Im wondering if anyone has had the problem we are having with our new scamp door swinging open while traveling.When we picked it up from the factory everything was fine for about 1200 miles,then the door started swinging open when we went thru small towns and slowed down.We stopped and hubby bought a couple of bungee cords and put one on the inside handle and one from the door pull on the inside to the bathroom door....it worked the rest of the way home,we had called Scamp and they had a new handle and latch waiting at our house then we got there.So the next few trips out werent very far,just over to Zion National park and had no problem.This trip we are on now is another long one,from Southern Nv to extreme southeastern Ks.....Well it was fine again till about a 1000 miles,and door started doing the same thing again.Bungee cords are back on the door once again...the thing is,this is a new camper and shouldnt be doing this and its rather hard for me to get the handle to releash with the bungee cord on the latch but it has to be to keep the door closed....Just wondering if anyone else out there has experienced anything like this
Sun, 04/12/2015 - 21:45
#1
Door swinging open while going down the road
Obviously, not a good thing! The door could get ripped off or damaged, and also cause damage to the body of your trailer. Our Scamp is 41 years old. We had to replace the door 20-25 years ago. The bottom had straightened out and was no longer hugging tightly to the curved body. Traveling through a city on a narrow street, the lower part caught some debris at the side of the road and was damaged.
We recently restored our '74 Scamp. When in storage and if there is a lot of water on the road, we keep the lower part of the door tight to the body by the following means. I drilled two small holes at the bottom of the door just above the trim, and hammered two steeples into the plywood floor underneath the trailer...at just the right distance to stretch two 12" bungee cords between these two points. This fix works great, and is not noticeable.
With my 2004 Scamp, a previous owner had put a little lock on the outside of the door--like a small dead bolt--works great, but you wouldn't want to do that to a new one!!
I've not had that problem with my 2001 13 Scamp door oening while in transit.
I did notice a long time ago that the latch was not throwing all the way behind the striker plate. It probably goes about 1/4 inch so when I'm inside I simply pull the door tighter and it then goes to it's proper length behind the plate.
When I close door from the outside I always give it a little hip check and I generally hear the latch click as it throws to it's proper length. Then I lock it.
Joy A. & Olive
2001 13 Scamp "Puff"
Full-timer
2019 1500 Ram Longhorn
SOI #168
I had the same problem with my 2004 scamp. I am the third owner. The seller mentioned that the door needs a good push to lock it. It was not towed much by either of the first two owners. On our first trip I has to use a bungee cord. They have their good uses and their bad uses. This would be a bad one. I started with a parachute cord type of string that I tied to the strike plate, then it went through the door seal and on the outside tied to the hardware that is used to keep the door fully open. Then I improved it by drilling a 1/4 inch hole about 2 inches deep, just outside of the door seal, into the structural wood. Then I epoxy bonded the string inside the hole. Everytime I travel, I secure the door with the string. It does not look bad (we both got used to it) and it works perfectly.
This also keeps the door seal tight and I believe reduces the stress on the door hinges. Traveled on some bad roads with no more problems with the door.
The reason for this failure is that the tip of the latch contacts the surface of the strike plate which is at the wrong angle and as the Scamp flexes on bumpy roads or driving through little towns, it works itself out.
-Paul
2004 Scamp 19 Deluxe,
2021 Tacoma, Double Cab, 6 cyl. 4WD
Colorado
Thanks for all the input to everyone.We do make sure we hear the click on the latch and hubby thought he had it fixed when he put on the new latch that the factory sent him,but its not fixed...we are still traveling and when we get back home he is going to call Scamp.this just isnt acceptable on a new unit. We havent had one since 1981 and never had any trouble with it at all and I pulled that little dude all around the country
Launey and Earlene
I had the same issue on a 2004 5er Scamp. Did what others had done. Final solution for me was to take the lock assy apart. The spring for the strke is fairly large and flimsy. Home Depot sells a pack of spring assortments, I found and cut two smaller stronger springs to fit the lock and replaced the orig. spring. I think adding a spacer behind the lock assy. may help. The strike is only spring loaded the lock does not hold the strike into the extended position. I think the flexing of the trailer pushes the strike in and a tight fitting lock will not let the spring overcome the forces pushing the strike back into the lock. Maybe first try a lock spacer and lube the strike and make sure your strike moves freely.
Other have replaced the door lock with regular RV door locks with some modifications.
Eddie
I was having an issue with my door flying open. I think that I now have it fixed. When the new door handle was in LOCKED mode there was no mechanical pressure on the lock internally. I found that if I held the handle so it could not turn the bolt would not retract, there was a lot of slop in the handle/ lock assembly. I took the lock assembly out and put a slight counter clockwise twist in the square lock shaft. This put some mechanical resistance on the bolt and it could no longer partailly retract with the handle in locked position. I think I have fixed the problem, the proof will be in the towing.
P.S. I placed the square lock shaft in a strong vice and twisted the shaft with a Crescant wrench by grasping the shaft at the lock end and appling controlled pressure.
Bob H. onr of the Scamper Campers
Folks,
We took the 5er out for a test run Sunday. The door lock tweaking is working, Friday / Saturday's excursion will give us a longer test.
The next door fix, add a couple of turnbuckles to add shape to the door's bottom curve.
Bob H. one of the Scamper Campers
Folks,
We took the 5er out for a test run Sunday. The door lock tweaking is working, Friday / Saturday's excursion will give us a longer test.
The next door fix, add a couple of turnbuckles to add shape to the door's bottom curve.
Bob H. one of the Scamper Campers
While the door problem is a bit rare, it is normally on older trailers where the door doesn't align well any longer. Since your trailer is brand new, it is most likely due to a misalignment or slight adjustment needed to the lock/striker plate. I would pursue this as a warranty claim with Scamp and tell them sending out the replacement lock didn't work. They should have local repair shops that are capable of taking care of their warranty issues.
You could do some things yourself and then Scamp could say you voided ur warranty on this issue so best to let them resolve it for you. In the meantime a temporary bungee situation would get you by.
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