please help me with my door - Fiberglass RV
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Old 11-04-2012, 01:20 PM   #1
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Name: Cathy
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please help me with my door

working on the door today and as suspected previous owner has done some modifications to the door frame. when we place a 4 foot straight edge across the top of the door running from the front to the back of the trailer there is a dip where the door frame is . doesn't seem to me like this should be, if anyone has insight or would be willing to take a straightedge out to their door and tell me if there's does the same thing I would be very grateful.
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Old 11-04-2012, 01:54 PM   #2
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Do not know but think 13' units had a step at the door on bolers and this looks a lot like a boler
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Old 11-04-2012, 02:02 PM   #3
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thanks Borden , I'm talking about at the top of the door opening , maybe I am miss understanding you but I think it's more . likely that I did not make myself clear . when we put a 4 foot StraitEdge across the door opening with the door open the shell dips slightly at the door opening.
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Old 11-04-2012, 02:21 PM   #4
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Cathy, can you post a picture of just the door and maybe one with the straight edge. I poked through all your pictures and didn't see one.
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Old 11-04-2012, 02:50 PM   #5
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Donna,

In first picture. I am standing in the doorway looking up. The others don't show the "dip" just where I have sanded out much of the old repair. Not sure I want to take all of the old repair out cause the top of the doorway will be gone. Will only go there if the curve of the shell has been altered by old repair.

Thanks,
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Old 11-04-2012, 03:15 PM   #6
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Your distortion of the shell is more than likely because you have removed the supports for the shell. In a 13 Scamp the closet keeps the shell from bowing out on the side and it also keeps the top raised up. On a S-13 the hinge side of the door opening has a metal bar support to support for the door hinges and it also mantains the shape of the side of the trailer.
Try lifting your shell up for proper alignment (Lift it slightly more than needed.) and install your closet and hinge support and see what happens.
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Old 11-04-2012, 03:33 PM   #7
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Eddie's right Cathy! The door would be the LAST part of the body I'd fix and that would be after the interior pieces are back in place.
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Old 11-04-2012, 04:52 PM   #8
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Thanks for the input Eddie and Donna,

Put the closet in, took it out, pushed up on the roof, and no change. There isn't any flex above the door where the dip is because the angles of the door frame make it rigid.

Any additional suggestions.

Ugh, we are never going to see the light of day, unless we look through the cracks in the door!
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Old 11-04-2012, 05:23 PM   #9
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The closet on that side holds the roofline in its proper location, I would pop the closet back in and see where it sits then and not do any repairs till the closet is back in for good to hold the shape.
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Old 11-04-2012, 05:30 PM   #10
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I just took another look at your pics. It looks like there is a patch on the inside and looks like it was hit and the repair may have not been done properly. you may have to slice the roof section and then push it back into its porper location and the redo the patch. I had a similar problem at my drivers side rear window and had to make 2 cuts into the roof to get back into place before redoing the fibreglass patch. If you look in my profile and go to my album I have a few pics of the cuts I had to make.
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Old 11-04-2012, 06:17 PM   #11
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Should I take your suggestions to mean that this is not the way your shell is above your door? It is most similar to a Boler or Scamp.

The dip does not occur on the top of the trailer - only in that one place immediately over the door (almost the side of the trailer. It can't be pushed out from inside because it is too rigid from the angles at the door opening.. The straight edge was held just at the top of the door opening.

If this isn't the intended design then I can only conclude that it was altered by PO attempt to repair some sort of damage. There were places that some white filler material appeared between the upper layer of fiberglass and one beneath. Sort of a filler sandwich with fiberglass bread. Because of the "quality" of the work it would stand to reason that the proper curve was not of great concern. The upper 5 inches of the door frame and the entire top are included in the POs repair.

It may also be why there were layers and layers of foam weather stripping at the top of the door. The drip rail seemed to keep the rain from getting in. Perhaps the door isn't too flat at the top after all, maybe the hole isn't curved correctly.
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Old 11-04-2012, 07:24 PM   #12
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Rick,

I think that something like this may be my problem. I will look at your pics. Thanks. Sure hope I don't have to go that route.
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Old 11-05-2012, 09:44 AM   #13
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More Door Pics

I added a new folder to my web album just for the door. Here are some more door pics that may help identify the problem.

After reattaching the floor to the shell we are pleased with the side to side door alignment. We did not remove or replace the hinges only the pins and springs.
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Old 11-05-2012, 10:57 AM   #14
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Cat, as its looks like you are into this for a paint job regardless, Rick's suggestion of doing a couple of cuts into the roof at the top & upper side of the door and pushing it out and then patching with fiberglass back into position may not be that big a deal. The other option would be to cut and rebuild the door to fit ..... if you do a google search on this site you will see where some people have done that to fix warped doors but IMHO it looks to be *way* more work than Rick's fix suggestion.
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Old 11-05-2012, 02:09 PM   #15
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Are we sure that the door shape itself isn't the culprit?

Question:

If the door is off, and laid on a flat surface, does the upper edge form an unbroken "fit" to the surface it lies on?
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Old 11-05-2012, 05:17 PM   #16
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From your photos, it appears to me that lack of a curve on the upper portion of the door may be part of the problem. The way it looks is that the existing gap between the top of the door and the frame is wide open and just waiting for water to enter (hence all of the foam padding that your PO put in place to try to stop it from leaking). I would look into possible need for putting a "curve" back into the top of the door in addition to any tweaks necessary for the roof line. Also, I think I saw on this site relative to a Burro or Uhaul rebuild that the owners on that project constructed an "eyebrow" out of fibreglass over top of the door to help channel water around the top of the door and down on either side. Since you are obviously doing fibreglass work anyway, this would be a very worthwhile something to look into.
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Old 11-05-2012, 08:04 PM   #17
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Thanks Dave,

I like the idea of an eyebrow. The thought had occurred to me. There is little doubt that the door is miss-shaped and that will have to be addressed. But first the "dip", then the door.

I took a straight edge out to the camper again today and started about 12 inches towards the center of the roof just above the door. Moving down toward the door opening about a half inch at a time with the straight edge. When the separation began to appear I scribed a pencil line the length of the gap. Then down another half inch scribed another line the length of that gap and so on. By the time I made my way to the top of the door frame It was clear exactly where the low spot was. It includes a section about 8 inches above the door on the hinge side and gradually works its way across to the other side of the door. This is the entire repair done by PO.

I will search for the thread that talks about the "eyebrow", thanks for your input.

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Old 11-05-2012, 08:16 PM   #18
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Yes Francesca, the curve is missing from the upper part of the door. It will have to be reshaped. Now that there is clarity on the other issue this doesn't seem so daunting.

Thank you for you input.

Cat
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Old 11-05-2012, 08:49 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat futrell View Post
Yes Francesca, the curve is missing from the upper part of the door. It will have to be reshaped. Now that there is clarity on the other issue this doesn't seem so daunting.

Thank you for you input.

Cat
Try this thread

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ver-49157.html

Cheers
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Old 11-06-2012, 06:54 AM   #20
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Looking at your new pics I would say you need to reform the curve at the top of the door. That looks like a bigger problem then the little bit of curve in the body above the door. Are you sure that is the original door? Looks like you will have to do a door slice to get the curve back.
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