Lil Bigfoot Door Issues

[Clipse79]

Looking for input on an 87 Lil Bigfoot door issue. See pictures for alignment and problems.

Feedback would be much appreciated

[John DM]

Simple question to start: Is this alignment issue the same with any parking angle/level? Because of the flexibility of the FG shell, I find my door jamming and looking crocked when I am not parked level. When level, all is fine.

[Kenny Strong]

Hi L. I have a 93 Bigfoot 13.5'. Take a framing square and check the opening. Mine is out of square from manufacture.
The door was square. I can measure the door opening no mater how the trailer is positioned, and it is out of square just the same. The frame was not set square when it was attached to the body.
Is there a skid block on the threshold on the strike side ? mine had one; from the factory. As the door closed it would lift the strike side of the door 6+-mm up. (1/4") allowing the door lock to engage with the strike plate.
I took the door off the hinges and took it apart. It is screwed together. I found the wooden core at the bottom rail and up the stiles rotten. wet like a sponge.
I worked as a house cabinet maker. ( retired ) I have made many kinds of wood entrance doors. I made new wood interior parts for the trailer door.I drilled holes in the bottom aluminum rail, of the trailer door to let the water that came into the core escape. Drill outside edge.
I recut the mitered corners of the aluminum door frame. the corners are no longer 45 degrees. I had a pattern of the opening, I cut each corner out of square to fit the pattern. under 45 a little over 45, a little bit.
The door does not need the skid at the bottom. I adjusted the strike plate a bit.
If I cut each corner 3 mm out of whack it can work very nice.
I recut the screen door the same way.
Nothing rubs or hangs up. Even if the trailers if parked out of level.(square).
A miter chop saw with a carbide blade will cut the aluminum.
If you were to have a cabinet maker rebuild the door use a pattern.

Later Kenny

[John in Michigan]

On my 1979 flat door Boler 17, although the doorframe is square, the door was too tight in the frame, difficult to push in tight enough to latch, and the bottom of the door dragged on the aluminum sill. Also, the mitered corners of the aluminum edges of the door were no longer aligned and the bottom aluminum edge of the door was dropping. Worse yet, the wood under the aluminum sill was rotted and leaking.

I removed both the door and the door frame. Disassembled the door to reveal rotted door core. Rebuilt the door core. Repaired and weatherproofed the wood framing below and behind the aluminum door frame. Put everything back together, and now the sill no longer leaks and the door easily closes and latches.