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Old 02-08-2016, 11:59 AM   #1
"Formerly Diplomat Don"
 
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Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
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Dutch Star Screen Door Project

This certainly isn't anything special, but might be a project if you're bored this winter. While looking at new RV's at Quartzsite, I saw this screen door opener on a fifth wheel.



Screen Door Slider Panel with Push-Down Knob Opener

It's a sliding knob that allows you to open the screen door from the inside without sliding the plexiglass door open to reach the latch. It's pricey and only comes attached to a piece of plexiglass that is smaller than the one used on the Dutch Star. I asked if I could buy just the knob, but LCI said it only comes attached to the plexiglass. I took a shot and ordered one, hoping I could separate it from the plexiglass.

The sliding knob has four small plastic pins that connect the two halves together. I didn't know if they were just pressed or glued. I placed the piece in the freezer overnight to hopefully shrink the pins. The next day I used a small scraper/putty knife and slid it under the pin side of the unit and pried on the individual pins. It came apart without damaging the unit.

The next step was to cut out my plexiglass slider to match the opening the knob needs. Here is the shape that needs to be cut. I used a Dremel to do the work.



Once I measured where the hole needed to be cut in the plexiglass, I cut the new hole in the Dutch Star panel. Note....there is a tab, seen in the photo, that holds the spring. You have to be careful not to break this tab when cutting the new hole. Later, it needs to be rounded some with a file. It sounds like a lot of work, but only took me about 20 minutes to shape the hole. The Dutch Star plexiglass is pretty substantial/thick and was easy to work with.

When I installed the unit, I glued the four pins with Super Glue and pushed it back together. Here is the unit installed.



Once installed, the pin that pushes on the door lever was about a 1/4" short. I added a small rubber cap or a piece of clear tubing can be used, to extend the lever.



Again, this is not the project of the century, but it's handy and makes it easy to open the screen. I figured if I messed it up, I could easily get a preplacement plexi panel.
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Old 02-08-2016, 05:32 PM   #2
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Nice work!

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Old 02-08-2016, 08:31 PM   #3
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I have used a Camcorder door opener which requires a hole to be drilled on the moving panel. It is a lever stuck thru a rubber grommet. Available at Amazon as Camco 43953 Screen Door Opener $7.93


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Old 02-09-2016, 06:01 PM   #4
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That's cool Don I might have to try that.
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