So your Door on your Camper is Sagging?
If your camper is like mine, it has many outside doors for the basement storage, outdoor kitchen, and etc. which all have gas struts. They hold these doors open for us, so we don’t have to secure them in place while open. Like everything, they wear out overtime. My large outdoor kitchen door struts failed end of last year. This caused it to only stay open 1/3 of the way unless I put a pole to hold it open. This stopped us from being able to watch the TV and PURELY frustration to cook.
Below I will show you the process I went through to replace them on my Jayco. Keep in mind, hardware for struts and applications vary widely but same basic idea.
Finding the Proper Replacement(s)
The best way to find a replacement is to get the manufacturer and model number off the existing ones. I had Masterlifts on my outdoor Kitchen and a quick Google Search showed multiple options. I went with some aftermarket struts for less than $60 dollars total. The part numbers cross referenced.
The second method more difficult method is to measure your original struts to match up stats for replacements.
Amazon
Tools you will need
- Flat head screwdriver
- Rag
- Lube (Ball Mount)
Removal of Existing Struts
The normal type of strut found on our camper doors will be on a “ball mount.” They are easy to remove by taking a flat head screwdriver to “pop” the clip on the back. Than the strut pulls off the mount. Since I used aftermarket OEM Replacement for my struts, I was able to re-use the factory mounts. I HATE drilling into my Camper if I do not have to. Once both are removed, we are ready to replace them.
Installation of New Replacement Struts
First off, I wiped down the existing mounts I was re-using. I checked the torque on the mounts’ screws also while I was at it. Next I lubed the ball mount slightly for longevity. Finally I had someone hold the outdoor kitchen door all the way extended. This allowed me to simply line up the gas struts and just “pop” the new ones onto the existing mounts. Once I had completed both sides, we were all done!
Success! Our Door is back in the Action!
FINALLY after a few camping trips rigging the door to stay open, my outdoor kitchen door was fixed. It sagging made the outdoor TV un-usable and whole thing a pain to use. This repair coming in at little less than 60 dollars was worth every penny. It was also EXTREMELY easy to do. There are quite a few of these on my 5th wheel, so I am glad to see how easy they are to replace. Gas struts are “wear” items on campers. This replacement is almost cross between maintenance & repair.
Best Way to Complete this Repair
I did this on our Memorial Day trip out. It literally took 10 minutes to do. I always like to complete few projects while the kids are playing. I am going to be passing on quite few I have completed this Spring. I already have information about my new LevelMate Pro posted. Very soon to come many more blog posts! Stay Tuned!