Entry Door Recurving

74_Coach

74_Coach

Active member
Oct 28, 2019
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Central Coast, CA
Does anyone have a set of instructions for building a jig then recurving the entry door? 2 of the links I tried failed to resolve themselves on the web. Co-op has a video on YouTube showing the adjustment procedure but no discussion by Jim on how he built the jig.

Thanks for any help.
 
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Do not laugh at this suggestion, but I was a an Eastern States rally Jim B was there. He pulled a coach up parallel to a picinic table and said to me. "You did not see this". he stood on the table with the door all the way open and held the center of the door with one foot while pulling the top or botton as necesssary until he bent it the way he needed. It took less than 5 minutes . I since then have done the same to several coach doors.
Ken B.
 
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I'm curious why you think you need to re-curve. Not latching, not hitting the second latch, water leaking, wind noise, hinges binding? I have a coach that would not hit the second catch, so it flopped around on the first catch and I thought it needed a re-curve. I learned on some coaches the catch pin itself degrades (quite ingenious rubber and steel sandwich if you look into it), next learned some have a lip on the catch plate that extends past the coach frame lip. I was successful making mine shut correctly by grinding maybe a millimeter off that catch plate lip to put it more on plane with coach frame. In some perfect world I could still use a better pin and a little less stress on the middle of the hinge side with a re-curve, but my goal was a solid closing door.

Oh yea, if you start messing with the door striker plate, be sure to do some reading first how they attach, as two of the nuts are captured and two are not and will fall down into the body frame not to be recovered. My Royale trim is such that it is easy to hold the back, but it is covered in my Glenbrook and would require more advance shenanigans to not make it worse.
 
tyler said:
I'm curious why you think you need to re-curve. Not latching, not hitting the second latch, water leaking, wind noise, hinges binding? I have a coach that would not hit the second catch, so it flopped around on the first catch and I thought it needed a re-curve. I learned on some coaches the catch pin itself degrades (quite ingenious rubber and steel sandwich if you look into it), next learned some have a lip on the catch plate that extends past the coach frame lip. I was successful making mine shut correctly by grinding maybe a millimeter off that catch plate lip to put it more on plane with coach frame. In some perfect world I could still use a better pin and a little less stress on the middle of the hinge side with a re-curve, but my goal was a solid closing door.

Oh yea, if you start messing with the door striker plate, be sure to do some reading first how they attach, as two of the nuts are captured and two are not and will fall down into the body frame not to be recovered. My Royale trim is such that it is easy to hold the back, but it is covered in my Glenbrook and would require more advance shenanigans to not make it worse.
Click to expand...
Primary issue: Water leak at top left of door and middle right side of door too tight against door jamb. New gasket installed 2019. Carpet always soaked on the left side after rain.

Why I think door needs reshaped: Tricks from body shop days - close door, bang palm on left top corner and if it vibrates gasket is not sealing. Another simple trick is to shut door with a sheet of paper in the suspected leaking area. Paper should not pull out easily if sealed properly. I can also see daylight from the inside with door closed.

Latching the door has never been a problem and I can hear two clicks when closing it slowly. Yes, already aware of non-captured nuts on striker plate - Ken Henderson noted that problem.

Ed

hyperlink that‘s dead: http://www.dwinchester.com/gmc/Recurving_Door/Recurving_Door.html
 
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I found Dan Winchester's page on the Internet Wayback Machine. The photos are gone but the text is still there. I also remember seeing his website. I was hoping to find the photos on the GMC motorhome photos site, but no luck there.

Basically he drilled a hole in the door at the top and bottom outer edge. The then used a 2x4 spaced out about a foot from the door and held in place with J hooks into the holes he drilled into the door. He was then able to use a small bottle jack between the door and the 2x4 to increase the curve of the door.

Here is the text:

Recurving the GMC Door​

After looking at pictures of the recurving process used by others and listening to the commentary of those that had watched it being done I decided either I needed to make a 3,000 mile trip to Florida to have Jim Bounds do it or I needed to come up with a way that I could do it where I had more control, and could easily check the results frequently to see how I was doing. As a result I came up with the following process which allows very precise control and allows checking the work quickly and easily. After I came up with the idea the whole process of building the jig and recurving the door took less then an hour and a good part of that was rounding up the various pieces of scrap laying around the shop that I used to do the job.

The first step was to build some L hooks that were approximately 12 inches in overall length with a 2 inch hook on the end. In my case I used 3/8 inch rod which was probably over kill, I think 1/4 inch rod would work just fine. Also my hooks had holes in the ends where I installed keepers , but that is only because the scrap rod I used already had the holes. Threading the ends of the rod would work just as well.

The second step was to drill 3/8 inch holes in the top and bottom of the doors frame. The frame is a box construction and the holes go through both sides of the box.

I then used a 2x4 that would reach from the ground to above the top of the door and marked it where each of the holes was and then drilled holes through the 2x4 for the L hooks.

The hooks were then installed through the 2x4 and the keepers put on the ends of the hooks and the whole rig was then set up to the door and the ends of the L hooks inserted in the holes.

At this point the jig can be installed and removed in a matter of seconds.

Now a small bottle jack was placed between the 2x4 and the frame at the location where the waste band is located. In most cases on the GMC that is where the door will be bent because it has been let slam open against the coach side when the restrainer strap has been removed resulting in the bending of the door. In my case the frame next to the hinge was the only one bent, the other one was just fine after that one was straightened. a piece of soft wood with a kerf cut in it for the lip on the frame extrusion was used to pad the door frame.

Once the jack was in place it was pumped up so it would deflect the door about a 1/4 inch and then released. In my case when the jack was released there was enough tension to keep it in place.

I then marked the door frame and the 2x4 just above the jack and used this as reference points to make measurements.

I then applied the jack to increase the measurement 1/4 inch above the last time and relaxed the jack and measured the result. I started at 12 3/8 inches and went in 1/4 inch increments until I got to 14 before the door took a permanent set that was enough to solve my problem.

This process would allow bending the door in any location desired, and with appropriate padding should be able to be done without removing anything from the door.

As with all my WEB pages this is just what I have done and what you do with this information is up to you. I make no warranties that this will work for anyone else or that it will be as easy as it was for me. If you do use this information use it with caution as you could destroy your door.
 
RF_Burns said:
I found Dan Winchester's page on the Internet Wayback Machine. The photos are gone but the text is still there. I also remember seeing his website. I was hoping to find the photos on the GMC motorhome photos site, but no luck there.

Basically he drilled a hole in the door at the top and bottom outer edge. The then used a 2x4 spaced out about a foot from the door and held in place with J hooks into the holes he drilled into the door. He was then able to use a small bottle jack between the door and the 2x4 to increase the curve of the door.

Here is the text:

Recurving the GMC Door​

After looking at pictures of the recurving process used by others and listening to the commentary of those that had watched it being done I decided either I needed to make a 3,000 mile trip to Florida to have Jim Bounds do it or I needed to come up with a way that I could do it where I had more control, and could easily check the results frequently to see how I was doing. As a result I came up with the following process which allows very precise control and allows checking the work quickly and easily. After I came up with the idea the whole process of building the jig and recurving the door took less then an hour and a good part of that was rounding up the various pieces of scrap laying around the shop that I used to do the job.

The first step was to build some L hooks that were approximately 12 inches in overall length with a 2 inch hook on the end. In my case I used 3/8 inch rod which was probably over kill, I think 1/4 inch rod would work just fine. Also my hooks had holes in the ends where I installed keepers , but that is only because the scrap rod I used already had the holes. Threading the ends of the rod would work just as well.

The second step was to drill 3/8 inch holes in the top and bottom of the doors frame. The frame is a box construction and the holes go through both sides of the box.

I then used a 2x4 that would reach from the ground to above the top of the door and marked it where each of the holes was and then drilled holes through the 2x4 for the L hooks.

The hooks were then installed through the 2x4 and the keepers put on the ends of the hooks and the whole rig was then set up to the door and the ends of the L hooks inserted in the holes.

At this point the jig can be installed and removed in a matter of seconds.

Now a small bottle jack was placed between the 2x4 and the frame at the location where the waste band is located. In most cases on the GMC that is where the door will be bent because it has been let slam open against the coach side when the restrainer strap has been removed resulting in the bending of the door. In my case the frame next to the hinge was the only one bent, the other one was just fine after that one was straightened. a piece of soft wood with a kerf cut in it for the lip on the frame extrusion was used to pad the door frame.

Once the jack was in place it was pumped up so it would deflect the door about a 1/4 inch and then released. In my case when the jack was released there was enough tension to keep it in place.

I then marked the door frame and the 2x4 just above the jack and used this as reference points to make measurements.

I then applied the jack to increase the measurement 1/4 inch above the last time and relaxed the jack and measured the result. I started at 12 3/8 inches and went in 1/4 inch increments until I got to 14 before the door took a permanent set that was enough to solve my problem.

This process would allow bending the door in any location desired, and with appropriate padding should be able to be done without removing anything from the door.

As with all my WEB pages this is just what I have done and what you do with this information is up to you. I make no warranties that this will work for anyone else or that it will be as easy as it was for me. If you do use this information use it with caution as you could destroy your door.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the textual description- I can work with that easily.
 
RF_Burns said:
I found Dan Winchester's page on the Internet Wayback Machine. The photos are gone but the text is still there. I also remember seeing his website. I was hoping to find the photos on the GMC motorhome photos site, but no luck there.

Basically he drilled a hole in the door at the top and bottom outer edge. The then used a 2x4 spaced out about a foot from the door and held in place with J hooks into the holes he drilled into the door. He was then able to use a small bottle jack between the door and the 2x4 to increase the curve of the door.

Here is the text:

Recurving the GMC Door​

After looking at pictures of the recurving process used by others and listening to the commentary of those that had watched it being done I decided either I needed to make a 3,000 mile trip to Florida to have Jim Bounds do it or I needed to come up with a way that I could do it where I had more control, and could easily check the results frequently to see how I was doing. As a result I came up with the following process which allows very precise control and allows checking the work quickly and easily. After I came up with the idea the whole process of building the jig and recurving the door took less then an hour and a good part of that was rounding up the various pieces of scrap laying around the shop that I used to do the job.

The first step was to build some L hooks that were approximately 12 inches in overall length with a 2 inch hook on the end. In my case I used 3/8 inch rod which was probably over kill, I think 1/4 inch rod would work just fine. Also my hooks had holes in the ends where I installed keepers , but that is only because the scrap rod I used already had the holes. Threading the ends of the rod would work just as well.

The second step was to drill 3/8 inch holes in the top and bottom of the doors frame. The frame is a box construction and the holes go through both sides of the box.

I then used a 2x4 that would reach from the ground to above the top of the door and marked it where each of the holes was and then drilled holes through the 2x4 for the L hooks.

The hooks were then installed through the 2x4 and the keepers put on the ends of the hooks and the whole rig was then set up to the door and the ends of the L hooks inserted in the holes.

At this point the jig can be installed and removed in a matter of seconds.

Now a small bottle jack was placed between the 2x4 and the frame at the location where the waste band is located. In most cases on the GMC that is where the door will be bent because it has been let slam open against the coach side when the restrainer strap has been removed resulting in the bending of the door. In my case the frame next to the hinge was the only one bent, the other one was just fine after that one was straightened. a piece of soft wood with a kerf cut in it for the lip on the frame extrusion was used to pad the door frame.

Once the jack was in place it was pumped up so it would deflect the door about a 1/4 inch and then released. In my case when the jack was released there was enough tension to keep it in place.

I then marked the door frame and the 2x4 just above the jack and used this as reference points to make measurements.

I then applied the jack to increase the measurement 1/4 inch above the last time and relaxed the jack and measured the result. I started at 12 3/8 inches and went in 1/4 inch increments until I got to 14 before the door took a permanent set that was enough to solve my problem.

This process would allow bending the door in any location desired, and with appropriate padding should be able to be done without removing anything from the door.

As with all my WEB pages this is just what I have done and what you do with this information is up to you. I make no warranties that this will work for anyone else or that it will be as easy as it was for me. If you do use this information use it with caution as you could destroy your door.
Click to expand...
I contacted Ken Henderson on recurving the door and he was able to provide the following images.

Ed
PB210001.webp
PB210002.webp
PB220003.webp
PB220006.webp
 
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Ken B said:
Do not laugh at this suggestion, but I was a an Eastern States rally Jim B was there. He pulled a coach up parallel to a picinic table and said to me. "You did not see this". he stood on the table with the door all the way open and held the center of the door with one foot while pulling the top or botton as necesssary until he bent it the way he needed. It took less than 5 minutes . I since then have done the same to several coach doors.
Ken B.
Click to expand...
I just finished adjusting the left upper door per your suggestion and I managed to close the gap! I have a few more rounds of pulling the door in but it appears your method solved the problem. Thanks Ken!

Ed
 
Any suggestions for pulling the bottom of the door OUT?
(Not sure I can get my head (or foot) around the 'stand on a table, foot against the middle, pull on the bottom technique').

2-1/2" at the latch,
Door distance at latch 1.webp
2-1/4" at the bottom.
Door distance at bottom.webp
 
Oh, come'on Bill...
Throw a two by four on edge in the bottom gap and body check the door at the latch. Measure and see what you've done and adjust.
 
dsmithy said:
Oh, come'on Bill...
Throw a two by four on edge in the bottom gap and body check the door at the latch. Measure and see what you've done and adjust.
Click to expand...
I have tried that, but probably not hard enough. I decided to look for another way after learning that can damage the bottom hinge.
 
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Yikes, didn't know that the lower hinge was subject to damage. Of the various recurving methods I've seen, window cracking was the only problem mentioned, I thought that wouldn't be an issue with your problem.
 
I’m going off memory here but as I recall, some suspected the weight of the air conditioner may have caused this condition? If so, are there further measures here that could be done? Structural stuff was kinda my previous life thing. Maybe after correction of frame deflection some cross rod reinforcement in the ceiling line that thru bolt into reinforced mounting plates at the top rail members on each side of the coach. A steel rod being placed on each side of the air conditioner?? Just sketching on the back of a napkin here.
 
Richard RV said:
www.gmcmi.com

Middle Age Spread.Stora - GMCMI

GMC Motorhome door hard to close? Learn more about the "Middle Age Spread" by Emery Stora.
www.gmcmi.com www.gmcmi.com
Click to expand...
Yes, this was it. Thanks for this. This comes back to my question about if this bulging continues or gets to a point and stops? I would wonder if it continues. Therefore maybe other remedies may be better to get at the problem. Anyhow, thanks again!

TG
 
That gap at the entry door cabinet panel does not continue to grow. The worst gap I've ever seen was maybe 1/2"-5/8", most are ~3/8".

Your earlier post about using rods to tie together the roof wouldn't address the cause of the bowing side wall - the structural discontinuity of the door opening. There is simply no way to reinforce the structure without adding a lot of reinforcement to both the roof/wall connection and aluminum framing on either side of the opening. There's already a solution that works, I'd go with that.

Maybe it's more of a mental exercise aimed at GMCs that don't have the perpendicular wall panel immediately adjacent to the door opening?
 
I used a turn buckle between the door frame and the cabinet to pull the framework back in and match the cabinetry. Helps to keep the middle-age spread from increasing.

Now if I could decrease my own body middle-age spread.

I'll edit to add a photo later today.
 
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