screen door latches are not something the RV industry can pride themselves on .

Jon
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2007 T-286SR Cherry/Granola, #6236, original owner, current mileage: 9473.8 (as of 6/18/21)
1997 T-2653 Blue Denim, #5471
1979 12 1/2' MC, Beige & Avocado, #4639
Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR
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Old 04-21-2007, 06:51 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunline Fan
How does the screen not close with the main door?

You have the exact latch I thought you'd have. I did a Google Image search for a pic, but couldn't find one that would work.\

I'm surprised about the "R". It could stand for something else, but who knows, maybe it is a right hand latch. Last I knew, Sunline didn't use any right hand doors in recent years, so I don't know why they would have a right hand latch in the shop.

Jon
The screen door latch arm should pivot up and over the "head" of the plastic latch arm holder attached to the main door when the screen door is pushed against the main door. On ours the two pieces don't contact.
Moving the parts doesn't help, since the arm is designed for a right hand door.

It was obvious when we picked up the trailer that the two doors didn't move as one. The dealer should have caught this one. So should I .
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Old 04-21-2007, 09:12 AM   #8
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After taking the latch apart, I see that Jon is right about the spring. My spring is broken. Also, it looks like RV latches are designated by which side the door hinges are on, not by "handedness". So my 'R' latch is probably the correct one, but the spring is broken.
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Old 04-21-2007, 03:54 PM   #9
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Hi Wobbly,

Is the spring itself broken, or the plastic that holds it in? Either way, I think your looking at a new latch. The spring probably costs as much as a new latch.

Also, the latch should be pushed down to go under the hook on the main door, not up and over. Maybe yours does though and I misunderstood your last post.

Jon
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2007 T-286SR Cherry/Granola, #6236, original owner, current mileage: 9473.8 (as of 6/18/21)
1997 T-2653 Blue Denim, #5471
1979 12 1/2' MC, Beige & Avocado, #4639
Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR
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Old 04-21-2007, 05:09 PM   #10
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Hi Jon,

The helical spring broke where it straightens out to go in the groove in the handle. I should look through my bag of fishing reel parts (I am an expert taker-aparter) . I might have something that will work.

Wobbly
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Old 04-21-2007, 08:15 PM   #11
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Hi Wobbly,

Don't be embarassed, I'm an "expert taker-aparter" too. I keep all parts I remove from my trailers just in case. I ended up lucking out last summer when one of the twist latches on the side refer vent (a little over a year old at the time) broke, and I just pulled out the old part and swapped latches. Of course, since the piece was 12 years old and sun beat, it didn't last long. I just went over to General RV and they gave me some new ones. At least I had the old one for a temporary fix.

Good luck finding a spring!
Jon
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2007 T-286SR Cherry/Granola, #6236, original owner, current mileage: 9473.8 (as of 6/18/21)
1997 T-2653 Blue Denim, #5471
1979 12 1/2' MC, Beige & Avocado, #4639
Past Sunlines: '97 T-2653 #5089, '94 T-2251, '86 T-1550, '94 T-2363, '98 T-270SR
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Old 07-20-2007, 09:41 PM   #12
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Here is my latch:

http://www.rvpartscenter.com/Product...DID=50&CID=379

However, I won't buy it there, due to shipping costs.
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