Finding entry door hinge on Discovery

[gibsonjv]

Hey everyone.

I need a little help finding an entry door hinge for my 1999 Fleetwood Discovery 36T. The upper hinge has broken where it attaches to the door frame. I called the local Fleetwood dealer. They quoted a price of $207.35, this thing is aluminum. I was told that it was redesigned and made of steel and aluminum. For now I have swapped the middle hinge with the upper to balance the weight of the door however, this is a temporary fix. I work at a car dealership and a hinge for a full size truck doesn't cost this much and it is solid steel. Does anyone know where I can find one on my own or am I going to have to get creative and fabricate one?

Thanks in advance.

Vic

[tbutler]

Use the search function (second menu line above right next to help). Put in the word salvage and you should come up with a list of discussions of salvage yards for RV's. There are several extensive discussions that cite lists of yards. You may find one near you but if not, they generally will ship and people I know who have had problems with suitability of items have found them to be most cooperative in taking an item back and finding the correct one if possible.

I was told by someone who visited one of these that the trip is instructive. You can see for yourself where the fire started and/or how the vehicles were damaged by accident, wind, etc.

Regarding cost, remember that those full size trucks you speak of were manufactured in the millions and there were many millions of hinges built and sold and thousands others in inventory somewhere. With motor homes those numbers are hundreds or thousands instead of millions. The economics of scale drops significantly as a result.

[gibsonjv]

Thanks for the info I will search today when I get off work. Also good point on the number of vehicles vs coaches, I hadn't thought of that. Duh? Well good thing I don't claim to be intelligent. Haha!

Vic

[hermanmullins]

Thanks for the info I will search today when I get off work. Also good point on the number of vehicles vs coaches, I hadn't thought of that. Duh? Well good thing I don't claim to be intelligent. Haha!

Vic

Welcome to the Forum.

Vic, take your broken hinge to a good welder and have him TIG weld(Heli-Arc) the hinge together. Grind it smooth, good as new. You can put it in the middle so it wont have as much strain on it. I have no doubt that the welded hinge will be as strong as new. After you get this repair done you can search the wed for a salvage yard to find one (Buy two if they arn't too much). I did notice that both of the frame sides of the hinge were broke. Question, do you have some sort of stop to prevent the door from opening too fast with the wind? Also look at the brake. Are there both bright and dark spots on the brake. If so the hinge may have been cracked for some time and just finaly gave way. You might inspect the other two hinges to check for cracking.

Good luck, Hold on to that Door and Happy RVing.

[gibsonjv]

Herman,

Apparently the screen door was removed/replaced in the past and the screws were put back in at an angle. Having the effect of a wedge in between the door and door frame and broke the hinge. From the look of it, it has been broken for some time. I have corrected the problem. I think! I have no door stop other than the compression strut (like a hood prop on a car). I need to rectify that also. This Rv was given to me by my parents and it sat in the driveway for just over 2yrs. As we all know it is not good for RV's to sit un-used, little things start to happen. So I am just beginning to repair/replace and modify things. I have learned so much from this board and others like it. Thank you to everyone that responds for being understanding of dumb greenhorn questions.

Happy RVing

Vic

[harrysusa]

Hi Vic,

If you are not a member of Discovery Owners Association Inc (DOAI) you might consider signing up.

They have discussed the door hinge issues for years & have some solutions. Do a search in Forums.

It is a very good source for all things relating to the Discovery coach.

Harry Salit

[gibsonjv]

Harry,

Thanks, I joined it about 2 weeks ago but just got my membership packet and access to the forums. I got on it this morning but it's hard to do at work. That is my first stop tonight when I get home.

Vic

[gibsonjv]

Update on the hinge. got on the Discovery board and found a guy who made a die for the hinge. Now made of steel and aluminum. Still pricey but $400 for 3 hinges is better than $210 for one. Better quality than the original. I still have 8 salvage yards looking for them, but if no word in next 2 weeks the I will buy the new ones.