General Windy days& rear doors
- Thread starter Possu
- Start date
Currently reading:
General Windy days& rear doors
On all my previous Ducatos the rear doors opened 90 degrees and then were locked by the door check strap. If you needed the door to open further, there was a button you had to press to release the check strap and open it the other 90 degrees.
My current 2019 Ducato doesn’t have this button but the door stops at 90 degrees on (feels like) a detent in the check strap, but it’s very weak.
The other day was windy & I opened the right rear door from inside. As soon as I released the catch, the wind got hold of the door & swung it back so that it hit the rear bumper, denting the body work.
The inner handle is low (to a 6+ footer) & in the centre of the door with not much of a handle to hold on to, so I had no chance of holding onto the door.
I feel it would not have happened if it had the previous, earlier design of check strap & wondered if anyone else had had any problems.
My current 2019 Ducato doesn’t have this button but the door stops at 90 degrees on (feels like) a detent in the check strap, but it’s very weak.
The other day was windy & I opened the right rear door from inside. As soon as I released the catch, the wind got hold of the door & swung it back so that it hit the rear bumper, denting the body work.
The inner handle is low (to a 6+ footer) & in the centre of the door with not much of a handle to hold on to, so I had no chance of holding onto the door.
I feel it would not have happened if it had the previous, earlier design of check strap & wondered if anyone else had had any problems.
I haven't had your problem, as I have the earlier design with the check strap and button. One of the doors was still caught by a sudden gust of wind and pulled out of my hand on a windy campsite though. Cost me a new check strap and release button as both were damaged by the door being forced too far past the 90 degree stop, breaking the button and deforming the check strap.
Some motorhomers with the newer vans have fitted additional straps or chains between the doors and the van body to prevent the doors opening past the 90 degree position. But (as I can attest) the door presents a large flat area and the force of a sudden gust of wind can be strong enough to swing the door to the point of causing damage no matter what measures might be in place.
Some motorhomers with the newer vans have fitted additional straps or chains between the doors and the van body to prevent the doors opening past the 90 degree position. But (as I can attest) the door presents a large flat area and the force of a sudden gust of wind can be strong enough to swing the door to the point of causing damage no matter what measures might be in place.
Joiner
New member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2007
- Messages
- 100
- Points
- 28
Can tell all the doors that have blown away by the crease about 6 inches from the edge where they have hit the tail light.
The check strap arrangement is USELESS. Far too weak and can be broken very easily.
I have made stays from 10mm solid bar bent to hook into an aluminium angle fixed to the doors through the 2 holes in the face of the door. Have drilled a series of holes to suit how far open I want the door. Other end is fixed to plywood shelving and racking inside.
Obviously too brutal a method for motorhomes but surely something similar could be fixed up.
Old Merc vans used to have something the same but smaller and fixed down at the bottom.
Moral is............don`t open back doors in a windy day.
The check strap arrangement is USELESS. Far too weak and can be broken very easily.
I have made stays from 10mm solid bar bent to hook into an aluminium angle fixed to the doors through the 2 holes in the face of the door. Have drilled a series of holes to suit how far open I want the door. Other end is fixed to plywood shelving and racking inside.
Obviously too brutal a method for motorhomes but surely something similar could be fixed up.
Old Merc vans used to have something the same but smaller and fixed down at the bottom.
Moral is............don`t open back doors in a windy day.