Habitation Door Strut

The gas strut on our door don't seem to do anything is it to stop the door opening wide in the wind at the moment no resistance so folds flat against cab.

Hi Chris

I don't think it is a gas strut as such. I think it's just a restraint as you suggest, but it should have a sort of detent or notch near the fully open extreme where it slightly resists any tendency for the wind to blow the door shut. (Hope you can understand what I mean.)

In our previous van the emphasis was on the term "slightly resist" as you could barely feel the resistance as you opened or closed the door past the "notch".

I believe some members have devised additional restraints, one of them being the good old elastic luggage strap hooked over something to hold the door safely open.

Hope this helps.

I remember another thread on this problem previously, with lots of tips and solutions.

Leighton.

Bad Penny wrote:I remember another thread on this problem previously, with lots of tips and solutions.

Leighton.

I've just been looking Leighton and there are lots of threads on the same theme. It is a problem that many of us have.

We have replaced the door strut several times as well as various screws and blobs of glue but to no lasting effect. We now use a piece of red cord threaded from the wheel to the door handle. It's not elegant and not a good advert for Hartal doors.

We would have liked to have had the same type of door catch as on previous vans, where the door folds back completely and is held firmly to the side of the van. This would cover the fridge vent but, more critically, AS advised us that there are no firm fixing points on the side of the van and we risked damage being caused if the door was caught by a strong gust of wind.

We've had one of these restraints on our last  van too, and that was a lot worse than the AS one as the screw came out of the top and we'd spend time crawling around trying to find. So far the AS one hasn't come apart.

However, AS have replaced this restraint on new vans with a gas strut suggesting they've had a few moans. Like Quilter we'd prefer the old fashioned type.

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This is the already fitted, but no resistance at all.

harrysp wrote:However, AS have replaced this restraint on new vans with a gas strut suggesting they've had a few moans.

But is it actually a gas strut Harry?

See my earlier post and the image in Chris' post just after yours. It looks like a gas strut, but it most definitely is not. (On our previous van it wasn't anyway, for sure.) There's no springing effect at all, and the resistance near the fully open position is minimal, to say the least. If you open the door too enthusiastically it stops it slamming into the side of the van, but that's about the full extent of its useful function. 

On the present van it's quite different. A flat steel strip that does have a period of resistance near the fully open position, but not strong enough to resist a gust of wind. I guess it's quite difficult to set the strength of the resistance so it's not too difficult to open and close, but still prevents the door from slamming in all but a gale.

The wind as slammed mine against the cab a few times so think it is knackered

I contacted Mark at AS it is in fact a strut that closes the door when windy, now I thought it was to open door to a certain angle like the windows do.

Have found new ones at a cost of £73 plus delivery so I think I’ll find something cheaper to stop door from slamming shut or slamming against the cab. 

Anyone else had the same problem, my only problem I have at the moment is deciding what colour luggage strap to use.

chrisk wrote:
Have found new ones at a cost of £73 plus delivery so I think I’ll find something cheaper to stop door from slamming shut or slamming against the cab. 

Recall our previous Broadway had a gas strut affair with slight resistance on opening and closing. The door opened fully (180) against the sidewall held in place with a 'Veneta' Door Retainer. But a strong gust of wind would see it release and almost slam the door shut. This cheap plastic retainer wears over time but can be replaced. Like the flat steel strip (as on our van) that Gromit describes, this only allows the door to open 90 degrees and we fear that gusting wind would rip it from it's fixtures if forced further open. IMO, if you don't have the door retainer and the door indeed opens against the side, then the strut is likely to be broken.

chrisk wrote:I contacted Mark at AS it is in fact a strut that closes the door when windy, now I thought it was to open door to a certain angle like the windows do.

Have found new ones at a cost of £73 plus delivery so I think I’ll find something cheaper to stop door from slamming shut or slamming against the cab. 

Anyone else had the same problem, my only problem I have at the moment is deciding what colour luggage strap to use.

Hmm, I wonder how the strut knows it is windy so it can close the door?  

Same strut on my 2017 Stanton. It was so stiff when I took delivery, you had to put your shoulder against the door to open it. Soon fettled it with some silicone spray. I can feel the notch at the extreme end, but it's not very strong. 

The door mirrors were similarly over tight, I thought I was going to rip them off when I first folded them in. Silicone spray again.

This strut should be a damper. it should contro the speed the door operates, not with friction (hopeless), but like the dampers on your suspension, with fluid.

chrisk wrote:I contacted Mark at AS it is in fact a strut that closes the door when windy, now I thought it was to open door to a certain angle like the windows do.

Have found new ones at a cost of £73 plus delivery so I think I’ll find something cheaper to stop door from slamming shut or slamming against the cab. 

Anyone else had the same problem, my only problem I have at the moment is deciding what colour luggage strap to use.

I use a green and black luggage strap.