Bathroom door won't close

[margeleept]

We have a new used Casita and when we got it last fall we noticed that the bathroom door doesn't latch very well. You had to push really hard on the door, but it would eventually catch. Now that it's been sitting for the winter it won't latch at all. From the inside of the bathroom I can see that the door is warped a bit preventing the 2 pieces of the latch from connecting. Any thoughts on a fix other than replacing the door?

[Neto]

Take it apart and shim it up so they come together.

[margeleept]

Originally Posted by Neto

Take it apart and shim it up so they come together.

Ahh, thanks. That will probably work.

[mary and bob]

We have a Casita 17 SD. We found that in cold weather we liked to keep the door open to keep the bathroom warm. Well, doing that puts the door up against the forward dinette seat, so we took the door off and just have a curtain there. We don't use the shower. You may be able to take the door off, support it somehow laid flat and get the warpage out and attach a metal or wood strip to keep it straight. Those doors are fairly heavy so it helped on reducing tongue weight slightly.

[k0wtz]

our 13f scamper has an outside door problem different temps make it close harder or softer. I guess the fiberglass must move some.

bob

[margeleept]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

We have a Casita 17 SD. We found that in cold weather we liked to keep the door open to keep the bathroom warm. Well, doing that puts the door up against the forward dinette seat, so we took the door off and just have a curtain there. We don't use the shower. You may be able to take the door off, support it somehow laid flat and get the warpage out and attach a metal or wood strip to keep it straight. Those doors are fairly heavy so it helped on reducing tongue weight slightly.

Interesting...that sounds like a bigger project than just shimming it, but it would be nice if the door could be straightened. Reducing weight would also be a plus, but I do like having a door. Much to think about.

[margeleept]

Originally Posted by k0wtz

our 13f scamper has an outside door problem different temps make it close harder or softer. I guess the fiberglass must move some.

bob

I never considered that it could actually be the frame that moved. My thought is that the door has warped in the cold. Our house doors do the same thing in the winter. But I'll check it out before doing anything rash...

[k0wtz]

marge don't take my word for anything I have tried to adjust the door on our scamper but its a real project. I have the rebuild kit for the hinges and I hate to mess with it.

we just finished a 3 week trip to quartzite and I noticed different weather caused the door to close differently in different temps. At this point I am going to leave the door alone because I think I get it adjusted one day and the next day will be different.

I love the 13f scamper though

good luck

bob

[mary and bob]

Comparing different things here, a composite wood interior door on a Casita and a curved fiberglass exterior door on a Scamp. What the Scamp door does has nothing to do with the Casita door. And there's another nice thing about a Casita 17, flat entry door and the screen door.

[k0wtz]

bob I don't like doors of any kind the geometry stumps me

bob

[Joe & Cherie]

Simplicity. I used the door on our Casita 17SD, then when we bought our EggCamper, it did not have a door. I saw a door mod where somebody put one on and I debated doing that too. I thought how dumb not to have a door. Now after a year of use - I love the no door concept. Just a shower curtain and liner is all you need. Now I prefer it that way. It works for us tho because its just the two of us, no kids etc. Privacy not an issue. Totally understand the desire to keep it tho. Its more widely preferred to have a door I think.

[gordon2]

If you dont want to fix it (or cant),, maybe a lightweight accordion door?
https://retrorenovation.com/2014/07/...-shower-doors/

[Jon in AZ]

Another way to reduce the door's weight... Cut out a large section in the middle and replace it with a piece of frosted plastic or a lightweight mirror panel. Rout a lip on the inside to mount it, kind of like a picture frame.

[margeleept]

Wow, I see that this could be a bigger project than I ever expected! I prefer to keep the door...it also has a full length mirror on the outside and a nifty towel rack on the inside. But I don't want to be bouncing down the road with a door that won't close. Thanks for all these suggestions. I'll keep them all in mind. Right now I like the idea to shim the door handle a bit, but don't want to overdo it. I may wait and see what happens as the weather warms up.

[mary and bob]

We put a mirror on the upper cabinet door, the one above the fridge, and the microwave cabinet. For towels Mary sewed a loop on the center of the long edge so they can be hung on a stick-on hook. Removing that bathroom door was one of the best things we did in our Casita.

[Dave Fish]

If the door is warped, maybe you can straighten it. It depends on how much of a shop area you have. I would remove it, lay down some strong vertical braces on the convex side (like 2 X 4s), and put clamps on it. You might have to place a thin strip of wood across the center to over flex it.

You might want to tighten the clamps over a period of time so you don't break the particle board.

Of course, remove the mirror.

Wood and particle board react to temperature and moisture, so you may want to do this in the trailer to keep the door in it's "home" environment. I'm guessing that the problem may be caused by moisture.

[Stevieboy]

I bought new Casita in November and immediately didn’t like the way I had to push hard to get it to click. Doing this compresses the wall carpeting at the latch, but not at the top and bottom of the door, actually causing the door to bow along the long vertical edge of the MDF (medium density fiberboard)door. I loosened and repositioned the catch slightly, but it still compresses the carpeting. So I installed a piece of aluminum channel on the latch side of the door to stiffen it. The channel is 1/2” inside and snugs right on to the 1/2” MDF. I can upload a picture later.

[margeleept]

Originally Posted by Stevieboy

I bought new Casita in November and immediately didn’t like the way I had to push hard to get it to click. Doing this compresses the wall carpeting at the latch, but not at the top and bottom of the door, actually causing the door to bow along the long vertical edge of the MDF (medium density fiberboard)door. I loosened and repositioned the catch slightly, but it still compresses the carpeting. So I installed a piece of aluminum channel on the latch side of the door to stiffen it. The channel is 1/2” inside and snugs right on to the 1/2” MDF. I can upload a picture later.

Would love to see a picture, thanks!

[margeleept]

Originally Posted by mary and bob

We put a mirror on the upper cabinet door, the one above the fridge, and the microwave cabinet. For towels Mary sewed a loop on the center of the long edge so they can be hung on a stick-on hook. Removing that bathroom door was one of the best things we did in our Casita.

Do you have a picture?

[margeleept]

Originally Posted by Dave Fish

If the door is warped, maybe you can straighten it. It depends on how much of a shop area you have. .

It would be some work, but we do have the means. Thanks for the suggestion!