Bay door won't open

[Julia Bonser]

We are getting ready to leave Tucson after being here since Dec. 1.
Dick was going to top off the batteries but the Battery Bay Door
won't open. It opens at the top and we can get the bottom out a
couple of inches but the door won't lift. The bar across the top
doesn't seem to rotate. Any ideas about how to tackle this problem?

Everything else seems in good working order on the motorhome. I wish
I could say the same thing about Dick, he is severely anemic and we
have to get home so he can be tested and treated. This trip could
take a bit longer than usual because of his fatigue. I expect to do
most of the driving. Must be time for me to learn to back up.

Julie Bonser
1992 WLWB PT 40'
leaving Tucson 3/30/06

[Bob Lawrence]

Hi Julie,
Sorry to hear about Dick.
Don't know if your rig is like ours. On our 84, you have to lift the
engine hatch first, then slip the lock on the side hatch to check our
batteries.
On ours, if we don't have air pressure up (sitting on the bags)it is
very hard to lift the back door...guess the frame is just a little off
center..put air in bags, lift it up on them and our door would lift, no
problem...maybe this is the problem?
Bob Lawrence
84 PT36 (Whirlybird)
Tacoma, Wa.

It opens at the top and we can get the bottom out a
couple of inches but the door won't lift. The bar across the top
doesn't seem to rotate. Any ideas about how to tackle this problem?
>
>
> Julie Bonser
> 1992 WLWB PT 40'
> leaving Tucson 3/30/06
>

[ronmarabito2002]

Are you talking about the hinge bar (black) or the stabilizer bar
(silver)? Has something moved in the compartment that is preventing
the door from lifting? Can you send a couple photos to me via email?

R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Julia Bonser wrote:
>
> We are getting ready to leave Tucson after being here since Dec. 1.
> Dick was going to top off the batteries but the Battery Bay Door
> won't open. It opens at the top and we can get the bottom out a
> couple of inches but the door won't lift. The bar across the top
> doesn't seem to rotate. Any ideas about how to tackle this problem?
>
> Everything else seems in good working order on the motorhome. I wish
> I could say the same thing about Dick, he is severely anemic and we
> have to get home so he can be tested and treated. This trip could
> take a bit longer than usual because of his fatigue. I expect to do
> most of the driving. Must be time for me to learn to back up.
>
> Julie Bonser
> 1992 WLWB PT 40'
> leaving Tucson 3/30/06
>

[Julia Bonser]

It is the black bar that goes across the top of the compartment. We
don't see anything that has moved or obviously interfering. At the
top it opens about 5 inches and at the bottom about two inches. At
the top of the compartment is a black box that has the inverter
inside. The batteries are lower down on slide out trays. We can try
to get pictures tomorrow but not sure how as we have to put the
camera in at the top and somehow have it point up. Might be worth
trying to find out if it reveals anything.

Julie Bonser
1992 WLWB PT 40'



On Mar 9, 2006, at 7:42 PM, ronmarabito2002 wrote:

> Are you talking about the hinge bar (black) or the stabilizer bar
> (silver)? Has something moved in the compartment that is preventing
> the door from lifting? Can you send a couple photos to me via email?
>
> R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40
>
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Julia Bonser
> wrote:
>>
>> We are getting ready to leave Tucson after being here since Dec. 1.
>> Dick was going to top off the batteries but the Battery Bay Door
>> won't open. It opens at the top and we can get the bottom out a
>> couple of inches but the door won't lift. The bar across the top
>> doesn't seem to rotate. Any ideas about how to tackle this problem?
>>
>> Everything else seems in good working order on the motorhome. I wish
>> I could say the same thing about Dick, he is severely anemic and we
>> have to get home so he can be tested and treated. This trip could
>> take a bit longer than usual because of his fatigue. I expect to do
>> most of the driving. Must be time for me to learn to back up.
>>
>> Julie Bonser
>> 1992 WLWB PT 40'
>> leaving Tucson 3/30/06
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>

[guysmalley]

Julie
is that the door with the vents? it has a x cross support braces that on mine
came loose
maybe that is hanging it up? can you open the engine door to see the back of the
bay door?

guy smalley
86 pt 40

[Julia Bonser]

The door is like all the other basement bay doors just has the
batteries inside and the inverter. We have opened it several times
without any problem. This really caught us by surprise. It is on the
passenger side at the rear of the coach next to the engine compartment.

Julie Bonser
1992 WLWB PT 40'



On Mar 9, 2006, at 7:40 PM, Bob Lawrence wrote:

> Don't know if your rig is like ours. On our 84, you have to lift the
> engine hatch first, then slip the lock on the side hatch to check our
> batteries.
> On ours, if we don't have air pressure up (sitting on the bags)it is
> very hard to lift the back door...guess the frame is just a little off
> center..put air in bags, lift it up on them and our door would
> lift, no
> problem...maybe this is the problem?

[ronmarabito2002]

Julie: If you can open the door at the top and some at the bottom,
then the latches are releasing O.K. If they were not, then the bottom
could not be pulled out at all.

It sound like your two struts or just one is froze up. Since you can
get into the top of the door, you can probably take the bolt out of
the each strut. This will release the door to move, but remember,
it's heavy and you won't have the assist of the pneumatic struts.
Once it is open, place some kind of rigid support under the door.
With that open, test the struts for movement in and out.

R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40


--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Julia Bonser wrote:
>
> It is the black bar that goes across the top of the compartment. We
> don't see anything that has moved or obviously interfering. At the
> top it opens about 5 inches and at the bottom about two inches. At
> the top of the compartment is a black box that has the inverter
> inside. The batteries are lower down on slide out trays. We can try
> to get pictures tomorrow but not sure how as we have to put the
> camera in at the top and somehow have it point up. Might be worth
> trying to find out if it reveals anything.
>
> Julie Bonser
> 1992 WLWB PT 40'
>
>
>
> On Mar 9, 2006, at 7:42 PM, ronmarabito2002 wrote:
>
> > Are you talking about the hinge bar (black) or the stabilizer bar
> > (silver)? Has something moved in the compartment that is preventing
> > the door from lifting? Can you send a couple photos to me via email?
> >
> > R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Julia Bonser
> > wrote:
> >>
> >> We are getting ready to leave Tucson after being here since Dec. 1.
> >> Dick was going to top off the batteries but the Battery Bay Door
> >> won't open. It opens at the top and we can get the bottom out a
> >> couple of inches but the door won't lift. The bar across the top
> >> doesn't seem to rotate. Any ideas about how to tackle this problem?
> >>
> >> Everything else seems in good working order on the motorhome. I wish
> >> I could say the same thing about Dick, he is severely anemic and we
> >> have to get home so he can be tested and treated. This trip could
> >> take a bit longer than usual because of his fatigue. I expect to do
> >> most of the driving. Must be time for me to learn to back up.
> >>
> >> Julie Bonser
> >> 1992 WLWB PT 40'
> >> leaving Tucson 3/30/06
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>

[ronmarabito2002]

Guy: Her door cannot be seen from the engine compartment. It is
different than yours.

R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "guysmalley"
wrote:
>
> Julie
> is that the door with the vents? it has a x cross support braces
that on mine came loose
> maybe that is hanging it up? can you open the engine door to see the
back of the bay door?
>
> guy smalley
> 86 pt 40
>

[Julia Bonser]

The door is just a regular bay door, no vents. Dick has seen how the
other bay doors operated as he had to fix a strut on one of them.

Julie Bonser
1992 WLWB PT 40'



On Mar 9, 2006, at 8:09 PM, guysmalley wrote:

> is that the door with the vents? it has a x cross support braces
> that on mine came loose
> maybe that is hanging it up? can you open the engine door to see
> the back of the bay door?
>

[Julia Bonser]

I think we will see what we can do tomorrow night. We need to get on
the road ASAP and perhaps at the SKP park at Deming, NM we can find
some one who will help us figure this out.

Julie Bonser
1992 WLWB PT 40'



On Mar 9, 2006, at 8:49 PM, ronmarabito2002 wrote:

> Julie: If you can open the door at the top and some at the bottom,
> then the latches are releasing O.K. If they were not, then the bottom
> could not be pulled out at all.
>
> It sound like your two struts or just one is froze up. Since you can
> get into the top of the door, you can probably take the bolt out of
> the each strut. This will release the door to move, but remember,
> it's heavy and you won't have the assist of the pneumatic struts.
> Once it is open, place some kind of rigid support under the door.
> With that open, test the struts for movement in and out.
>
> R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Julia Bonser
> wrote:
>>
>> It is the black bar that goes across the top of the compartment. We
>> don't see anything that has moved or obviously interfering. At the
>> top it opens about 5 inches and at the bottom about two inches. At
>> the top of the compartment is a black box that has the inverter
>> inside. The batteries are lower down on slide out trays. We can try
>> to get pictures tomorrow but not sure how as we have to put the
>> camera in at the top and somehow have it point up. Might be worth
>> trying to find out if it reveals anything.
>>
>> Julie Bonser
>> 1992 WLWB PT 40'
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mar 9, 2006, at 7:42 PM, ronmarabito2002 wrote:
>>
>>> Are you talking about the hinge bar (black) or the stabilizer bar
>>> (silver)? Has something moved in the compartment that is preventing
>>> the door from lifting? Can you send a couple photos to me via
>>> email?
>>>
>>> R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Julia Bonser
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> We are getting ready to leave Tucson after being here since Dec. 1.
>>>> Dick was going to top off the batteries but the Battery Bay Door
>>>> won't open. It opens at the top and we can get the bottom out a
>>>> couple of inches but the door won't lift. The bar across the top
>>>> doesn't seem to rotate. Any ideas about how to tackle this problem?
>>>>
>>>> Everything else seems in good working order on the motorhome. I
>>>> wish
>>>> I could say the same thing about Dick, he is severely anemic
>>>> and we
>>>> have to get home so he can be tested and treated. This trip could
>>>> take a bit longer than usual because of his fatigue. I expect to do
>>>> most of the driving. Must be time for me to learn to back up.
>>>>
>>>> Julie Bonser
>>>> 1992 WLWB PT 40'
>>>> leaving Tucson 3/30/06
>>>>
>>>
>>