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Sliding Mirror Doors and Securing Them for Travel

Turn_Key
Explorer
Explorer
Can't find a post about this and don't know if anyone has ever thought about this or had to deal with it. Our Winnie "5th" has a closet in the front bedroom that runs perpendicular to the long axis of the trailer. It is enclosed by a pair of sliding mirrored doors that are held closed by a pair of plastic catches. Now, we all know how well these types of catches stand up and how things like this are bound to break just when you don't need them to. And the idea of pulling the trailer with a glass sliding door in a non-secured position is just something I would not even want to have to think about. So, how do we get around this BEFORE it becomes a problem?

Simple; go to your local Lowe's Home Center (or equivalent) and purchase a 1/4" X 3" Cotterless Hitch Pin. This is the type that has the little ball on one end of the pin and a pull-ring on the other. Now, with the sliding doors fully closed and locked in position, carefully and slowly drill a 1/4" hole in the wood frame where the two doors meet at the center. I drilled mine at the top corner but any point where you can drill through both doors will work. Just be carefully to ensure you will hit none of the metal hardware. When complete, the pin should pass through both doors with a firm, but not tight, feel. With the pin in place, you have no worries about the doors sliding while your going down the road. Also, when (not if) those plastic clips break, you don't even need to worry about it as that isn't what's holding your doors shut.

Just a thought and Happy Camping!
Turn Key and DW
Bentley, One Very Pushy Chiweenie
Sunshine, One Crazy Pug (I Guess They All Are!)
'03 Chevy 2500HD, 4X4, X-Cab, Long-Bed
'14 Winnebago 26FWRKS ("Sunday Haus III")
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12 REPLIES 12

Me_Again
Explorer III
Explorer III
get these and you will not have to worry.

http://www.adventurerv.net/mirrored-door-latches-p-6283.html?gclid=CJj09fz1sM8CFYmCfgodAzcAVg&utm_ca...

I broke many clean plastic ones before getting these.

Chris
2021 F150 2.7 Ecoboost - Summer Home 2017 Bighorn 3575el. Can Am Spyder RT-L Chrome, Kawasaki KRX1000. Retired and enjoying it! RIP DW 07-05-2021

rhagfo
Explorer III
Explorer III
PawPaw_n_Gram wrote:
T-10 Parabolic wrote:
I just cut two pieces of wood to lay in the bottom track between the door and the side frame..


x5


The plastic clips work great for us, if worried about breaking one on the road, buy a spare set and keep in tool kit, they will take up a lot less space than a couple of sticks that might bounce out of the track.
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
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2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

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PawPaw_n_Gram
Explorer
Explorer
T-10 Parabolic wrote:
I just cut two pieces of wood to lay in the bottom track between the door and the side frame..


x5
Full-Time 2014 - ????

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Dtank
Explorer
Explorer
Road Runners wrote:
We had those sliding glass mirrors in our fifth wheel. We pulled that fifth wheel over 160,00 miles in 15 years and never had any trouble with the door latches.


One of mine broke after about 2,000 miles and two years..:(

And - yes....the door would open/close (on its own) without some kind of latch or stop.

A version of the "wood solution" solved the problem with very little effort.

:C

Us_out_West
Explorer
Explorer
Veebyes wrote:
The wood in the track method here.


Yup...like dowels with rubber ends that we put on...works fine.
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Veebyes
Explorer II
Explorer II
The wood in the track method here.
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old_guy
Explorer
Explorer
the rv geeks came up with a solution for that problem. it is a plastic latch that glues to one mirror and folds down for a solid lock position.

Turn_Key
Explorer
Explorer
T-10 Parabolic wrote:
I just cut two pieces of wood to lay in the bottom track between the door and the side frame..


Also a very good idea that will solve the issue.
Turn Key and DW
Bentley, One Very Pushy Chiweenie
Sunshine, One Crazy Pug (I Guess They All Are!)
'03 Chevy 2500HD, 4X4, X-Cab, Long-Bed
'14 Winnebago 26FWRKS ("Sunday Haus III")
Twin Kayaks, "The Ride" by Wilderness Systems

Turn_Key
Explorer
Explorer
Road Runners wrote:
We had those sliding glass mirrors in our fifth wheel. We pulled that fifth wheel over 160,00 miles in 15 years and never had any trouble with the door latches.


I'd have to call you lucky as all such plastic parts seem to break, sooner or later.
Turn Key and DW
Bentley, One Very Pushy Chiweenie
Sunshine, One Crazy Pug (I Guess They All Are!)
'03 Chevy 2500HD, 4X4, X-Cab, Long-Bed
'14 Winnebago 26FWRKS ("Sunday Haus III")
Twin Kayaks, "The Ride" by Wilderness Systems

T-10_Parabolic
Explorer
Explorer
I just cut two pieces of wood to lay in the bottom track between the door and the side frame..
2011 King Ranch, 350 DRW. CC, 8' bed, 4X4 6.7 PSD
2011 34RLTS Jayco Pinnacle

Road_Runners
Explorer
Explorer
We had those sliding glass mirrors in our fifth wheel. We pulled that fifth wheel over 160,00 miles in 15 years and never had any trouble with the door latches.
'05' F-250 Power Stroke
'00' 30' Cameo Fifth Wheel

Jack_Spratt
Explorer
Explorer
Good solution
Thanks for sharing
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