Front door hinge clip

[Dav5942]

Anybody had their clip break, if so did you find a replacement clip? The manufacturer(PTL) says you must replace the entire door hinge($64 from them $194 from your dealer) as it is not possible to insert a new clip.

[Dav5942]

Anybody had their clip break, if so did you find a replacement clip? The manufacturer(PTL) says you must replace the entire door hinge($64 from them $194 from your dealer) as it is not possible to insert a new clip.

[RVDude]

I suspect you mean something different than the plastic wedge block (Wedge Block PTL 019-059 Cost $14.61 ea)?

[Dav5942]

No, its actually a clip that is part of the door bracket. Temporailly we are using ty-wraps.
Bracket

1/2 of broken clip

[Route 66]

Replacing the entire door stop because of a broken plastic or metal piece is certainly poor engineering.

The challenge is on!

Who has a good alternative?

[racer0624]

I've had several wedge blocks break. Has anyone gotten them made out of aluminum?

[RVDude]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by racer0624:
I've had several wedge blocks break. Has anyone gotten them made out of aluminum? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

This might be disastrous. They break because of opening the door while the parking brake is off - that is - the engagement pin is actuated into the wedge block. Hence, if the block were al (e.g. unbreakable) and you were to open the door while the pin is actuated you'd probably bend the door frame and/or actuator in some way. Better just to let the plastic break when we make the mistake of opening the door with the parking brake off.

At some point I'll wire a kill switch to the air actuator solenoid to allow opening the door w/o engaging the parking brake.

[RVDude]

dav - I gottcha now... I was hoping that part would never break, but the rather tenuous design always made me believe it would at some point.

Ditto 66, the challenge is out to redesign a replacement.

[racer0624]

Jeff,
I was told be a Newmar tech. way back that if we tried to open the door while the actuator was engaged in the wedge block that the block is supposed to ride over the top of the roller. I guess the key words are "supposed to".

I think, but don't know for sure, that vibration and/or continued "slamming" of the piston roller into the wedge is causing failure of the plastic due to fatigue. Your thoughts?

[RVDude]

I'd have to respectfully disagree with the tech. That roller is under some force slammed into that nylon block. Any time you then exert a twisting force between the stationary and constant pressure roller and the door mounted wedge (as in opening the door) that nylon will eventually chew up or break. The roller is steel, the block is nylon. I don't think there is any 2 ways about the physics of that one. If it were designed to be used in that manner, I would respectfully submit the design would (or maybe to your point "should") be different.

I will concur that the continued slamming into the wedge is another potential point of failure over time, again, simple wear and tear. Better that "cheap" plastic part than the entire air/piston/roller assembly in my mind.

You can wiggle the block ever so slightly after loosening it and I have adjusted mine so the roller quietly slams into the wedge which may or may not extend it's life. My first wedge really banged into place, but I also know that I opened the door several times while engaged and you can feel the roller tearing out of the wedge. I've now run about a full year on it adjusted like that w/no visible signs of wear.

JMHO

[racer0624]

Jeff,
Your point of having it "quietly slam" into the wedge is key I think. I never tried to wiggle the block. After breaking several wedges I disconnected the piston/roller and plugged the air line. Fortunately our door fits pretty darn tight with very little or no air noise. I've since removed the whole kit and have it bagged up in a ziplock now.

[pstroke]

My clip on the hold open bracket has broken twice now. The first time it was fixed under warranty in December and now it has happened again.

I spoke to Debbie at PTL Engineering and she stated that they came out with a new design in February that should eliminate this problem. She agreed to send me the new design free of charge and I will have to install it.

Hopefully this will resolve the poor design of this bracket.

My $.02 on the wedge. If you open and close the door with the parking brake engaged, you should not have any issues with it breaking. I learned the hard way on this new coach and almost had to replace the wedge as well.

Good luck!

[Dav5942]

We ordered the "new" bracket from PTL in the mean time my ty-wraps in lieu of the clip are working great.

We do not have a "wedge" and our door shuts fine, easy to latch, etc.

[FOLEYMECH]

My mountain aire has a ptl engineering door that needs you to pull the door handle to release the lock. It has appeared to have broken and the door closes all the time in the wind etc. Anyone have any experience with fixing this? I syarted pulling off the door panel and figured I would find out first.