Door "strut/dampner" on XT 276

Eagle · 05-26-2012, 12:31 PM

I'm having trouble with the 'door strut/dampner' on my XT276. The darn thing keeps popping off the ball mount on the door hinge side.

I don't know if the mount is positioned wrong or

Anyone experienced such a situation and corrective measure taken?

roy · 05-26-2012, 03:07 PM

Which door? I have several door issues. Front door is not square has to be slammed and rear ramp door drags in upper left corner again not square in frame.

16 year olds buiding these things?

Eagle · 05-27-2012, 11:38 AM

Ooops, sorry neglected to indicate which door.

It's the front entry door into the kitchen. The 'strut' keeps popping off the bracket that is mounted to the unit. The strut end stays on the door mount fine. The bracket is mounted to the 'door frame' kinda on the hinge side curve where the frame is screwed into the unit.

The rear entry door into the garage and the garage ramp fit great and function correctly.

roy · 05-28-2012, 06:06 AM

I am not having that problem but I figured out why my door is so hard to close. The screen door elbow hinges seem to touch the door frame first resulting in a binding that requires the door to be forced into the latch. Basically who ever attached the screen door frame to the door didn't get it on there right. I will have this repaired under warranty along with a sheet of paper long list of other items not assembled or done right at the factory.

It appears to me the more I look at the build quality on the cruiser rv's is that they are obviously using unskilled workers to build these things. Low pay I assume which leads to high employee turn over so no one ever gets good at what they do or there simply is no job training. Just build it and let the dealers people correct all the problems. If so that does not sit well with me as a buyer.

Eagle · 05-28-2012, 08:16 AM

roy

I found and posted links to several videos of fun finders being build at the Cruiser RV factory. They are posted in the Fun Finder Community forum.

Having been in several manfactured home factories watching their construction, the operation of the assembly line process is nearly identical down to the final inspection with tape indicating repairs/adjustments needed.

Why everything isn't perfect when it leaves the factory ?? ... could partially be due to a production time frame but most likely because the American worker has lost their "pride in workmanship" ethic....IMHO.

webslave · 05-28-2012, 05:05 PM

Eagle, usually, when those won't stay mounted to the ball, the alignment is off. I have, once, seen a faulty socket that was just plain the wrong size for the ball, but, usually they pop off because the force isn't perfectly perpendicular to the ball's mounting axis (the rod/strut should be perfectly horizontal). Any angular stress will cause it pop off. If it has done it often enough, the lip on the socket may now be worn enough that it will never stay on reliably... Once they are "snapped" together, they usually will deform pretty rapidly when popped off and on a few times. When the door is open and the rod is extended, the slope becomes less as a percentage of length and it looks like it should stay on, but, as the door closes and the rod shortens, the percent of slope increases (and usually the other end doesn't have enough play in the attachment) and the tension is then enough to pop off. I'd start, with the trailer level, by opening the door and putting a level on the strut to see if the unit is actually level...

Eagle · 05-29-2012, 07:30 AM

webslave;
thanks, I'll check it with a level like you suggested.
The ball mount on the hinge side of the door is fastened on the forward rounded area of the 'door frame'. It appears if it were mounted on the level top area of the frame, the strut would make contact with the awning....but will look further.

Eagle · 05-29-2012, 05:00 PM

Ok, I think I have it taken care of now.
I removed the ball mount bracket from the door hinge side, locked it in a bench vise and smacked it with a blacksmith hammer acouple times to bend the bracket.
Now the ball sits pretty level with the ground instead of at an upward angle. Connecting the strut and opening the door acouple dozen times to test and the strut stays in place like it should.

O was somewhat concerned since the ball mount has some gouges in it from the strut binding and popping off ..... but we seem to be OK after the adjustment.