Door won't be straight no matter how much leveling we do! see pictures

[TX Julie]

We can't seem to get our door to hang and close properly. See pictures. These pictures were taken on a pad that is more uneven than most. But we have the problem even when we are on a relatively level pad.
We are using a BAL leveler and the little orange bubble level shows it is level in both directions.
The top of the door doesn't come down far enough to settle into the grooves and properly attach to the bottom panel. And the bottom panel is clearly very crooked. It gets worse when we lay on the bed at the front of the camper.
ideas?

 

[Sjm9911]

Are you sure its level? Check to see if the leveler is corect and hasent moved. And is the door by the tounge? Have a picture of the whole door side? I would try to get some levelers on the front of the pup. Sounds like the weight of the bed, is causing bending at the door frame. Putting a leveler near the door or a jack may help. Was the inside of the camper modified?

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

could be worse, our Aliner door-side walls (upper and lower) are misaligned and no amount of measuring and figuring says why it occurred or what the solution is. We eventually gave up trying to fix it. We simply removed the close-tolerance latch between the upper and lower doors, and put in a sloppy toggle bolt to make them swing as one unit.

 

[bupkis]

I'd work on seating the top door evenly on to the bottom door. looks like one side is 'on' and the other side has a ways to go!

 

[TX Julie]

"check the leveler"... do you mean the orange thing? the orange bubble level check is not attached to the tongue. we put it there each time.
Nothing has been modified.
We got the door to be correct 1 time. it was parked on a very flat surface.
So we got the BAL leveler and thought that would help, but it hasn't helped when we have used it.

 

[Sjm9911]

Yup the orange thing. Check it vs a reguler level to see your variances. It may be good, may be not. To me it reads as toung low and passanger door side low. But by how much , idk. It could be right on the money, it could be the way the pictures were taken. But it looks like the toung is low and the passanger door side is low in your set up, both in the pictures and on your leveler. Will that make a diffrence, maybe , maybe not. But its good to eliminate the easy stuff first.

 

[Anthony Hitchings]

your entire trailer is normally supported on three points, being the tongue and two wheels. Everything should fit ok if its level-ish side to side and frot to rear.

If its not fitting together, something was either not built right or has been forced out of alignment in its prior life. Your orange bubble is near enough.

 

[Sjm9911]

Looks way off to me, if the table and pergula in the backround are close to level.

 

[GalsofEscape]

if you don't pull out the front bed, does the lower door fit better? if so, the front wall may be flexing downward and pulling the side wall -
our highwall was fine until we pulled the bed out, then the door frame went funny. I could see that front wall flex and the door opening move out of square. we had to take it in to a repair shop and they put in extra bracing so the front wall would not flex downward when the bed was extended. (it was ultimately due to water damage on the floor.)

 

[Mark60]

Are you leveling the camper before you drop the 4- stabilizer bars under the frame front and rear.

 

[Mark60]

I would put the camper in the drive way level it put out the 4 stabilizers and check fittament of the of door. If it still looks like the pictures I would get a straight edge and check the frame front to back for any deflection in the frame rails, make sure the frame is not about rusted in to.

 

[1380ken]

You need to put some jack stands or supports in different areas of the frame near the door until it gets better. My camper has been like this for years. A jack stand in the right spot with a little pressure and everything is good.

 

[TX Julie]

if you don't pull out the front bed, does the lower door fit better? if so, the front wall may be flexing downward and pulling the side wall -
our highwall was fine until we pulled the bed out, then the door frame went funny. I could see that front wall flex and the door opening move out of square. we had to take it in to a repair shop and they put in extra bracing so the front wall would not flex downward when the bed was extended. (it was ultimately due to water damage on the floor.)

this is excellent information! we will check this out this weekend. when the camper is parked, the bottom door fits fine and normal.

 

[TX Julie]

I would put the camper in the drive way level it put out the 4 stabilizers and check fittament of the of door. If it still looks like the pictures I would get a straight edge and check the frame front to back for any deflection in the frame rails, make sure the frame is not about rusted in to.

excellent information! can you clarify? you would put a very long straight edge on the frame and see if the camper frame is uneven according to the straight edge?

 

[TX Julie]

You need to put some jack stands or supports in different areas of the frame near the door until it gets better. My camper has been like this for years. A jack stand in the right spot with a little pressure and everything is good.

this sounds like a good idea. i'm not exactly sure i understand. i would be supporting the weight in certain places so it could kind of reshape itself? jacks like this picture?

 

[Sjm9911]

Not so it can reshape itself, so you suport the area that drops when you pull out the bed. If that fixes it, you need to put the extra leveler /jack in everytime you set up. Make sure the camper is level , then put the jack on the bed side under the frame, but before the door. If the camper is hinging from the weight of the bed, this may stop it.

 

[TX Julie]

this might be a silly question, but can i use the jack that's in my car for spare tires?

 

[Sjm9911]

You can, but then you wouldnt have a jack in the TV. But to try out the idea, yea sure.

 

[TX Julie]

thanks!!

 

[Mark60]

excellent information! can you clarify? you would put a very long straight edge on the frame and see if the camper frame is uneven according to the straight edge?

Get a long level or you can buy a long straight edge at Lowe’s in the tool section a straight flat piece of metal and lay on the underside of the frame and see if anything looks bent on the frame, the straight edge ought to touch all locations from one end to the other of the straight edge if nothing on the frame is bent. The frame is the base for the pop up.