315RLTS entry door hinges

AB SB Brown

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2021
Messages
12
Location
Warsaw, KY
We just got a new Reflection 315 RLTS (Not our first).
There are only two screws holding three hinges to the main frame.
Are these door hinges welded in place from the inside of the frame? Just seems an insufficient number of screws in the hinges.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20230619_205511572.jpg
    PXL_20230619_205511572.jpg
    95.1 KB · Views: 94
  • PXL_20230619_205508605.jpg
    PXL_20230619_205508605.jpg
    93.5 KB · Views: 65
  • PXL_20230619_205504935.jpg
    PXL_20230619_205504935.jpg
    92.1 KB · Views: 70
Last edited:
We just got a new Reflection 315 RLTS (Not our first).
The there are only two screws holding three hinges to the main frame.
Are these door hinges welded in place? Just seems an insufficient number of hinges.
It is incomplete. If you have the time and patience, take it back to the dealer. If not order some 1 1/2" self-drilling, square drive, pan head screws that are painted black (you can get them on Amazon) and finish the install yourself.
 
On closer scrutiny, the frame and hinges are all aluminum. It appears these were spot welded, possibly from the other side before the frame assembly was attached to the door opening. Another on a FB forum showed his and his holes are full filled - not screws, like a TIG weld. Gonna call GD tomorrow regardless. From others on FB there's no consistency.
 
I don't think a spot welder made those holes. I was thinking a spot welder might have had one probe in the drilled hole and the weld is on the other side I can't see. Wierd technique for spot welding....
 
Made me go look.

There is a screw at the top and another at the bottom. No screw in the middle. Looks like two rivets in each hinge.

Since we winter in New Mexico where the wind blows some, I started thinking about how the wind might affect the door. The Habitat For Humanity office in Hobbs has a sign on the door reminding people to hold on tightly so the door doesn't blow open and slam into the building. Since the door is hinged at the front, the only time the wind could grab it is when the slide is retracted. If you are inside, going out, with the slide retracted you are probably aware of what the wind is like and would be prepared to hold onto the door if needed. If you were outside you would definitely know what the wind is like. If the slide is extended it will block the wind enough that the door shouldn't fly open.

That said, when we're at Bill Thomas later this month I'll ask them about it. We're also looking at a factory tour in September, so I can ask them, too.
 
Since the top and bottom hinges are friction hinges, they have to be fastened somehow. Definitely doesn’t look secure - those hinges put a lot of stress on the door frame. I wouldn’t wait too long before getting it checked out.
 
I checked mine, yesterday.

The two screws seem to be for initial alignment, while all the other "holes" have rivets in them.

Yours look spot-welded.

Simple test:

On the hinges with no screws, can you move that part of the hinge with your fingers?

If so, they were never fastened.

If not, they are spot welded.
 
I agree. All hinges are secure as is the door. I know what rivets look like so I am inclined to believe spot welded. The ones where the holes are completely full I believe are solid rivets.
 
We just got a new Reflection 315 RLTS (Not our first).
There are only two screws holding three hinges to the main frame.
Are these door hinges welded in place from the inside of the frame? Just seems an insufficient number of screws in the hinges.

Mine have two rivets in each hinge plus a screw in the top and bottom hinge. Sounds like they didn't finish yours.

bottom.jpg middle.jpg top.jpg
 
That's the way mine is. I wonder why there are three holes for screws on the top and bottom hinges, but only one is used?
 
Revitalizing this thread, because this just happened to me today. I seem to have the spot-welded hinges with one screw at the top and one at the bottom.

What is the fix for a broken spot weld? Can I just put a screw or two in that broken hinge and call it a day?

vr
Ron
IMG_20240803_103234059.jpgIMG_20240803_103214065.jpgIMG_20240803_103208704.jpg
 
So I know I'm overthinking this... I researched the Lippert site and they do not ID the type of material for the screw.

Stainless or Zinc?

My first thought was stainless, but then I thought maybe zinc being a little softer might be better for the twisting, torquing and bouncing while driving.

Thoughts?
Ron
 
Finished up the repair. Lippert manual says #10 1 3/4 inch self tapping screws minimum 1 1/2". I did a little research and decided on Stainless.

I could not find 1 3/4" in the box store but got 1 1/2" instead. But this is funny... look how short of a screw GD used?

I drilled a pilot hole. I know this seems strange, but I drilled a 11/64" on the small hole and 5/32" on the larger hole. The #10 screw would not go through the small hole, so the 11/64" opened it up just a hair.

Resist drilling into the wood. When you feel the drill bit punch through the metal, stop.

On the broken hinge, I used three screws. I was going to call it a day and thought, what if another spot weld breaks while traveling. So, I decided to put in a single screw into a different top and bottom hinge.

I learned about using wide painters' tape to catch drill bit shavings in one of those hack videos. Worked great. A little black sharpie over the screw heads finished it off.

IMG_20240804_173246901.jpg
IMG_20240804_173317344.jpg
IMG_20240804_173808566 (1).jpg
IMG_20240804_173901600.jpg
IMG_20240804_175554107.jpg
 

Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days

  • New Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
  • Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
  • Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
  • and much more...
Try RV LIFE Pro Today
Back
Top Bottom