Entry Door Swing Arm or Gas Strut

[rpasetto]

Originally Posted by Rex

YC1 your link does not work.

Link now gets to a page of Veurinks RV. The ""Swing Arm Assembly Door Hinge" shows "currently in stock" with no price given.

Mine seems to continually get looser; it appears the bushings are quick to wear. I'd like to know if a better design is available. It doesn't need to be a pneumatic strut, just something reliable.

Has anyone been successful at fixing one?

[texnet]

Just fixed mine and will reinstall it as soon as the outside temp gets below the 100 degree mark! I took mine over to a friends house who had a air hammer. He put a flat tipped bit in the air hammer and hammered each rivet. It is now nice and tight. The rivets that are used on the pivot points are called Tinner rivets. I looked for some locally but no luck. I am going to order the rivets and the tool from an online store and have them on hand next time it needs tightened. FYI... Veurinks RV wants $119.95 for the swing arm.

[rpasetto]

Originally Posted by texnet

Just fixed mine and will reinstall it as soon as the outside temp gets below the 100 degree mark! I took mine over to a friends house who had a air hammer. He put a flat tipped bit in the air hammer and hammered each rivet. It is now nice and tight. The rivets that are used on the pivot points are called Tinner rivets. I looked for some locally but no luck. I am going to order the rivets and the tool from an online store and have them on hand next time it needs tightened. FYI... Veurinks RV wants $119.95 for the swing arm.

Ron, Thanks for the info. I've been avoiding removing the arm but I guess it needs to be done. Did you replace the rivets? if so what type/size are they? Or... did you use machine screws in anticipation of the next time the arm needs to be removed. It does seem weird that the arm is connected to the door frame by six screws but riveted to the top of the door.

Where are you ordering the rivets and tool? I Gogled "tinner Rivets" and found some at http://www.hansonrivet.com/w01.htm. The next line of the chart shows a slew of blind rivets ... wondering which to reattach the arm to the door.

[texnet]

Rick P. I haven't put the arm back on yet as I can't find my rivet tool... but I will before the day is out. I will rivet it back to the door and use the same screws for the coach. The most likely reason I can see the rivets in the door is to keep it more stable as rivets don't back out. I believe the attaching rivets to be 3/16" by 1/8" and I will find out shortly! The hanson rivet place is where I saw them also. As for size, not sure as we just used the air hammer to tighten the old tinner rivets, but it looks like the shaft is about 1/4" in dia.

[YC1]

Check page two of this thread for my fix. It works well and is simple. I tried to beat the rivet flat and just managed to damage my thumb. Drilling the 1/8 inch hole in the middle of the rivet was easy. Then using a center punch that fed through the holed I flared the hole by tapping it while resting over a small gap in the vice jaws. The rivet expanded perfectly and snug and I just put a pop rivet in the hole to keep it expanded. So far it is working very well.

To take the arm down just drill out the rivets on the top of the door. I put it back on with the same size rivets.

[texnet]

I just reinstalled my swing arm. The rivets for the mounting plate for the top of the door were RAS 3/16IP. i.e. 3/16" dia and 1/8" grip. The swing arm is now tight and locks into place. Using the air hammer to reseat the rivets worked great! YC1's method should work great to, I just took a different direction.

Also.. it appears to be enough clearance to use a carriage bolt and a lock nut on the center pivot point. Next time I work on the swing arm I am going to try that first. If it works that would allow one to just tighen the nut and be done with it!

[rpasetto]

Clever and creative ideas, texnet and yc1! I'm looking foirward to trying your methods.

[Florida Panhandler]

I don't want to undermine anyone's efforts to repair their door brackets - all the more power to you , but I had the same issue from the beginning. I attempted some repairs at first but was never satisfied with the result.

I finally resorted to a bungee cord that wraps around the base of my mirror and hooks over the door edge. Gives just enough in the wind but does the job and has not, in nearly 4 years, damaged the rubber gasket. Some may think this is just a bit too tacky, but hey, when they start making the payments, I'll relent.

[krf9113]

The OEM for the outside doors and the entrance door is Master Lift. The part number that I have used on my Safari Simba is ML 14-10. The OAL (overall length) is 20 inches. I have one that is 20.5 inches. Either will work

[Drifter]

We came into Lazydays Tucson yesterday and we were to late for the RV show. When walking through today I noticed that the new Trip by HR that has a gas strut in place of the scissors door arm. When it stops raining I'll take and post some pictures.

[rpasetto]

Originally Posted by Drifter

We came into Lazydays Tucson yesterday and we were to late for the RV show. When walking through today I noticed that the new Trip by HR that has a gas strut in place of the scissors door arm. When it stops raining I'll take and post some pictures.

Hi We just left "Florizona" this AM... I don't know if this tyope strut would work with the Monaco front-doors, although it may work with the mid-entry ones.

I attached a picture from the Monaco website.

[Drifter]

Were sorry we missed you. We will be on space 1337 until the 18TH of Jan., then on to the big gathering in Quartzsite, maybe you can meet up there.

[Drifter]

This is a picture of a HR Trip. It looks like they are using a trailer door now with a baggage door style prop.

[rpasetto]

Originally Posted by Drifter

This is a picture of a HR Trip. It looks like they are using a trailer door now with a baggage door style prop.

Instead of the 'tic-tic'tic' of a loose internal door arm there'd likely be a whistle... and not exactly a streamlined solution.