American Coach: Entry door locked and won't open

[timjet]

I know this issue has been discussed before but I thought I would share my thoughts as it happened to me. I believe the design of this door latching mechanism is shared by several models of American Coaches both years before and after my 2007 model.

We were at a campground when my wife who was inside the coach yelled out to me that she couldn’t open the entry door. I tried from the outside and after several attempts the door opened. Having read of this issue I immediately removed the bolt that attaches to the door fame and that catches the jaws on the latch mechanism and keeps the door shut. This rendered the latch mechanism inoperative allowing the door to be locked and kept closed with only the dead bolt. However I soon found that the dead bolt will vibrate to the open position when traveling, so I attached a pair of vise grips to the deadbolt handle and using a bungee cord attached to the vise grips was able to keep the door closed when underway.

When we got home I removed the inner leather decorative door liner and the plate that covers the latch mechanism but could not find anything wrong. I tried the latch several times and it worked. I thought that perhaps at the campground we had inadvertently by using the key fob had not unlocked the door and perhaps were locking it instead. This was a major stupid stupid thought on my part. Again I opened and closed the latch mechanism several times using the lever on the inside of the coach and it worked every time. I declared it fixed. (Note for later: I never locked the door.)

Fast forward 2 weeks at a friends driveway it happened again. DW and I were in the coach and I couldn’t get the door open. Using the latch locking lever on the inside of the coach and after many attempts at moving that lever from the lock to the unlock position I finally got the door opened.

Once home I removed the inside decorative cover of the entry door and the metal plate that covers the latch mechanism. This metal plate can only be removed with the door open as it has 2 bolts that secure it that can only be accessed when the door is open. With that metal plate removed I could see the small spring in the picture had broken. However it was difficult for me to see how that spring kept the latch from unlocking. With the bolt that catches the jaws of the latch mechanism removed and by using it with the door open and positioning it in the jaws I could open and close the latch mechanism just as it should even with the spring broken. Every time I tried it, it worked. With the window above the passenger couch unlocked I reinstalled the bolt into the fame that catches the jaws of the latch mechanism. I again opened and shut the door a dozen times and it worked every time. (Note for later, I never locked the latch mechanism.)

I really didn’t know why this was happening. So with the leather door cover removed and that metal plate removed and the window unlocked, I drove back to the storage facility. I locked the latch door and dead bolt using my key and headed back to my car to drive home. As I was heading to the car I remembered my cell phone was in the coach so I returned to the coach, unlocked both locks and you guessed it, the door would not open.

Having left the window unlocked and all the panels removed from the door it was easy to figure out the issue. The spring is not needed when opening and closing the door as long as the latch mechanism is or was not locked. However when the door is locked, either with the key from the outside or the key fob, or the lever on the inside, the latch unlock/lock lever will not move far enough in the unlock direction to unlock the door. Manually I could not open the door even with pressure on the lock lever. When I pushed the two ears on the latch mechanism together where the spring is attached I could move the latch lock lever another quarter inch in the unlock direction and that would allow the latch to unlock. Again access to those ears can only be made with the door cover and metal cover removed and they can only be removed with the door opened.

The spring is about 1.25 inches long and pretty stout for its size. I have not found a proper replacement but am in contact with TriMark who now has parts for this latch, in hopes of getting a replacement spring. TriMark did not make the latch.

I did find a much lighter spring and had to cut it to fit. It works but would not trust it for long term use. If anyone knows of the proper spring please post.

Going forward I am not going to replace the leather door cover or that metal plate for some time even if I get a proper spring. I will also replace that spring when I do my annual coach maintenance.

Hope this experience prevents someone else from going through this. If I could not get that door open I have no idea how it could be opened.

[CLIFFTALL]

Thanks for a great write up of this situation. After reading posts here about being locked out , I always left the passenger widow unlocked. That’s like carrying an umbrella so it won’t rain [emoji3]. Luckily it never happened to me.

[oldnavycdr]

Awesome write up, Tim! Thank you. The labeled pics make it perfectly understandable. Great job! Let us know if you locate the correct spring.

[BB89SC]

As soon as I read the title I knew the cause. Only difference is that we stopped for dinner and were trying to get back in. I ended up climbing threw a window that wasn't completely locked. I too found the spring but the first time. We chuckle about it now , but didnt that night.

[timjet]

I think I found a source for the spring and as soon as I'm sure I'll post. The issue is that spring will fail again. So I've given some thought to gaining access to the mechanism without opening the door. I'm not sure that it's possible without making the inside covering of the entry look look like someone did just that.


Recall that spring only comes into play when the door latch mechanism is locked. If left unlock the spring is not necessary. At least from my experience. So going forward I'm going to deactivate the electrical portion of the locking mechanism on the latch. I will never manually lock that latch again. Doing this will allow me to continue to use the fob that will electrically lock/unlock the storage bins and dead bolt. The door will latch closed like it normally does when closed.

[BigEvi]

I had a similar problem on my Discovery. The key would turn very hard in the unlock direction...and not unlock the door. What was happening on mine was the pushrod was flexing and the solenoid arm was flexing out of alignment. I glued a piece of wood to the inside of the door frame right along the line of the pushrod. That keeps the pushrod and solenoid arm from flexing out of alignment.

-E

[Fiesta48]

I've been spraying white lithium grease on these locks on my Discovey.
I would carry a spare spring.
And add a cable that extends to the lock moving portions to inside the coach. So you can get out. FIRE?
Also adjust the pin catch on the frame so the door opens easily but is secure.

[basketball]

I have a 2008 Discovery with a main door entry problem.
I did lock myself out of the coach.
Closed the door, all locks were unlocked and door would not open. All windows locked.
I am now locked out of coach.
The handle on the door latch would operate but no tension on handle to release door closed door.
I did get inside(that will be a private post, no damage to coach) and could open door from inside.
The door handle will not move the inside latch. One piece of the two will have to be modified. The metal on the handle will not move the door latch all the time.
I can not trust the door to open at any given time or every time.
I will take pictures and look for ways to extend 1 piece or the other.
The 2 pieces are to meet, 1 piece being the edge of the door handle (inside door) and the other being the door latch slide that pulls in to release door.

If anyone has had this door problem, please post.

Thanks all

[leesdx1]

That's similar what happen to me. When I slam the door close it locked my door. Luckly, I had access to a set of spare of keys. I don't recall if it was the handle or deadbolt lock.

Originally Posted by basketball

I have a 2008 Discovery with a main door entry problem.
I did lock myself out of the coach.
Closed the door, all locks were unlocked and door would not open. All windows locked.
I am now locked out of coach.
The handle on the door latch would operate but no tension on handle to release door closed door.
I did get inside(that will be a private post, no damage to coach) and could open door from inside.
The door handle will not move the inside latch. One piece of the two will have to be modified. The metal on the handle will not move the door latch all the time.
I can not trust the door to open at any given time or every time.
I will take pictures and look for ways to extend 1 piece or the other.
The 2 pieces are to meet, 1 piece being the edge of the door handle (inside door) and the other being the door latch slide that pulls in to release door.

If anyone has had this door problem, please post.

Thanks all

[BB89SC]

We do not use that lock any more. only the deadbolt lock

[basketball]

It is not the deadbolt that locks and cannot be unlocked. It is the door handle from outside that will not operate the door slide to open the door. Nothing is locked. It will not match up with the latch mechanism to open door from outside. The door handle does work from the inside.

[gjames50]

Great write up. I for one want to hear if you found a source for the spring. It would be good to carry one of these (or two) around as a spare just in case.

If not I can help match it up.

A caliper will be helpful getting accurate measurements.

Just look at how to measure your current (broken spring) from this website: https://www.leespring.com/measure-an-extension-spring

Once you have these measurements we can find a suitable replacement.

[timjet]

Thanks guys for the responses. I have been busy with our new house and have not gotten a proper spring yet. I will before we go on our month long trip in February and post my results.

The problem with this design is that you cannot get to the mechanism, those 2 ears where the spring attaches, with the door closed. So carrying an extra spring will do no good. I was able to get my door open my jiggling the latch lock lever back and forth for several minutes. If it didn't open and you were outside with all windows locked you would have to break a window. Then you would have to do some exploratory drills into the door from the inside until you found where that spring attaches to the ears. Those drills would have to be quite large. You would likely destroy the inside liner and could possibly do damage to the door itself.

I disconnected the solenoid that locks that latch allowing me to continue to use the key fob to lock and unlock the deadbolt and storage bins. I'm going to block the slide lock lever on the inside of the door so no one can inadvertently lock the door. As far as I can determine this issue only happens when the door latch is locked. That spring does not come into play if the door is not locked. I'm still going to get a proper spring but I think this issue is so grievous that I'm not going to take a chance that it could happen again.

[osull]

EXACT same thing in my 2008 Newmar Dutch Star three years ago NOW we ONLY use the deadbolt No one could help us