Rick Jay wrote:
SJ-Chris,
I applaud you for your solution to prevent the slider bolt from extending all the way. I could tell from your pics that yours didn't break. However, it WILL break. And this guy named Murphy will tell you that when it does, it will be at the worst possible time. :) You've already closed the door (probably several times) with the slider bolt over-extended. That put lateral stress on that part, and might have already weakened it. That's the problem, when it breaks, there IS no warning. The door does NOT open and you're trapped...either inside or outside.
The first time this happened to our rig, I was surprised how many others had the EXACT same problem. And like I said, we pretty much babied the closing of the door...I detest door slammers! LOL Anyway, I believe, there were some folks who sent documentation to the NHTSA to see if Tri-Mark could be forced to fix this as this could conceivable be a life-threatening failure if the lock broke and there was a fire inside the RV. Perhaps a "perfect storm" of problems, but not outside the realm of possibility. We have a driver's door on our Class A, but if the fire is at the front of the rig, that door would be useless. If the main entrance door didn't open, then wifey and I have to try to squeeze our "not so skinny" butts out the emergency window in the bedroom with the requisite "fall" to the ground. LOL
Ok, just my line of thinking, but what I paid for that upgraded steel bolt and the peace of mind it provides, I felt it is well worth it. I didn't want to take any chances, and when the kit mentioned above became available, I quickly ordered it and installed it.
I'd recommend that you order it. The frustration you save will be your own! ;)
Safe travels,
~Rick
Thanks for the info/suggestion! I'm not opposed to spending money on these things as I do like everything (every light bulb in fact) to be working correctly.
It seems there is a big difference between the "pot metal" vs the "actual metal" bolts and their durability. The "pot metal" bolts are the ones that break. I haven't searched it, but I haven't heard anyone state that their "actual metal" bolt broke yet. I've also heard that the pot metal bolt is not magnetic (...side note: I find this strange....what IS pot metal???). I will likely put a magnet to mine to see if it is real metal or pot metal. If it is pot metal, I will be much more inclined to replace it as you suggest. If it is actual metal, I think I'm comfortable keeping this bolt in there. I'll let you know what my test reveals....
Happy camping!
Chris
