Exterior Compartment Door Latches

[Bahamabay]

I have a 09 DSDP. I have had to replace the lock/latch on the water compartment door 4 times and adjust the others several times in the 16 months I have owned the unit. They are not the easiest thing to adjust. Does anyone know of a replacement latch system that may work better? I am really suprised at this cheap system.

["007"]

My doors have started to give me problems after six years of use. Have found a latch for key latch lock has a screw coming loose and locking pin doesn't drop with spring action into locking pin loop.
A DP door I believe has two locking latches on both sides of door that lock into door frame surround. Looking at wear patten on the frame are the latches sliding into hole centered in hole or hitting to low or high in hole.
Something is of center with all the problems you have been having.
Not to many answers to your problem which might mean others are not having your problems.
If they are of center you might be able with a saw cut the hole to favor the side to center the latch.

[Saber77]

Just took delivery of a new 2009 Ventana this week and several of our basement doors are hard to close -- have to slam them. The locks are also very hard to use, even after lubing with silicone.

["007"]

Roger, maybe you should look at the latch openings to see if they are lining up with latch hole. The rubber seals around compartment opening are new and maybe stiff and hard in colder weather.
After thinking about Bahamabay's problem the top seal maybe causing the top of door to bind on top of door making it hard to close. Not sure what can be done other than replacing top seal with a smaller bulb seal to see if door closes easier.

[Bahamabay]

007 thanks for the reply. I believe I have a different lock system from what you describe. Mine only latches on one side. Attached to the coach is a metal bar that the latch catches on. I will take a picture because my explanation dosen't even sound right to me.

Saber77. If you have to slam them then the latch attached to the door will soon be bent if not broke. That is how my problem started.

[Bahamabay]

Here are the photos.
The steel bar is held in place by two 3/4" screws which won't stay tight and some have stripped out. Then when the bar does not line up with the latch properly you have to slam the door which in turn bends or breaks to two metal pieces at the top of the latch.

["007"]

Interesting pictures, I wonder how they mounted everything to lineup when closing the door.
Your compartments are big enough to watch the action but I would make sure you have a door open in one of them when you observe the action.
Someone must have made up a template for mountings and something change as they wore it out. You could try some star washers under those screws and see if bar holds better or maybe use nut and bolt with star through everything.
The latch looks ok waiting to bite the bar.
You can't adjust the latch on door so the bar loop is what we need to correct.

[Bahamabay]

007 your absolutely right. I have tried the star washers and the picture is the one I switched to nut & bolt. Maybe once I get them aligned properly I should weld them.

[RVDude]

You'll need to get those 3/4 screws to stay put. Maybe drill out to the next larger and use lock washers and thread locker.

Newmar will actually bend the metal loop to adjust closing and they will also bend or torque the door itself to fine tune the fit.

Instead of slamming, how about lifting (or pushing down on) the door slightly so the lock better aligns with the metal loop and then just gently closing. Due to chassis flex these doors will always operate erratically under certain jacking, leveling, and uneven ground situations. Nothing can be done about that except helping the alignment as you close the door.

[Bahamabay]

RV Dude,
That's true, I need to get those screws to stay put. The problem is that they don't. I am sure Newmar bends the metal loop and torques the door to make it all fit. Once it goes on the road everything moves. Every time I use the coach I have to do somthing different. I don't slam the doors. Sometimes I lift them in place. Sometimes I push down on them to get them to latch. Other times I push the right or left. The problem is it is never the same. The system stinks. I am looking for a new lock system. Maybe somthing like the ones found on Winnebago. I never had to be so delicate with the doors on my previous coach. I just don't know how it would retrofit. I am at a loss.

[69RoadRunner]

I sometimes have trouble getting mine closed the first time, too. The key is to push the door right where it latches when closing it. Don't just slam it, push it at that spot and keep your hand on the door.

The locks are incredibly cheap. It can take several tries to get the key in the lock.