Entry Door Handle Broke - help with replacement

[dvleemin]

So yesterday I was getting the RV ready for a trip and went to open the door and it didn't work. SOmething inside of the handle had broken. So I was luckily able to crawl through the drivers side window, unscrew the three screws and manually open the door.

What I'm not clear on is how to fix this. Does anyone have instructions or information on how to install a new handle for a winnebago?

Its on a 2005 Itasca Horizon 40AD.

Thanks.

Darryl

[oldchief7155]

I know a Winnie screen door mechanism cost me $119.00.

[oldchief7155]

I know a Winnie screen door mechanism cost me $119.00.

[wa8yxm]

Without knwoing what lock you have.. Hard to help.. but here is what I found.

My RV has Tri-mark latches.. Tri-mark, on teh striker bolts (Dead bolt too) uses a fairly cheap Base Metal that is not all that good at torsional loads (Bending in this case) in fact it tends to Toothpick when bent (Bend a toothpick in the middle and see what happens).

And of course the design puts the most stress,,,, on the weakest point.


Two fixes.

1: Have a fabricator carve you one out of STEEL.. this will outlast the original by many years.

2: On some of my basement latches... when they break I machine them down a bit (Basically gouge a slot in them) and lay a steel "Mending bar" (Flat piece of metal about half an inch wide (or less) by around 2" long with two holes) and use screws to attach that to the broken pieces.. It too is many times stronger than the original metal.

[FIRE_UP]

dvleemin wrote:
So yesterday I was getting the RV ready for a trip and went to open the door and it didn't work. SOmething inside of the handle had broken. So I was luckily able to crawl through the drivers side window, unscrew the three screws and manually open the door.

What I'm not clear on is how to fix this. Does anyone have instructions or information on how to install a new handle for a winnebago?

Its on a 2005 Itasca Horizon 40AD.

Thanks.

Darryl

Hey Darryl,
Well Sir, we just returned from the Grand National Rally in Forest City Iowa for the Winne's and Itascas and, there was gent camped right next to us that also broke his handle and had to replace the entire handle assembly. But, I've had mine out while working on the door stop (which is junk by the way) and, if I recall, there's not much to it, inside there. It's a matter of removing the screws that hold the inside and outside together to sandwich the door.

Once you've removed the pieces, you'll see what's broke. But, will you be able to repair just one part? Probably not. I don't remember what the gent next to us paid for the entire assembly but, it was kind of funny, so to speak because, it was brand new, right out of the box and, he was trying, for the longest time, to insert and thread the screws that are used to secure the two halves.

He kept trying and trying and still, they would not start threading. He finally, after about 1/2 an hour of trying, took both halves down and looked at them. Well, it turns out, that the new unit, had NEVER BEEN TAPPED, for the correct threads! It was drilled but, not tapped. So, he was trying to thread screws into a drilled hole, that had no threads in it. He finally drove over to the Winnebago factory service center where, a technician tapped them for the correct threads, for free.

My point, if you end up ordering a new complete handle assembly, just make sure the holes for the screws, are drilled and tapped so you won't sit there and try and try, to thread screws that simply will not go into the unit. It will be interesting to know what broke in yours. Please do get back to us with the issue so that others may learn and, possibly be prepared for what needs to be done, if the same thing should occur to any of us.
Scott