Posted 2013-06-10 3:12 PM (#152609 - in reply to #152607) Subject: RE: SUNDOWER SLAM LATCH QUESTION??
Member
Posts: 37
The striker plate bolt on the front stall of my 2004 Sundowner has broke off. I thought the broken bolt could be drilled out and a new striker could be installed but was told on this trailer the bolt was installed from the outside and the replacement striker has a female end, not a male end.
Any idea on how this can be fixed without having to remove the suncoating inside the trailer and pulling the complete panel off to get to it? I thought about cleaning off the coating at the base of the striker and having the new base welded back in place....
Posted 2013-06-11 9:24 AM (#152620 - in reply to #152607) Subject: RE: SUNDOWER SLAM LATCH QUESTION??
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399 Location: Ottawa, Illinois 61350
Call the Sundowner Trailers plant at 800 654-3879, and ask for Anthony Holder or Micheal Roeder, and they can tell you how to go about changing the striker pin. Since it is an automated phone system, you'll want customer service.
Posted 2013-06-14 10:45 AM (#152741 - in reply to #152607) Subject: RE: SUNDOWER SLAM LATCH QUESTION??
Member
Posts: 37
After 3 days of calling and voice mails I actually talked to a real person... Only thing I was able to get was I could by the complete replacement part for 12.00 which is cheap, but I was looking for a quick fix until I can find somebody to fix it right.
Posted 2013-06-14 3:32 PM (#152753 - in reply to #152607) Subject: RE: SUNDOWER SLAM LATCH QUESTION??
Member
Posts: 37
Well mine is a 2004 model and first I ordered just the replacement striker pin and figured out that the bolt it connects too was what broke and it was installed from the outside. The new part that Sundowner is sending me is $12.00, but I must remove the coating on the inside around where is it mounted and remove some of the inner panels, have the old unit removed and weld in the new one....
Just sounds like a big deal and since I only use my front stall for hay and my generator I wanted to know about removing the coating in the location where the actual striker pin was at and having just the new striker pin I bought welded in place. But the guys at Sundowner could not tell me if this would work or not, just told me the way Sundowner changed the striker pins up was a bad idea since they could not be changed out like the older ones could. The older striker pins had the actual bolt made to the striker (like most car doors use).
Posted 2013-06-14 4:17 PM (#152756 - in reply to #152607) Subject: RE: SUNDOWER SLAM LATCH QUESTION??
Elite Veteran
Posts: 792 Location: Tenn/Ala.
There's no reason you cannot weld it in place. And with the adjustments on the divider hinges, it even gives you a little leeway (just a very little) of placement. I have seen it done before.
Posted 2013-06-14 5:32 PM (#152758 - in reply to #152756) Subject: RE: SUNDOWER SLAM LATCH QUESTION??
Member
Posts: 37
Originally written by RTSmith on 2013-06-14 4:17 PM
There's no reason you cannot weld it in place. And with the adjustments on the divider hinges, it even gives you a little leeway (just a very little) of placement. I have seen it done before.
That was my thinking about welding it for a quick fix... Because this time of the year we can not be without a trailer for more than a few days at a time and the local shops are telling me "just a few days at the most" but I have been there and done that before! What was to be a few days most always turns into a week or so. I did order the complete kit and plan on having it installed when we slow down at the end of summer, just looking for a quick fix till then.
SUNDOWER SLAM LATCH QUESTION??
