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04-20-2007, 04:02 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 90
SUN #168
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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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04-20-2007, 07:18 PM
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#2
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 6,155
SUN #123
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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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04-20-2007, 07:46 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 90
SUN #168
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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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04-20-2007, 07:53 PM
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#4
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 6,155
SUN #123
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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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04-20-2007, 08:29 PM
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#5
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Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: New York
Posts: 1,920
SUN #98
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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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Mary & Tom (aka Hutch)
2015 Jayco Eagle Premier 361REQS
2014 GMC Sierra 3500HD 4x4 CC D/A
Sunlines: 2005 Solaris T-280SR; 1999 Solaris T-2670; 1998 Saturn T-24A
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04-20-2007, 08:40 PM
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#6
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 6,155
SUN #123
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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
__________________
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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04-21-2007, 06:51 AM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 90
SUN #168
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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
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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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04-21-2007, 09:12 AM
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#8
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 90
SUN #168
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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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04-21-2007, 03:54 PM
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 6,155
SUN #123
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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
__________________
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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04-21-2007, 05:09 PM
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#10
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 90
SUN #168
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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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04-21-2007, 08:15 PM
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#11
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 6,155
SUN #123
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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
__________________
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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07-20-2007, 09:41 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 273
SUN #225
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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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Pittsburgh, PA
2002 Chevy Silverado
2003 Sunline 2553
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