Brand new and already unusable !!!!!

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Mfbarr

Couldn't find them. The nubs sticking out look like screws, not bolts. They aren't very big, the holes in the mounting brackets are only 3/16 diameter. I may just drill all the way thru the frame and use stainless nuts and bolts to reattach the latches.

That was going to be my question, if the two sticking out per side were broke off screws, or perhaps bolts that had nuts on them. I would have to actually see how the latches are attached to know. It is odd that the two outer screws sheared.... while the two inner ones are sticking out per side. Maybe someone with a similar RV can post pics of their latches.


I edited your pics, and turned them, and am assuming I am using the arrows to point to four attaching points per latch?

[BehindBars]

Originally Posted by Mfbarr

Couldn't find them. The nubs sticking out look like screws, not bolts. They aren't very big, the holes in the mounting brackets are only 3/16 diameter. I may just drill all the way thru the frame and use stainless nuts and bolts to reattach the latches.

That sounds like a plan. Fix it yourself and make it better than before. Prepare for other similar issues. It’s just the way new RVs are; they are fixer-uppers the minute they leave the factory.

[dbledan]

I am with onetonford. It looks like they have been overtourqued like lug nuts and snapped off or cracked. I have had wood lag bolts do that when installing at a high rate of speed because they got too hot...heads just popped right off them. Sit there for a winter in that state and it's about right. Maybe factory knew they did it and could not undo it quickly so a few screws with lower ratings and call it good for the quota for the day?

Take your pics to FR and report the door failure. I would not mess with the dealer. Just get an RV tech to do the work after you get preapproved to do so. It will be faster and a better repair most likely or do it yourself.

I would think a door failure should be reported to NTSB or CPSP or whoever would handle safety issues. One is not enough but if there are several then recalls happen. Anyone know who to report it to?

[n1acguy]

Originally Posted by Kimber45

I could see a screw up at the factory and the hardware not hitting anything solid to attach to and it pulling free but rust or wind seams highly unlikely.

Yes, like the solar panel on my brand new 2860DS MH.

[Mfbarr]

Forget trying to call Forest River if you need help. Calling Camping World has been much more useful. The tech told me exactly what photos he needs to send in a claim and has been very responsive. After looking closer at the "damage", I'm pretty sure I'm going to fix it myself. I will drill through the frame on the two (red) inner screws and and use stainless nuts and bolts and drill out the two (blue) outer screws and replace with larger stainless screws. I'll apply a layer of silicone gasket rev between the brackets and frame. If the damn latches were steel, I'd just weld the suckers on!

[rockfordroo]

Blowing up your pic, I'd say the screws/bolts were over-torqued. There's no sign of rust on the broken ends.

MOST people report crappy support from CW and great support from FR. That being said, I'd fix it myself, too.

[Bama Rambler]

As said earlier a few times, all those fasteners were over torqued. You're lucky that it happened when it did.

I like your repair scheme of using bots and nuts instead of the self drilling screws.

[GoneSouth10]

Yup, drill 'em out, clean it up, bolt 'em on and hit the road knowing the latches are probably ten times stronger than when they left the factory!

[5picker]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

Blowing up your pic, I'd say the screws/bolts were over-torqued. There's no sign of rust on the broken ends.

MOST people report crappy support from CW and great support from FR. That being said, I'd fix it myself, too.

X2

Looking at the bolts it appears they were over-tightened somewhere along the way as there is no rust on the broken end, only surface rust. (which did not cause them to break)

Hopefully you can drill them out or turn out what is left and reattach.

Also as rockfordroo mentioned (and only as a matter of information) CW has received less than stellar reviews here from other members who have tried to get service work done. I wish you the best of luck if you need them.

[Mfbarr]

CW has been responding and very helpful. FR has been nothing but leaving voicemails and getting " I can't help you, call this number instead". I've left voicemails at 3 different FR numbers and can't get a human in the warranty department on the phone. I have a Fastenal just down the street... going there later and picking up the hardware. I still plan on filing the warranty claim just two see where it would end up! Maybe get a reimbursement for time and materials.

[Cowracer]

Originally Posted by Mfbarr

CW has been responding and very helpful. FR has been nothing but leaving voicemails and getting " I can't help you, call this number instead". I've left voicemails at 3 different FR numbers and can't get a human in the warranty department on the phone. I have a Fastenal just down the street... going there later and picking up the hardware. I still plan on filing the warranty claim just two see where it would end up! Maybe get a reimbursement for time and materials.

If you manage to get a live human at FR, they will just respond "Take it to your dealer first"... If you are expecting them to swap out for another unit, or fly someone out from the factory to fix it... It's not gonna happen.

FR will take care of you, but you gotta go thru their channels, and step one is the dealer.

Tim

[bob213]

Don't work on it yourself until you go thru the hoops with the dealer and FR. Very easy for them to deny the claim once you have worked on it. Give them time to respond. Not what you want to hear but in my opinion your best course of action.

[Mfbarr]

Originally Posted by bob213

Don't work on it yourself until you go thru the hoops with the dealer and FR. Very easy for them to deny the claim once you have worked on it. Give them time to respond. Not what you want to hear but in my opinion your best course of action.

Agreed. That is exactly what CW just told me as well. If I'm not satisfied with the proper channel's fix, I'll then fix it myself!

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

This doesn’t surprise me at all; it’s so typical of modern RV build quality. The hardware installer could have used self drilling screws and spun them in so tight it stripped out the holes If he/she did one screw wrong, it doesn’t surprise me that every one of the screws securing the latches was stripped out. The rust is probably there from sitting in the weather, but possibly not the cause. Without being there in person to examine the camper, I’d guess the root cause is likely severe over tightening of the screws, and stripped threads on every one of the screw holes.

X2
You can see the empty holes with metal pulled outward which indicates that the screws were over-tightened and stripped the holes.

If it were mine, I would install Rivnuts and threaded machine screws into that aluminum framing.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Mfbarr

CW has been responding and very helpful. FR has been nothing but leaving voicemails and getting " I can't help you, call this number instead". I've left voicemails at 3 different FR numbers and can't get a human in the warranty department on the phone. I have a Fastenal just down the street... going there later and picking up the hardware. I still plan on filing the warranty claim just two see where it would end up! Maybe get a reimbursement for time and materials.

Not sure how you are going to get to the back side to put on the nuts. It might be easier/better to drill out the frame and insert RivNuts from the front side. I'm sure Fastenal has them and the tool.

[F.R.O.G.]

I just saw this and sent an e-mail with a link to this thread to Miranda Blackburn in our Wildwood Customer Service Center. She replied about five minutes later and said that a couple of early 2020 units apparently went out with undersized bolts on the latches.

She said that either the owner or the dealer could replace the bolts as the original poster and a couple of others have suggested.

To the OP, you can reach Miranda at mblackburn@forestriverinc.com.

[popbreed]

I would suspect hydrogen embrittlement . This is a result of a poor heat treat of the screw at the screw manufacturing plant. The screw does not break at installation but after time the head pops off. The stress cracks are at the joint of the head and body. it is a common problem in manufacturing and difficult to diagnosis until failure occurs. Incidentally, the entire batch is now suspect.

[Mr. Dan]

Answer/solution/process is detailed in post #36.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by dbledan

I am with onetonford. It looks like they have been overtourqued like lug nuts and snapped off or cracked. I have had wood lag bolts do that when installing at a high rate of speed because they got too hot...heads just popped right off them. Sit there for a winter in that state and it's about right. Maybe factory knew they did it and could not undo it quickly so a few screws with lower ratings and call it good for the quota for the day?

Take your pics to FR and report the door failure. I would not mess with the dealer. Just get an RV tech to do the work after you get preapproved to do so. It will be faster and a better repair most likely or do it yourself.

I would think a door failure should be reported to NTSB or CPSP or whoever would handle safety issues. One is not enough but if there are several then recalls happen. Anyone know who to report it to?

Originally Posted by F.R.O.G.

I just saw this and sent an e-mail with a link to this thread to Miranda Blackburn in our Wildwood Customer Service Center. She replied about five minutes later and said that a couple of early 2020 units apparently went out with undersized bolts on the latches.

She said that either the owner or the dealer could replace the bolts as the original poster and a couple of others have suggested.

To the OP, you can reach Miranda at mblackburn@forestriverinc.com.

Mfbarr, please report this to the NHTSA. A door that can fall off simply from air pressure absolutely should not be driven down the road. In my (not so humble) opinion, this should be a recall.

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/

[johnlochbuie]

That's why I always have a cover on mine.