How to prevent wind from slamming door and causing damage?

[myredracer]

Here a couple of pics of our entry door. If we don't hold onto the entry door tightly when it is really windy out, the door can get slammed against the awning support. It's happened a few times already in the short time we've had the TT. I would like to find some kind of bump stop or something to prevent damage. I had our trailer at an RV clinic last week and asked them about it and they didn't know what the answer was. They didn't have a product that would work.

It's also a problem when we have the awning down, but the door hits the awning support strut in a different spot.

Anyone know how to solve this or what RV parts vendor might have a good selection of door hardware I can look at? Thanks for any input.

[freedom 750]

Hi in Langley, BC. We live in Cloverdale, BC.
I don't have a solution but I was wondering if the awning was installed at the factory or if it was a later option. Our door opens all the way to the right against the TT side and it has a latch to hold it open. If the wind caught it, it would hit the latch first.
One suggestion would be to buy one of those trunk latch hydraulic lifters. They have several sizes of them at Princess Auto in Langley. That would let it open to only a set opening.

[PapaSmurf]

I have seen many units with a strut at the top of the door. I am not sure if it is a factory option on some models, or an aftermarket item. I have seen this strut on motorhomes, 5th wheels, and travel trailers alike.

Another solution might be a wind check chain for a storm door, you should be able to get those at Lowes.

[OldCoot]

Our new 12 Flagstaff 8528RKWS came from the factory with a gas cyl on the door that prevents it from slamming into the awning strut which, if the cyl was removed, it would hit. The gas cyl just lets the door open 90 degrees which is a PITA! I just 30 minutes ago removed the cyl and will try to come up with some way to let the door open farther but not hit the awning strut. I will probably end up with 2 separate latches, one to hold it against the deployed awning strut and another to hold it against the awning strut when it is in the stowed position. As soon as I get the remote control on the awning, the door is the next project. Will post pics if I come up with something.

[cheese53073]

check into a screen door spring like one of these?
Storm Door Chain and Spring-K 5141 at The Home Depot

[OldCoot]

Those would be a little troublesome in mounting due to the screen door and also, the doors are extremely flimsy when it comes to screwing into them. From past experience on our houses, after about 2 or 3 yrs, the screws get yanked out if the wind catches the door a couple of times. But thanks for the idea.

[stitchinsue]

It's ugly, but what about that foam that goes around a pipe? Or a shaved down pool noodle ... Until you are able to think of something more permanent.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by dunnnc

Our new 12 Flagstaff 8528RKWS came from the factory with a gas cyl on the door that prevents it from slamming into the awning strut which, if the cyl was removed, it would hit. The gas cyl just lets the door open 90 degrees which is a PITA! I just 30 minutes ago removed the cyl and will try to come up with some way to let the door open farther but not hit the awning strut. I will probably end up with 2 separate latches, one to hold it against the deployed awning strut and another to hold it against the awning strut when it is in the stowed position. As soon as I get the remote control on the awning, the door is the next project. Will post pics if I come up with something.

You have done yourself a service by removing that strut. I buggered up my door and frame with that strut. It is over pressured for the door causing the door to get "out of rack." Over time it bent the hinges so bad the locks would not work. Once I removed it everything worked fine. I put a hold open latch on the door and camper wall to hold the door open.

[lindy]

The solution for when the awning is open is to disconnect the support arms from the camper side and placing them straight down on the ground at the end of the awning instead of leaving them hooked to the camper.

[OldCoot]

Can't remove the arms on a power awning.

[myredracer]

Originally Posted by freedom 750

Hi in Langley, BC. We live in Cloverdale, BC.
I don't have a solution but I was wondering if the awning was installed at the factory or if it was a later option. Our door opens all the way to the right against the TT side and it has a latch to hold it open. If the wind caught it, it would hit the latch first.
One suggestion would be to buy one of those trunk latch hydraulic lifters. They have several sizes of them at Princess Auto in Langley. That would let it open to only a set opening.

freedom 750: Howdy over in Cloverdale! Our Vet is there on #10. Our awning was installed at the factory. Like a lot of things on our trailer, our awning doesn't seem to be well thought out. When the awning is out, you can't open the door much more than 90 degrees and when it's raining, the awning doesn't cover the door if held open. It would have been a lot better if the awning had been about 1 1/2 feet longer and then the door wouldn't get rained on and the door wouldn't hit the awning support. This would have cost more $$ at the factory though. Or, they could have mounted the entire awning forward about 1 1/2 feet, but unfortunately, the support would block the window at the rear which is an escape window. But, they could have initially installed the window differently.

I dream a lot now about becoming a factory RV designer and fixing these sorts of faux pas.

Our door has an "L" shaped holder to fix the door in the open position. If it's really windy out, the door really flaps back and forth wildly because the "L" flexes a lot. I worry about the thing popping out or breaking. If we use this door holder, the door doesn't quite open wide enough. I'm guessing the factory did this so it won't bang into the awning support. But WE bang into the side of the door instead......

The problem we find is when entering the trailer you have to do a sort of twist and turn while climbing the steps to maintain a grip on the door handle. One quick gust of wind and it can snap out of your hand if you aren't paying attention. We've now learned to hang on tightly if it's windy.

I had thought about a strut as an option but now hearing about a twisted door makes me think otherwise. I wonder if they make a shock absorber similar in size to the gass-filled struts used in RVs? Nice idea, but I can't see a screen door chain/spring working? I have to be careful of anything near the top of the door as well because it could hit the awning material and damage it when the door swings out. Can't even reverse the door swing (as if I would, haha) because the furnace vents and range hood fan exhaust would be in the way.

I'm surprised one of the aftermarket RV parts manufacturers doesn't have an item on the shelf for this. About the only 1/2 decent workable thing I can think of so far is to wrap the awning support with a small piece of closed cell foam and securing it with tie-wraps. This would have to be done in two spots, one for awning up and one for awning down. Not terribly elegant though.

We love our new TT to death but this door thing is the pretty much the one and only thing that drives us crazy.

[Jhawkfan44]

Been battling this issue the last two days. I have a Wildwood 26TBSS and the latch that can hold the door open, also has a "bumper". This is just a piece of plastic or rigid rubber that bangs into the door. I know in time it will fail and punch through either the wall or the door.

My first thought was to put a chunk of foam noodle on the bumper. My next idea is this, hang some sort of foam or rubber ball on the camper side where the door opens to. So even if the door swings wildly, the foam ball will cushion it. I'm thinking a Nerf soccer ball in a mesh ball bag, hanging from a 3M command strip hook...

[imabmwnut]

That's just crazy! Why would they do something like that? I have a Crusader 260 RLD and the awning goes past the door.

[ron2279]

Lowes makes a foam weather stirp that can be mounted on either door or the awning support. This should take up most of the shock. Put only small amounts only enough as needed. I beleave it come in black and white.

[VTX Al]

Originally Posted by dunnnc

Can't remove the arms on a power awning.

Could be wrong..... but it looks like a manual awning to me, in the OP's original post.

...VTX-Al

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by VTX Al

Could be wrong..... but it looks like a manual awning to me, in the OP's original post.

...VTX-Al

You are correct, the OP does have a manual awning.

[tentcamper1]

would something like this work? they sell them at camping world

[Timex]

Here's a REDNECK solution. Cut a piece of pipe insulation to fit around the awning rod and then tape it with duct tape. Duct tape comes in all colors, even white.

Or stick one of those stick-on-wall door stops to the door; the kind that protects the wall from the door knob. Use the kind that is indented not the rounded kind. Don't know if the adhesive would hold up in outside conditions but you can find an adhesive for outside use that would work. If you had to, put a screw through the middle into the door. Put some silicon around it to keep out the weather.

Those gas struts are a PITA. One of the reasons we didn't buy a particular trailer when we were looking!

[gbpacker]

My 23SS has exactly the same problem. The door open to the right, again the awning post. The trailer came with a plastic "L" type hold open, which we pulled out a half a dozen times before we gave up.

Year later I saw the gas strut on a newer model. Ask the dealer to install one on my trailer and was advised not to as the door and door frame are not strong enough to handle the stresses. Did not go ahead with the installation.

Our final solution is to use a short bungee cord between the door latch and hole in the awning post anchor. Place a small towel between the door and awing post to prevent abrasion.

[myredracer]

Still haven't come up with an elegant solution for this. May just end up taking the REDNECK approach and wrapping the support tube with foam. Oh well...

When the awning supports are out and in the vertical position, with the door full open (in 180 degree position), I now see that it is free to whack against the trailer siding. My answer to this is I am going to install another T-handle support near the outer side of the door. I know it will look a bit odd tho.