How do I remove the door including the hinges?

[Oz]

Sent: 3/11/2004

The title pretty much covers the question.  To access the the hinge mounts, do I have to go through the wall?  just remove the frame?  I need to take the whole door off because I need the screen door.  It doesn't look like there's any way to get the screen door off without removing the door unless I cut the hinge mount and that would defeat the whole purpose.

[Colin]

Sent: 3/11/2004

When I rebuilt the door on my winnie I took out the whole thing, door and frame all at once. It really was easier than you might think, just take out the screws holding the frame in. I rebuilt the door because of water damage.

C

[Oz]

I kinda thought it would be easier that way too, Colin.  I was hoping I won't have to tear off the wall panel to get at the hinge mounting screws.  I'm assuming that I won't have to do that because the screws enter the hinge mounts from the reverse side of the frame?

[denisondc]

Sent: 3/11/2004

The mounting for the screen door on PC was not original. I saw this when I looked at it. I think the PO added regular(house) screen door hinges to the door. While I didn't study the situation, I think you just need to change to RV screen door hinges for the screen door.

[Oz]

Sent: 3/15/2004 1:32 AM

That's correct Dave,

    The hinge is a replacement.  The PO put it on because it was an easy install job and it reduces the weight on the main door hinges.  However, you can only open it to 90 degrees and it's a bit of a trick to get the door and screen door shut when getting in the rig.  I want to remove the screen door from the Donor Bago and exchange the hinges so it's original and will work properly.  I'll be attempting to find out how this works soon.

[Oz]

Sent: 3/21/2004

Got my answer today by removing the door.  You have to take the whole door frame off with the door still in it.  The frame is actually in four pieces but, there are 2 screws at each end of the uprights which go into corresponding channels in the cross members.  You can get at the outside ones but not the inner ones.

It also has to be removed very carefully so that the sealant doesn't pull the body panels and bend them.  Once the whole assembly is out, the screws for the hinges are mounted through the reverse side of the door frame. 

This is one of the few things where putting something back together is easier than taking it apart!

[Movinyou1]

Sent: 4/14/2005

What type/size are the screws for the exterior hinges? Mine are just loose and I'd to try and tighten them without pulling the whole door.   Leonard

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 4/15/2005

The door is attached to U channel aluminum that is sandwiched in the thermopanel. The rear inside "trim" is the back side of these pieces. do not overtighten, or you can distort the wall, or your door frame.

they are 1 1/2" #10 sheet metal screws, DO NOT use 2"!!!! they will dimple your wall panel. You may have to add a couple of screws to the door frame to get it tight against the body. Remember if you do this to drill pilot holes.

I used washers to repair my door hinges, form sagging. and you can get new weatherstripping at lowe's, although it does not fit in the channel lik the original, it works fine, and you cant tell from looking at it. I'll have some photos of it later this weekend.

Tom

[Oz]

Sent: 6/30/2005 5:05 PM

The door I previously removed to learn the process and get the replacement hinges from was a '69:  The DonorBago.

The hinges do fit my '73/'74s and likely many more model years. 

Because this is a pain-in-the-butt job, I've been putting it off now for well over a year, but I decided to tackle it today; I had finally gotten sick of not being able to open the screen door all the way and having to pull the door shut by sticking my arm through the screen door slider.

Being one to always look for an easier way, I discovered something that eliminated the need to take the door off at all!!!

The hinges are soft aluminum so I thought, "maybe I can just bend open the part of the hinge that the pin goes through".  Guess what.. you can!  Then, I slid the hinges around the door pins and used a pair of vise grips to gently squeeze them around the pins.  Nothing cracked, nothing broke, all went very well and it saved hours of time and hassle!

- SmilingVeryWidelySob

[HeavyHaulTrucker]

 Sent: 6/30/2005

Uhhhh..... Sob, why didn't you just use a punch and drive the pins out?  Works fine on mine -- you drive them from the bottom up.  Mine are the double original hinges; both the screen and main doors pivot on one pin in each hinge.

John

[Oz]

Sent: 6/30/2005 10:25 PM

Uhhhh.... John, the end caps are solid and cover the pins on both ends so you can't drive out them out.... that would be too simple!  Yours must have a different style, and I bet they changed the hinge pin end caps to solid ones because someone got the idea that they could just pop those pins and gain easy entry into the RV. 

[mightybooboo]

Sent: 6/30/2005 10:46 PM

2 words- Dremel tool. I LOVE that thing!

Booboo

[Oz]

Sent: 7/2/2005

Ok, in more than 2 words, are you saying to use the Dremel to cut the end caps so that the hinge pins are exposed thus making it possible to drive them out?

Very good option in the event I would need to remove the main door hinges!  All I'd have to do is insert a screw into the bottom hinge pin cap, through the area that was cut, perpendicular to the pin so it would act as a retainer yet allow the pin to turn freely in the end caps (or something similar).

- SherlockSob

[mightybooboo]

Sent: 7/2/2005

Cut the bottom cap off and drive the pin   up and out? like a house  door pin.I dont know because I havent seen your setup but  may be an option?

Or one word- SAWZALL!! LOL!

BooBoo

[Slantsixness]

Sent: 7/13/2005

Sob has the older style door, with the pot metal end cap hinges, which are the pins, too. the pin does not run all the way through the hinge, nor does it come out!!!!