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Help needed to Repair a Lunar Champ H591 door


HelenMax

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Please, please, please can anyone help me?

 

I have a Lunar Champ H591 motorhome (04 Reg) which has had the habitation door and frame damaged (they got bent due to turning left too tight and hitting a low level metal walkway), such that the door can only be opened with a mighty shove, and can only be shut by a well placed kick!

As this was a HomeCar model, Lunar are not able to provide any parts, so I am having a nightmare trying to get it repaired. The insurers will not write it off, as the motorhome is still driveable and are leaving me to get it mended as their recommended repairers will not touch it :'(

 

Has anyone had to replace a Lunar Champ door themselves?

Do you know of anyone who has a Lunar Champo that is being scrapped and has a good door and frame that I could buy?

Do you know of someone who could take on the task of fitting another make of frame & door that is slightly larger instead?

 

Any suggestions appreciated, as just don't know what to do...

Cheers

Helen

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Hi Helen and welcome.

 

When someone asks such a question its a good idea to say approximately where in the world you live ... say within 10 miles.

 

In these situations the usual remedy is to apply a similar force from the opposite side. There must be an engineering firm or good craftsmen around who you could ask. Go knock on their door and try.

 

There's likely to be damage remaining after so be aware of that.

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Helen&Max - 2019-02-12 12:11 PM

 

Thanks for your suggestion John, but I've already tried them. They don't have Lunar Doors. They could supply a door roughly similar size, but the main problem is who I get to fit it...

 

It depends whereabouts in the country you are or the distance you are prepared to travel?

 

Keith.

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I believe Home Car marketed motorhomes abroad just using a letter-prefix + a number suffix to designate the model.

 

So a “P” prefix indicated a Ducato-based ‘profile' design, “PR” indicated a Renault-based ‘profile' design, and a “C” prefix indicated ia Ducato-based ‘overcab’ (Capucine) design.

 

In principle, then, in 2004 Home Car might have been marketing a P591 equivalent to your Lunar Champ H591 , but I wouldn’t bet on an exact number-match.

 

Lunar Champs were UK-handed (with the habiitation-area entrance-door on the UK-nearside) whereas LHD Home Car models had that door on the opposite side (ie. on the UK-offside). So the hinge-line position of the door of a RHD Champ will be different to that of a LHD Home Car equivalent.

 

If I remember correctly, the bodywork of Home Car and Lunar Champ models uses AluFiber, with the body-panels’ outer surface comprising a thin layer of aluminium bonded to a composite underlayer. This was claimed to combine a shiny finish with an improved resistance to dents and hail. I’m not sure if this would affect repairs, but it’s perhaps worth keeping in mind.

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Derek Uzzell - 2019-02-13 6:44 PM

 

The Home Car P591 apparently exists - there’s a Dutch advert for one here

 

http://www.campercentrumeindhoven.nl/campers/detail/?i=Home%2DCar+P+591&c=C980A0C0649342D9A0659249CEB70D45

 

(Note the door on the UK-offside.)

 

Helen,

 

Be very careful when sourcing a door from a LHD Lunar as the hinges will be on the wrong side and will result in a 'Suicide door' fitment on your RHD Lunar.

 

I am not immediately aware of any regulations prohibiting this but virtually every MH you will ever see has the habitation door with the hinges on the forward edge giving a safer condition should the door come open whilst travelling, or you fail to close it properly before moving off.

 

Keith.

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The photos of a Home Car P591 on the Dutch advert indicate that, although its habitation-door has a plain exterior, the door’s interior is quite complex - so the possibility of ‘inverting’ the door of a LHD Home Car to obtain a towards-the-motorhome’s-front hinge-line is unlikely to be a practical option.

 

As I see it, the choices are to repair the damaged door and frame, or to obtain a new door and frame that larger than the original and have the opening in the Champ’s body-side enlarged so that the replacement door/frame can be fitted. It’s probable that all Champs being built around 2004/2005 (irrespective of the motorhome model) had the same habitation door, but the chances of finding that door secondhand are small.

 

As Helen’s Champ’s door can actually be opened and closed (albeit with a mighty shove and a well placed kick) it sounds like a repair may be practicable. Bounty Hunter has suggested contacted a specialist repairer in Glasgow.

 

(I remember seeing an elderly motorhome being repaired at a caravan breaker’s premises. The vehicle had been hit by a car from behind and the front of the car had ended up inside the motorhome. The repair procedure was hideous to look at, but, once the mototrhome’s bodywork had been re-skinned and the new aluminium skin resprayed, the original massive damage would have been satisfactorily disguised. It’s amazing what a specialist repairer can do and a repair to the Champ’s damaged door/frame is likely to be much cheaper than sourcing and fitting a different door.)

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bounty hunter - 2019-02-13 8:58 AM

 

Helen

Our friend had their Mirage repaired in Glasgow and were impressed with their standard of work.

https://www.motorhomerepaircentre.com/accident-damage-repair/

 

Also have you measured your door as most motorhomes have a standard door fitted. If you click on door images on O'leary website you get the dimensions

 

John

 

Thanks for this suggestion - I've spoken to them on the phone and am taking the motorhome down to Glasgow on Tuesday for them to have a look at.

 

Hopefully they can think out the box and do a custom repair without having any new parts to fit...

 

Many thanks to everyone for all your help

:-D

Helen

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