I am looking for information about my door lock and latch. It appears to be the original one in my 1980 Trillium 4500.
The problem I am having is that the door does not latch smoothly when closing. The door will close until it strikes the striker plate, then stop. This is because the latch seems to have a very strong spring on it, which prevents the striker from retreating when it hits the striker plate. Instead, I have to open the latch handle to get the striker to retreat, and then close it after the door is shut to get it to latch. So, it takes two hands to close the door, not a good thing.
The door closes fine and stays closed and locked as required. I just wish it would close more easily. In the pictures below, you can see significant wear on the striker and striker plate, which is to be expected after 30 years. However I don’t know whether a simple adjustment of the plate would be possible or make any difference. I do see the two screws on the interior of the lock, but I have not yet explored whether I can remove that plate and service the parts. A job for the springtime.
On my previous Boler, the original door latch/lock was completely hooped when we bought it. I replaced it with a generic one from an RV store, which worked great. We could just let the door close gently and it would latch itself, much like a screen door on a house. I would like to get the same result on the new trailer. However, this door lock makes a huge hole in the door, so I can't easily replace it with a generic one.
I guess my real question is: what kind of door lock is it? Can I get repair or replacement parts, or replace the whole thing? Would a replacement be any better at gently closing by itself than this one? It does not seem to match the Bargman pictures I have seen.
If I can’t find or fix anything, I am considering changing the striker plate to one of those house-screen-door types that has a spring loaded vertical bar. The bar is pushed aside as the door closes and then springs into position behind the striker to fasten it shut. However, I would prefer to have the current one work properly, if possible.
By the way, the trailer exterior looks much better than the picture. It is just frost on the trailer that makes it look bad.
Holding the latch out while closing the door is how we have been closing our trailer door since new - always thought slamming it shut would be too hard on the unit. Maybe powdered graphite would make things slide easier.
The Bargman L400 lock on the old Trilliums is now out of production and is hard and kind of expensive to aquire these days. Bargman makes another squarer lock that would fit - that is what they are using on newly built Trilliums these days ( TrilliumRV , Outback, etc ). You could order one from them but again I don't think it would operate any differently.
Oh, so this is the infamous Bargman L400 then. I have not noticed it before, although it was easy enough to find on the internet once I had the model number. As previously stated, my old Boler had a different lock on it when I got it, and I replaced that with another different one.
Last week at a local RV dealer I saw a replacement lock cylinder for a Bargman L300 lock, and I think they also had one for the L400. I didn't pay much attention then, but I will go back there tomorrow and see if my memory is right, and if so I will pick it up.
Thanks, it appears that I will have to install the spring loaded striker assembly next spring, once I find one, if I want to have a nicely closing door. I will update this post when and if I do the install.
Oh, so this is the infamous Bargman L400 then. I have not noticed it before, although it was easy enough to find on the internet once I had the model number. As previously stated, my old Boler had a different lock on it when I got it, and I replaced that with another different one.
Last week at a local RV dealer I saw a replacement lock cylinder for a Bargman L300 lock, and I think they also had one for the L400. I didn't pay much attention then, but I will go back there tomorrow and see if my memory is right, and if so I will pick it up.
Thanks, it appears that I will have to install the spring loaded striker assembly next spring, once I find one, if I want to have a nicely closing door. I will update this post when and if I do the install.
Rick G
I wonder if those cracks around the striker plate were caused by slamming the door. It appears like a good reason to NOT rely on the striker plate to push the latch in, rather use the handle to keep the latch in while closing the door, then release.
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Byron & Anne enjoying the everyday Saturday thing.
You might check to see if the strike plate is loose. When I finally got the door on our 78 Trillium 1300 rehung it wouldn't latch when closed w/out retracting the handle until I repositioned the strike plate, that was loose , and bolted it in place instead of using rivets so it was good and secure. I also put a steel reinforcement on the inside w/ the fiberglass sandwiched between. Now with just a gentle push it latches nicely. A little spray lube on the lock probably helped too.
Reid may be on to something, I originally noticed in the first picture that the door doesn't line up with the body, take a good look at the first picture.
Reid may be on to something, I originally noticed in the first picture that the door doesn't line up with the body, take a good look at the first picture.
I took my door off THREE TIMES in an attempt to "correct" its "misalignment".
Then I looked at pictures of BRAND NEW UNITS based on the original molds...and found out:
That's how they came/come from the factory!
Check 'em out: Trillium RV 1500 Trillium Trailers - The Outback - Photo Gallery
I took my door off THREE TIMES in an attempt to "correct" its "misalignment".
Then I looked at pictures of BRAND NEW UNITS based on the original molds...and found out:
That's how they came/come from the factory!
Check 'em out: Trillium RV 1500 Trillium Trailers - The Outback - Photo Gallery
That's kinda sad,the doors look like they leave the factory out of alignment, what a shame.
Looking at your first pic it appears that the reveal on the strike side is very close. How much space or reveal do you have on the hinge side? In a perfect world the space around the door should be about the same. On my 78 1300 It was so tight on the hinge side bottom the door hit the jamb and the latch hardly hit the strike and it was as far off( or low) as your picture shows on the strike side. If you open the door and with it as closed as possible but free of the opening can you move it up and down or back and forth? In my case it moved alot, the hinges were worn out and had lots of slack and the holes the screw went into were all wallowed out. I bought new hinges ($$$!!!) and set the hinge screws (stainless) into threaded inserts( also SS) epoxied into the door and jamb. A time consuming and laborious task but worked. There are other solutions on the forum for curing the evil door sag. Good luck.
That's kinda sad,the doors look like they leave the factory out of alignment, what a shame.
Randy has posted pictures of some of his beautifully restored Trilliums in his "My Trillium Herd" thread. You won't find nicer restorations- perfect right down to the Factory Installed Door "alignment"! Somebody at Trillium Canada was OR when they built those molds back in the '70's...
Randy has posted pictures of some of his beautifully restored Trilliums in his "My Trillium Herd" thread. You won't find nicer restorations- perfect right down to the Factory Installed Door "alignment"! Somebody at Trillium Canada was OR when they built those molds back in the '70's...
Now that spring is coming, I am getting ready to do many projects on the trailer, including solving the door closing issue. So, Randy, how did you get the door aligned on the Trilliums?
Now that spring is coming, I am getting ready to do many projects on the trailer, including solving the door closing issue. So, Randy, how did you get the door aligned on the Trilliums?
Rick G
The point I was trying to make was that the Trillium door CANNOT be aligned so that it lines up with the belly band molding on the left (latch) side. It's a manufacturing flaw, and neither Randy nor anyone else can fix it. APPARENTLY NOT EVEN TRILLIUM , since they're still putting them out that way.
The white trailer below is a (strategically photographed) picture of a brand spankin' new Trillium. The rest are Randy's perfect restorations. All reflect the original design flaw.
And if you go to the Outback (same molds) site you'll see the same thing:Trillium Trailers - The Outback - Photo Gallery
The point I was trying to make was that the Trillium door CANNOT be aligned so that it lines up with the belly band molding on the left (latch) side. It's a manufacturing flaw, and neither Randy nor anyone else can fix it. APPARENTLY NOT EVEN TRILLIUM , since they're still putting them out that way.
The white trailer below is a (strategically photographed) picture of a brand spankin' new Trillium. The rest are Randy's perfect restorations. All reflect the original design flaw.
And if you go to the Outback (same molds) site you'll see the same thing:Trillium Trailers - The Outback - Photo Gallery
Interesting. I have noticed looking at it this week that my front door has a very tight fit at the bottom on the hinge side but the fit becomes much wider as I look up the hinge side to the top, and correspondingly reversed on the opening side. I tried lifting the door and there does not seem to be much play in the hinges and the mounts do not seem to be loose. As the snow has almost melted here, I am planning to move the trailer from the back yard into my garage this Friday, at which time I can get started on the long list of updates I have planned. I will take a closer look at the door to see whether I can get it to fit better, though it seems not perfectly.
Thanks,
Rick G
Interesting. I have noticed looking at it this week that my front door has a very tight fit at the bottom on the hinge side but the fit becomes much wider as I look up the hinge side to the top, and correspondingly reversed on the opening side. I tried lifting the door and there does not seem to be much play in the hinges and the mounts do not seem to be loose. As the snow has almost melted here, I am planning to move the trailer from the back yard into my garage this Friday, at which time I can get started on the long list of updates I have planned. I will take a closer look at the door to see whether I can get it to fit better, though it seems not perfectly.
Thanks,
Rick G
Hi, Rick
It sounds to me like your door fits just like mine did ( and possibly like all Trillium doors do) before I started fooling around with it, which I did only because it looked like it was sagging. It operated just fine until I tried "fixing" it.
You might try this when you get a chance: lay a long straightedge at the top of the molded shoulder of the belly band seam and across the door . Make sure it extends a foot or so beyond the door on both sides. You'll see very clearly that these planes don't match.
And they never will this side of Glory.
My advice to you is, if the door latches alright, leave it alone.
Francesca, thanks for this revelation. A couple weeks ago I replaced the hinges on my 4500. The holes were almost all compromised so I had rebuild the mounting surfaces, this gave me the opportunity to reinstall the door perfectly aligned. To my dismay I discovered exactly what you are talking about: IMPOSSIBLE! I thought it was just a sagging issue with my particular 4500, glad to hear that I'm not crazy.
I thought it was just a sagging issue with my particular 4500, glad to hear that I'm not crazy.
Hi, Scott
Well, you are not alone!
I'll bet this has been driving people nuts for years.
I discovered the mismatched planes during my third alignment attempt. I, too, thought that this flaw was some bizarre old-age (trailer, NOT me!) problem or a defect strictly of my particular trailer. Then the "new" Trillium pictures came out.
Wouldn't you think they'd have fixed the molds by now?
Sign me:
Dazed and confused maybe, but NOT crazy...
1980 Trillium 4500
Trillium door lock won't close itself
1978 Trillium 4500
1978 Trillium 1300
"George"
The Mountain Egg AKA 2006 13' Scamp
1978 Trillium 1300
1979 Trillium 4500
Waltzin' Matrillda
That's kinda sad,the doors look like they leave the factory out of alignment, what a shame.
when they built those molds back in the '70's...
APPARENTLY NOT EVEN TRILLIUM 
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