Community Forums

GTHill · 06-19-2010, 09:43 AM

I can't think of what to call them, but I can't find the right size gas piston things that hold up the basement doors (specifically, the larger RHS doors).

Also, I need a few of the latches that hold the basement doors closed.

I appreciate any help if you can send me in the right direction to find them. Thanks!

GT

EngineerMike · 06-19-2010, 10:00 AM

The "gas struts" are available many places including trailer supply joints, on line, Kragen/NAPA/AutoZone. Guess the # of pounds you need to lift & measure the length collapsed and the length extended. Vendors have tables of options.

GTHill · 06-19-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EngineerMike

The "gas struts" are available many places including trailer supply joints, on line, Kragen/NAPA/AutoZone. Guess the # of pounds you need to lift & measure the length collapsed and the length extended. Vendors have tables of options.

Gas struts... man... I knew that. I'm getting old.

Anyway, I have one that I can take off and compare, but I haven't had much luck with places locally, although I don't think I've tried NAPA. Thanks!

GT

takepride · 06-19-2010, 06:00 PM

I've seen them at Camping World, Pep Boys and Auto Zone.

The #s are what have left me confused.

eMike: What would you "guess", were you to guess.

Ted III · 06-19-2010, 06:12 PM

GT Hill

The latches for the basement door are made by Southco. I believe the P/N is C5 compression latches. I am quite certain that you will have to go through a distributor but that should not be a problem. www.southco.com.
A good auto parts dealer should have the gas shocks or struts especially one that supplies go fast (hot rods) equipment.

Ray,IN · 06-19-2010, 06:27 PM

CarQuest sells them too. I bought two for DW's Jeep at a much lower price than Chrysler quoted, about 2 for price of 1.

DennisZ · 06-19-2010, 06:49 PM

Here is a link to the company that sells original struts

Future Sales

Dennis

Birddog Pilot · 06-20-2010, 09:46 AM

GT,

This is my source for the push button latches, if this is they type you need. You'll never get a better source or price.

Call Perlane Sales, Inc.
4665 Allen Road
Stow, OH 44224
330.928.4866
1-800-783-7197
Craig is your contact
The latch is a Southco C5-31-45; Guaranty does not have the part number and probably no one else does either.
The usual street price of these little gems is $46.00 to $73.00. Perlane sells them for $22.00 plus shipping. They have over a hundred in stock. This is a deal.
For more information check out www.southco.com.
I know this model is the correct one because I've already received three replacements and installed one.

Renipladlo · 06-20-2010, 10:03 PM

Those must be for the basement door which go UP!. Apex owners with smartbeds, and maybe some other models, have the door which open out. Those latches, I think were made by TRI-Mark, Inc.

http://www.trimarkcorp.com/en/zplatform.aspx?imgid=2&id=124&Hidden2=%3ca+href%3d %2fen%2fzCategory.aspx%3fintcategoryid%3d3++class% 3d%22headerWhite%22%3e+Products+%3c%2fa%3e%26nbsp% 3b%2f%26nbsp%3b%3ca+href%3d%2fen%2fzCategory.aspx% 3fintcategoryid%3d11++class%3d%22headerWhite%22%3e +Handles+%3c%2fa%3e%26nbsp%3b%2f%26nbsp%3b%3ca+hre f%3d%2fen%2fzCategory.aspx%3fintcategoryid%3d12++c lass%3d%22headerWhite%22%3e+Paddle+%3c%2fa%3e%26nb sp%3b%2f%26nbsp%3b

The above link will take you to the latch we have. I hate to buy a whole latch, just needing a spring for one part of the lock. The springs are .30c apiece, but there is a 5.00 handling charge for orders under 10. So I used a ink-pen spring, and it works sort of. Getting tired of the thing now not working correctly, so I am going to replace the handle itself, then keep the old one for some spare parts.

EngineerMike · 06-20-2010, 10:49 PM

Monty- take the old spring to a good hardware store and they should be able to match it close enough for a buck or two. Hard part is to find a "good" hardware store. In all of the greater Sacramento CA area there is one. The other one went BK about a year ago.

Wingding · 06-22-2010, 09:40 AM

Just a note on the Perlane sales... Those latches are $36.75 apiece ... I just called and ordered two.
Now if you order 50 ....... Then you can get the $23.00 deal.......... But I cant imagine any single person doing that..........hm.... However.... If there are many of you with Alpines and need more than a couple and you can add up to fifty in one order...........?
{Just some fuel for thought}
P.S... I did order through Dave, who sits across from Craig.....did Craig make a mistake?........ DID DAVE MAKE A MISTAKE......?..........{Did I just get Hosed?}