Care and Repair of Interior RV Doors

Interior RV doors, on closets, cabinets, and bathrooms, may require maintenance or repairs from time to time.  For example, if you update the flooring in your RV or replace the carpet, bathroom and closet doors that cleared the original flooring might drag on the new material.  The carpet in our Class A motorhome had been replaced shortly before we bought it but the owner had failed to trim the bathroom door.  The door dragged on the carpet, leaving wear marks and making it somewhat harder than it should be to open and close the door.  If you encounter a similar problem, it is a simple fix. Remove the door by taking out the screws that fasten the hinges to the wall.   There will probably 2 or 3 hinges with a total of 4 to 6 screws.  The screw heads might be Phillips #2 or clutch head (square drive).  A proper tip in an electric drill/driver will make removal and re-installation much quicker and easier.   You might want to have someone hold the door while you remove the screws so it doesn't fall on you or something else in the RV.    If it comes loose unexpectedly it may split the frame where the remaining screws mount.  You don't want any collateral damage.  If the door isn't secured as you remove the screws it may twist the last hinge or rip the screws out of the wall.   Depending on how tightly the door drags -- or how much higher your new flooring is than the old, mark the bottom of the door for how much needs to be cut off.   If it is simply dragging on the carpet, 1/4 inch is probably about the right amount for your first cut.  If it still drags you can always cut off more but if you cut off too much, you can't put it back!  If you should cut off too much, it probably isn't a major catastrophe.  A little extra ventilation at the bottom of a bathroom door is not necessarily a bad thing. It will allow more fresh air into the bathroom to vent moisture and odors.  You may need some kind of shim or lever (or a helper) to hold the door in place while you reinstall the screws.  If you don't want to cut the door, you may be able to raise it up by simply re-screwing the hinges higher on the wall where it mounts if it isn't already too close to the ceiling and doesn't fit inside the door frame.   Many RV bathroom doors fit outside the door opening.   I considered rising the door when fixing the bathroom door in my motorhome but was concerned that adding more screw holes so close to the originals might cause the wood to split since they would be so close to the old holes.  Trimming the door is usually the best solution.

Cabinet door problems.  The most common problem with cabinet doors is damaged catches so the door doesn't stay closed.  Try to replace the worn/broken catch with the same style.  On older RVs you may have trouble finding matching catches.  If that happens, get the closest thing you can find at your local RV or hardware store.   Any friction catch will probably do if it fits the door and cabinet.  I haven't had good luck with magnetic catches on RV cabinets.  They just don't provide a positive enough lock to keep doors from coming open on rough roads.  Some cabinets with top hinged doors have pneumatic struts that help hold them open and closed.   Sometimes the screws holding the struts will pull out.  You can usually fix this problem by pushing a piece of wooden stick match or toothpick into the hole and replacing the screw.   If that doesn't work, there are kits to repair holes for wood screws.  They consist of a hand auger that hollows out the hole to accept a wooden cone.  You glue the wooden cone in place and when the glue is dry, simply drill a pilot hole of the appropriate size in the cone and reinstall the screw.   Broken or missing struts can be easily and inexpensively replaced.  I think the last time I had to replace some, they came in a package of 2 for under $5.   It takes only a few minutes to replace a strut using only common hand tools.  If your RV doesn't have struts you might even want to add them if the cabinet doors are hinged at the top.  The struts will hold the door open while you access the cabinet.

Broken or damaged doors can be difficult to match if you have to replace them.  Depending on the location and type of damage, you may be able to clamp and glue the door back together.  You might need to add steel brackets to reinforce damaged seams or corners.  Put them on the inside, out of sight, if you can. If you have to replace a door and cannot find a matching replacement, go for something complementary or contrasting rather than a "close match".  Minor variations in style or color will stand out, making the repair unsightly and possibly reducing potential resale value.  If you can't match a door you are replacing, do something different with it.  Put a framed mirror on it or cover it with a wall covering or picture or paneling.  Or paint it a glossy solid color that complements your RV interior after it has been repaired.  If you already have black appliances, a black door may blend in well.  You might disguise small holes in doors using decorative covers or finding innovative ways to make use of the damage.  You can often use ordinary crayons to fill small holes.  I once installed a clock using an unwanted larger hole as the mounting hole for the center and the hands and adding plastic, stick-on numbers around the cabinet face.  You can buy an inexpensive clock kit at just about any craft and hobby store.   Sometimes, for cosmetic purposes, you might want to swap the broken door with another one of the same size and style in a less obvious location and put the unmatched replacement door in the less obtrusive spot.

Sticking or squeaking doors  can sometimes be fixed by oiling the hinges.  Using a dry lubricant or RV silicone lubricant will avoid messy drips and stains that might result from using regular oil.  If lubrication doesn't work, the door is probably binding or dragging somewhere.   If the door is binding somewhere you may have to adjust the hinges or catch to alleviate the problem.  Bent or loose hinges may be the problem.  If so, you might be able to remove the hinges and straighten them in a vice or on an anvil.   If you can't straighten them so they operate smoothly you'll have to replace them. You might be able to get matching hinges from an RV store or a junk yard.  If not, get the closest you can from your local hardware store or home center.   Pay careful attention to the offset if the old hinges have one to make sure the door fits correctly.  A correct offset is more important than cosmetic matching.  You may able to paint unmatching hardware to make it look better.  If a door is dragging on the carpet, remove the door and trim about 1/4" off the bottom or raise the door by unscrewing the hinges from the frame and re-installing them a bit higher.   If you can't match the hardware, one option is to replace all the hardware on all the doors so its all the same.

Automatic lighting is a nice feature in many RV closets and even some cabinets.   Over time, the wiring may become loose or the switches may wear out. Y u may be able to fix loose wiring connections by merely crimping the connectors gently with pliers and pushing them back on their proper terminals.  Worn out switches can be replaced.  Take care to match up functional part of the switches (e.g., how they mount, how they are operated by the door).  Once installed you will have to adjust the switches to achieve proper operation. Since you can't see inside the closet when it is closed, you might need to have a child hide in the closet and monitor the light for you.   If that isn't an option, try making it as dark as possible outside the closet (or check it at night) so you can look for light "leaking" around the edges of the door.  Closet lights that don't go off can drain your house batteries surprisingly quickly.   If your RV doesn't have automatic closet lighting you might be able to add it if you want.  You'll need an appropriate source of 12 volt power -- both hot and ground wires, a light fixture, and a switch.   The switch will be installed in the hot wire between the power source and the light.  The ground connects directly to the light fixture.  Use LED lights in closets whenever you can.  They draw significantly less current and will be less likely to run down your batteries if accidentally left on.

Divider doors.  Some RVs have divider doors to separate the bedroom from the rest of the coach. Sometimes these are "pocket doors" that slide into the wall.  Sometimes they are folding doors. Folding doors may get sticky over time and will need to be cleaned and lubricated.   I suggest a dry lubricant so you don't stain the door material or leave a residue that will collect dust.  The ceiling track on which the doors slide is often the culprit when the doors get sticky.   Clean the track thoroughly and apply a modest amount of dry lubricant.  Inspect the track for damage and loose screws.   Loose screws will interfere with the operation of the door and any bends or kinks or restrictions in the track will seriously inhibit movement.  You might be able to remove a damaged track and straighten and smooth it so it works better.   If that doesn't work, you may have to buy a new track.  You can sometimes find a suitable replacement at your local hardware or home center. Damaged pocket doors can be a real pain in the neck (or about 2' lower!).  If the door has come off its track and become jammed inside the wall, you will need to try to realign it enough to slide it open and attempt repairs . If the track inside the wall is loose or damaged, getting to it for repairs may be difficult or even impossible, depending on the design of surrounding walls.   With luck and patience -- and the right tools -- you might be able to make repairs through the opening for the door.  If that doesn't work you may have to open up the wall on at least one side of the door to fix it.   Take care not to damage the paneling so you can reinstall it after the door is fixed.  If your RV doesn't have divider doors and you need or want to separate spaces, you can probably add a folding door if there is sufficient support inside the walls and ceiling where you want to mount the door.  You might want extra dividers to separate front and rear sleeping areas or to just close off the bedroom for extra privacy and to retain heat in colder weather.  For a quick and easy alternative, install a curtain to provide additional privacy for the bedroom area.  I'd use a spring-loaded, expandable curtain rod long enough to reach across the hallway and hang full length drapes from ceiling to floor.  If you need to see out the rear window while driving, add one or more tie backs to hold the curtains open when they aren't needed.  I once replaced a damaged heavy accordion fold door on a bathroom with an ordinary curtain when the weight of the original door ripped the track out of the ceiling.

Some damage is the result of improper installation of hooks or other accessories on a door. Once this happens you need to remove the offending items and repair the door as best you can -- or replace it.  Then avoid a re-occurrence of the damage by avoiding improper installations.   Over-the-door hangers often allow way to much weight to be placed on the door, warping the door itself, bending hinges, or pulling out the screws.  These should be avoided.   If you need a place to hang coats etc, find a stud in the wall to attach a coat hook to.  If you attach hooks to the thin interior wallboard, remember that they will only be able to handle light loads and refrain from loading them down with heavy coats or using them as an anchor for a temporary closet rod.   Improperly installed towel racks, spice racks, or trash bag holders on the inside of a cabinet door are another fairly common problem.   Using screws that are too long can penetrate the outer surface of the door, creating an unsightly and potentially dangerous situation.  Measure the thickness BEFORE you install an such items and make sure your screws won't go all the way through.   Alignment of racks is also often misjudged.  A misaligned rack can 'tweak' the door, sometimes bending hinges or stripping screws, sometimes even cracking the door itself.   Make sure there is adequate clearance at the perimeters and inside the cabinet before installing any kind of racks on the inside or your doors.   Then don't pile stuff in the cabinet that will get in the way of the rack when the door closes and don't overload the rack with heavy or bulky items.

Many of these maintenance and repair tips apply just as well to exterior compartment doors.   In addition, you should check the weather seals regularly and replace any that are damaged.  Weatherstripping comes in many different sizes and patterns.  For best results try to match the original as closely as possible.  If you can't find a matching pattern, self-adhesive foam weatherstripping available at home centers and hardware stores can usually be easily cut to size and will, at the very least, be a great improvement over missing or damaged seals.

As always an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.   Routinely inspect all the cabinet, closet, bathroom, and divider doors in your RV.  Tighten any loose screws and replace worn or broken catches and hinges.   If the screws have stripped out the wood, insert a wooden matchstick or toothpicks to fill the hole.  Add a little wood glue to help keep them securely in place.  You can also buy repair kits that include wooden cones and an auger to clean out and repair damaged screw holes.  The hand held auger is used to ream out the hole, add a drop or two of glue, then tap a wooden cone in place.  Let the glue dry thoroughly before reinstalling the screw.  Lubricate hinges and door locks. Be gentle with your RV doors and teach your family and visitors to be gentle too.  RV doors are usually much more fragile than residential doors.  Travel inflicts a lot more vibration and torsion on cabinets and other doors than occurs in a fixed building, quickly aggravating and accelerating any damage that might be started by aggressive handling.  Wind is a common source of damage to exterior doors, so keep a good grip on the handle when opening them in windy conditions.

Keep 'em swinging!