Holiday Rambler engine door thumb latch

[Darryl]

One of the two thumb latches on my engine compartment door broke on my '97 HR last week. The part that you turn with your fingers is plastic and it goes through the door with a swing arm on it. The cold and age got to it I suppose.

These resemble a regular thumb latch for a baggage door, but the barrel of the latch is 7/8". Most baggage compartment doors are 5/8". I'll probably have to hunt for awhile to find a universal one, or I can pay HR $40.00 each for theirs. I'm posting this on the remote chance anyone here has encountered the same latch problem and found a suitable replacement somewhere other than the dealer.

Thanks for any replies.

[Darryl]

One of the two thumb latches on my engine compartment door broke on my '97 HR last week. The part that you turn with your fingers is plastic and it goes through the door with a swing arm on it. The cold and age got to it I suppose.

These resemble a regular thumb latch for a baggage door, but the barrel of the latch is 7/8". Most baggage compartment doors are 5/8". I'll probably have to hunt for awhile to find a universal one, or I can pay HR $40.00 each for theirs. I'm posting this on the remote chance anyone here has encountered the same latch problem and found a suitable replacement somewhere other than the dealer.

Thanks for any replies.

[RV Wizard]

Darryl, the thumb latches are made in different lengths. You should be able to aquire a 7/8" one with out too much difficulty. CHeck with RV parts departments of local RV dealers for it.

[Darryl]

Thanks Mike for your reply. It's not the length that needs to be 7/8's, its the circumference. The hole (in the door) is a 1 inch hole. The thumb latch is 7/8's.

Thanks!

[full-timer]

Darryl,any chance you might use a close fitting washer on each side of the small latch that will work without it looking bad?

Joe

[deandec]

I just resolved a similar problem on my CC. In Sacramento, RV Doctor George has thousands of parts for RVs. I paid him $1.50 for an offset cam to put on my smaller barrel. It was not original equipment and required some washers but it works to hold the engine door closed and locked.

Look for "Cam Locks" on the internet or your local RV junk man.

Dean
95 CC Magna + JGC

[Darryl]

Thanks everyone for your replies and ideas. It's possible I could use washers, assuming they have the correct hole size. Although the only thing holding them in place would be surface tension. With a little off-center pressure (as would be generated by the angles latch) it would probably move after awhile. I'm going to look awhile for a suitable latch, but might eventually have to buy the pricey ones from HR.

[RV Wizard]

Darryl, if you decide to use a small thumb lock with possibly stainless steel washers; you can prevent the lock from moving with a piece of tubing as a spacer around the barrel of the lock inside the door panel. Good luck and keep us posted.