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XLII Door Handle Issue
I know this has been discussed prior but I think it needs to be brought up again. Saturday afternoon, we walk outside with the dog and close the door. Go to let the dog in and the handle is a limp noodle. Pull the handle and nothing. Yep, the ol Prevost XL/XLII door handle failure. Problem #1
Now our prior owner was very nice to hide a key for us which we found but to no use as it was not a lock issue it was the latch that failed. So the hide a key was not going to solve #1. I think the fix will be covered under my warranty from the prior owner! LOL
Next option was to open the driverside door. Problem #2, the key for the driver door was inside the coach, nicely placed with all the other remaining keys.
A quick call to a locksmith and an email to Jon, a call to Jeff (ETLC) and a call to our prior owner and we determine the locksmith can open the driver door. Locksmith show’s up and he’s the size of 12yr old boy…a runner at that!. With in about 5 min, he has the door open.
Next up, shimmy the locksmith up through the small opening of the driver door, once inside, open the CS door. SUCCESS!! He’s in and opens the door. We pull the access panel to the door and see the failed part. Locksmith rigs up a pull cable for us to open and close the door.
A quick call to Prevost Nashville and a new assembly is being held for us and we will be there on Monday am.
A couple of quick take aways in priority order:
1. Always have keys for all doors someplace outside of the coach.
2. Keep beer in the outside refridge AND a bottle opener! Nothing worse than being pissed off, HOT, with a cold beer you cannot open!
Now for all the responses on how to open the door in this situation!!
A long handle pole with a hook to open door
figure out a way to turn the ignition on to open toll window CS
Shoving some small person through the TOLL window access
Our Solution to open the door now.. Yep. Hillbillies!! Just need a rocking chair on the roof!
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45 Replies
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Good info Tom, especially the beer tips. Has the NAPA warranty team arrived yet?
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Tom and I had a nice discussion about this issue, which is not new and which usually occurs at the worst possible moment.
Here are some of my thoughts. Don’t be outside your coach without having at the very least a means of opening the driver’s door on XLII or H3 coaches and the bays where you can access tools and beer.
The easiest way for people of all sizes with XLII or H3 coaches to access the coach interior is to open the driver’s door, and use a stick or long rod to push the passenger side toll window switch after you turn on the ignition. You can then reach through the open entry door toll window and open the door using the inside handle. Before you experience a failed entry door handle have a plan. Learn where the entry door window switch is, and how you are going to push it to open the window. If you cannot get access to that switch, make certain you have a long rod or pole you can use to pull the door handle from the driver’s side of the coach.
XL owners may have a more difficult problem. If they are lucky they can slide one of the side windows. If they can open the passenger side window they can reach in. If they can open the driver’s side window they need a long rod with a hook to pull the inside handle.
If they cannot open a side window, pull the passenger side windshield. It is easy and not to be feared. The reason you want the bay door key is so you can get a ladder or stool to get you high enough to handle the windsheild easily. Be prepared. Once you succeed in accessing the inside of the coach you can put the windsield back in by soaping it liberally, sliding it into the gasket towards the center of the coach and then when oriented properly working the gasket back around the glass. When that is done, reinstall the rip cord you had to pull out to release the windshield in the first place.
It cannot be overstated that if you are outside of your coach you must have access to the bay or driver side door key, either by having it in your pocket, or hidden in a place on the outside of the coach accessible to you.
Don’t break glass to get in. That is expensive. If you suspect your handle is starting to fail, do not hesitate to get it looked at or replaced as soon as possible. Remember……..make certain you can get at the bay or driver’s door key. Your remote or door lock key are not going to help.
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Ah excuse me Mr. Motorola, but my “H” has no driver door.
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Is there any particular year range this is happening in.
My 99 door has been opened and closed more than I could count but no problem yet.
After being locked out before I have a hidden bay door key and front door key.
The bay door key alows me to access all my tools and a specially bent piece of metal that will slide between the windows on my door and unlock the little lever that will let you slide the window open.
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Buddy, If you have photos of the device you use to slide a window, perhaps even how it is used it will be a huge help.
And for the folks with H coaches that have small toll windows but no way of opening them or getting past them you do need to figure out how you can actuate your inner entry door handle because if you have the problem with the door handle you may have to break some glass.
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Interesting to see this issue on Prevosts! We had the same thing happen on our coach while camped out at Bolling AFB while on a trip to carry our friend’s ashes to Arlington National Cemetary. I did have access to my underfloors, where among other tools, I carry a drill. I drilled out enough of the plate behind the handle so I could access the release mechanism to open the door. Ordered a replacement lock unit when we got home, and used the deadbolt until we got the lock assembly replaced. Now we just use the deadbolt to lock the door.
As an aside, it was very impressive to see the burial with full military honors. -
I got this at a paint store in Jackson Hole where I got locked out.
I is a hook to hang paint cans on a ladder.
Works great to get between the weather strip on my older XL and flip up the lock lever then you can slide the window open and reach the door lock or handle.
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Of course there is warranty, The lock smith called and I OK’ed the best repair he could make not to exceed $100 bucks.
Based on the picture it’s good I did’nt low ball it at $50.
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‘scuse my ignorance, but what’s a driver’s door?
And on the subject of European bottled beer that doesn’t twist off, a pair of dikes works well (the electrician’s tool kind), lineman’s pliers, Channellocks, the edge of a desk, shelf, etc. Depends on your level of thirst!
Good night.
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On XLII coaches there is a door that opens and it provides access to the front electrical compartment and the lower steer compartment. But it also includes the toll window, so when the door is open there is the possibility a skinny person can wiggle through the opening to get inside the coach. Once inside the entry door can be opened.
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Here is a photo of a door on an XLII. Maybe we shouldn’t call it a door because that sounds like it is used for entry. It is used to access the electrical box in the front, plus the items in the lower steer compartment.
Notice that the opening where the toll window sits when the door is closed is big enough for small statured people to squeeze through so the entry door can be opened from the inside.
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New door handle installed! Only issue is the new handle does not have the pre notched hole for the door bell (a marathon thing?). Prevost drilled out a hole and we are better than new! Only cost $1 coach buck. (ie $1,000). Oh and i picked up two new wiper blades just in case of rain!
New handle is great! Much much smoother opening than the prior one. I did not get photos as they hand the old out and new one in before i could snap a few photos.
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Tom and Bill,
Glad that you guys are back up and running. On the good side, the part that you needed was available and they were able to get to it right away.Safe travels,
Mark
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I see. Thanks, Jon, for elucidating me.
As you probably know, on my antique there are two separate compartments, each with its own ‘door’, and the toll window is not a part of it.
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I think my rant on this thread applies to door handles also because that is another product that has had an issue for a long time. Who is minding the store up there in Canada?
http://prevostcommunity.com/forum/threaddetails.asp?Category=Chassis&ThreadID=4585
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