What to Do if Your RV Storage Components Won't Open

Every week we take a look back at the RV Doctor Gary Bunzer's answers to your tough questions. He has been providing insight into troubleshooting, repair and preventative RV maintenance since 1968.

Dr. Gary, I own a Winnebago Journey DL (02). Passenger side large storage compartment won't open. There are 2 latches on either end controlled by center control lever. Only one latch will release, the other feels like it moves but won't release. My only apparent fix would be to drill out screws from behind since it is exposed behind front tire. I have tried every long, thin, curved device to try and trip this latch to no avail. Any brilliant and/or simple solutions I haven't thought of? — Bill, New Bedford, MA

Hey Bill, thank you for your recent post to the RV Open Road Blog! We love hearing from our readers.

Rest assured you are not the first RVer to suffer this situation. Many manufactured motorhomes have the exact same symptoms, especially on the wider storage bays and over an extended period of use. In some cases, the latches are made out of a plastic material, but thank goodness for the aftermarket! Replacement latches are available as well as repair kits for many of the popular bay doors.

You can order these latching assemblies directly from RB Machining in CA. Though rebuild kits are also available, I’d recommend replacing the whole latch assembly on each end of the affected bay doors.

Of course, this is AFTER you’ve managed to open the storage compartment door. If you cannot rack or twist the door a little to release that stuck latch, your solution of removing the screws might be the better way to go to avoid damaging the door or the center lock assembly.

Thanks again for your post. Let us know how it works out.

All effort is made to ensure the correctness of Gary’s responses; however, not all responses will apply in every instance. Some situations may mandate a visual inspection and further hands-on testing. It is imperative that if you choose to follow any instructions or procedures outlined in The Doctor’s Orders column, you must first satisfy yourself thoroughly that neither personal nor product safety will be compromised or jeopardized. If you are in doubt or do not feel comfortable about a procedure, do not continue. Simply call your local RV service facility and make an appointment with them. Remember, the advice, recommendations and procedures offered by The RV Doctor are solely those of Gary. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions, procedures and recommendations of Lippert, this publication or any of its advertisers.