baggage door stuck closed

[Les Hurdle]

Handle on baggage door moves.... it feels like it is engaging somewhere.  The bottom of the door seal on either side moves a tiny bit when pulled hard but the middle is firmly wedged........ wd40 etc is not the answer........... I'm presuming the 'end' of the lock is somehow jammed into the door, unless it is a mechanism issue. 

How to get to the back of the door?

 

L

 

[Tom Cherry]

9 minutes ago, Les Hurdle said:

Handle on baggage door moves.... it feels like it is engaging somewhere.  The bottom of the door seal on either side moves a tiny bit when pulled hard but the middle is firmly wedged........ wd40 etc is not the answer........... I'm presuming the 'end' of the lock is somehow jammed into the door, unless it is a mechanism issue. 

How to get to the back of the door?

 

L

 

First…read this.  Then use the search box.  Use two words like “door stuck” or baggage door” or “bay stuck”…etc.

here is one

There are lots of topics.  I don’t merge when a new topic has not been discussed within the past 12 Months.  But it IS a STRONGLY RECOMMENDED suggestion….not yet a requirement, that folks start using the search… PRIOR to posting a new topic.

Do that….you will probably find the answer…many folks have posted many techniques….plus some will repost what they did before…

[jacwjames]

My baggage doors lift up.  I had two baggage doors that would hang up so I drilled a hole where the latch engages the strike plate so I can used a screw driver to push the latch up.  You'll have to measure the offset needed to drill a hole in the right place.  Measure on a door you can get open, measure from the side of the latch to the edge of the door and then from the latch to the edge of the door and figure the offset, then just measure to the edge of the latch of the door you can't get open and add the offset. 

But yesterday had the same issue so I dug into it.  Turns out the latch lever that pulls the latch up was bent down a little and would not lift the latch high enough to clear the striker plate.   Once you get the door open it's easy to check, pull the handle to see if the latch is being pulled all the way up, if not use a crescent wrench to slightly bend the lever up. 

[dl_racing427]

I have several doors that are finicky to open, and to latch closed.
I need to go through the previous experience here and fix them soon.
Hopefully, my inner door covers come off easily.

[jacwjames]

My doors have a small cover the is attached the inside of the door to access the latch mechanism, not sure if all do. 

About every other year I go through and remove the cover, inspect, and lube the moving parts of the latch.  When I had trouble this time with one I took a closer look and found the real problem. 

With the door open so you can see the latch work try using the latch handle and get it to move, does is completely pull up, if not the lever on the inside might be slightly bent. 

[pcallahan97009]

We frequently have a door or two that don't want to open.  The first step we take is to make sure the rig is level. 

[Les Hurdle]

Thanks to all for the input.   I managed to get the for open by levering the bottom out and up.   I disassembled the latch and did in fact fund the unit to be bent.

[miacasa_2000]

What Jim said is good on mine the  rod is threaded and was able to turn it up for proper adjustment vs bending the rods have some factory bends in them anyway.

Roy Mercier  2003 Dynasty

[jacwjames]

I didn't bend the rods, I bent the lever portion that moves up and down to move the latch itself.  I don't have a threaded adjustment.  There is a long slot in the latch that allows the bent rod to move up/down.  The spring in the latch is what makes it go down. 

I'd been having trouble with that particular door for a while.  That is why I drilled the hole from below to be able to push the latch up out of the striker plate. 

But I think I now figured out what was wrong and shouldn't have another problem. 

[jacwjames]

Below is a picture of the inside of the baggage door showing the latch.  I had started to take it apart/out so it looks a little wonky.

The red arrow shows the lever that I bent up a little so that the latch itself would fully pull out of the striker plate.  I actually had 2 that weren't fully releasing. 

Now if I have trouble it will be an easy fix. 

[Jim Pratten]

On 11/6/2023 at 10:56 AM, jacwjames said:

That is why I drilled the hole from below to be able to push the latch up out of the striker plate. 

What are your thoughts on preemptively drilling holes from the striker plate down?  I don’t have access panels to inspect mine and take any preventative maintenance measures.

[jacwjames]

8 hours ago, Jim Pratten said:

What are your thoughts on preemptively drilling holes from the striker plate down?  I don’t have access panels to inspect mine and take any preventative maintenance measures.

After I drilled the first one from below I did the second from above through  the latch hole, MUCH EASIER and probably the best way to do it.