Gas shock on door

[Bannertech]

Does anyone know what the proper replacement is for the gas shock on the main door of a 2011 378 motorhome? The wind caught our door today while dumping & ripped the shock off the door, throwing the door back against the side of the motorhome. The gas shock is done & we need to replace it but don’t know which PSI to get.
Thank you.

[Iggy]

If all you need is the piston and the two balls where they attach is intact then you just need to find one the same length pully extended with a 15lb force.
Home Depot or maybe an RV dealer?

You can get one a bit more stiff say 20lb or maybe 25lb but anything bigger is a problem with hard to close.

Check here
https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Gas-Struts-s/56.htm

Here is one with a 7 1/2" throw at 15lbs
https://www.rvupgradestore.com/010-6...-p/20-1013.htm

[babock]

Go on this site and find out the equivalent of what you need. Then go to Amazon to buy it. WAY cheaper than any RV site selling them typically.

https://www.suspa.com/us/

[bubbles]

Don't know if they're open but I always take the strut with me to my PEP BOYS (you may not have one) and have always found a replacement. Did replace my door strut (at the top of door not bottom) and also car hatchback struts. Internet is good.

[OYO]

Originally Posted by babock

Go on this site and find out the equivalent of what you need. Then go to Amazon to buy it. WAY cheaper than any RV site selling them typically.

https://www.suspa.com/us/

What he said. Just get the number off the original.

[Bannertech]

Thank you for the help. We do only need the piston part. It has no part #, PSI, or other identifying info on it. We tried our local RV supply but without knowing the PSI, they could not help us. Our piston’s physical size was available anywhere from 5-75 PSI. Quite a range. We will assume that Iggy is correct about 15 PSI & order that. Thanks again.

[OYO]

Not sure if I understand, but you can't replace a gas spring piston. They are pressurized during manufacturing and way more complicated than a simple cylinder/piston.

A new (complete) gas spring is only going to cost you $15-$20.

Unless you are talking about a traditional residential screen door type thing. But even then I doubt you can find just a piston.

[ChrisAndGarren]

We just replaced ours last weekend, this is rhe one I got from Amazon and it fit perfectly. Took less than 5 min.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007H2OLZE?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
20 inch 15 pound.

[Nomore9-5]

Originally Posted by Bannertech

Does anyone know what the proper replacement is for the gas shock on the main door of a 2011 378 motorhome? The wind caught our door today while dumping & ripped the shock off the door, throwing the door back against the side of the motorhome. The gas shock is done & we need to replace it but don’t know which PSI to get.

Thank you.

Happened to us too and put a nasty scratch on the side of our 378 which I had to touch up. I was able to see brand and part number and ordered replacement from manufacturer

Part Number FS-ML14-20 made by Future Sales RV , 2613 Glenview Dr, Elkhart Indiana . Tel number 574 262 3688 . Cost at the time was 13.45 ( purchased August 2018)

Been thinking of some way of rigging up some sort of safety chain to prevent door from swinging completely open again because the gas strut doesn't really have a good grip on the door bracket it's attached to

[awellis3]

While you can replace the strut with an automotive one, but that's not what the OEM was. The original door struts are dampened. You can turn the door loose and it will open slowly. An Amazon strut will send the door flying open. You have to hang on until it is fully open. You will be the damper. I have one of each on my TT as a consequence of an emergency field repair.

[babock]

Originally Posted by awellis3

While you can replace the strut with an automotive one, that's not what the OEM was. The original door struts are dampened. You can turn the door loose and it will open slowly. A Pep Boys strut will send the door flying open. You have to hang on until it is fully open. You will be the damper.

Automotive struts are also dampened. What do you think happens when you open up a hatch or an engine hood.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by awellis3

While you can replace the strut with an automotive one, that's not what the OEM was. The original door struts are dampened. You can turn the door loose and it will open slowly. A Pep Boys strut will send the door flying open. You have to hang on until it is fully open. You will be the damper.

Beg to differ. The ones I got from PB do not fly open on either my hatch back or the MH door. Both are dampened.

[NXR]

Originally Posted by babock

Automotive struts are also dampened. What do you think happens when you open up a hatch or an engine hood.

I always thought that the weight of the hood or trunk helped keep it from flying open and that the strut PSI was set to just more than the force needed to overcome that weight. A MH door has no weight horizontally. But I've never had to replace either yet. There were a few that I should have replaced, though.

Ray

[babock]

Originally Posted by NXR

I always thought that the weight of the hood or trunk helped keep it from flying open and that the strut PSI was set to just more than the force needed to overcome that weight. A MH door has no weight horizontally. But I've never had to replace either yet. There were a few that I should have replaced, though.

Ray

The struts for hoods and hatches even have damper in their description!

[NXR]

Originally Posted by babock

The struts for hoods and hatches even have damper in their description!

Yes, however I though that referred to their ability to keep those heavy hoods and trunk lids from slamming down on top of your fingers and kids and stuff.

Ray

[babock]

They do that too but they are damped at the top of their travel.

Originally Posted by NXR

Yes, however I though that referred to their ability to keep those heavy hoods and trunk lids from slamming down on top of your fingers and kids and stuff.

Ray

[jgiarrus]

I went to auto parts store got one put it on works great

[Jeff from Burlington Ont]

I had the same issue and bought a 15 psi

[mogman]

I don't have a strut. There is a bumper on the side of the rig that the door hits when it flies open. Also a clip to hold the door open. Works fine and no rushing out to replace.

[salwolfe]

Here's a link to the company that manufactures the one on my 2016 Georgetown. They are expensive and only go through distributors, which I did with no problem.

https://industrialgassprings.com/