mondo Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 My Fiamma grab rail seems to have siezed/jammed/stuck in what I would term in the open position (ie)it's flush against the side of the vehicle but not across the door.I can turn the keys in the lock......however when the key is vertical the key can be removed...but when the key is horizontal it stays in the lock.The little lug that you pull to move the handle will not move at all....I've tried WD40 no joy...Can any one help as this handle is sort of an added bit of security All replies are gratefully received,HELP ME OBI_WAN YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!! *-) *-) :$ :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Could it be frozen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJP Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Sorrythis isdoes not help your current problem. We asked about one of the grab rails when at the dealers last year. The service people told us it was a commom problem that they seized and that you had to keep them well lubricated with good quality oil but not WD40. We were put off by what we told so left it alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J9withdogs Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 It seems to be quite a common problem with these. I was advised to put Vaseline on mine by the caravan centre from which I bought it. Have you tried putting pressure on the handle whilst pulling down on the toggle? I've found that helps when mine is stuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmbeedee Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 Mine stuck in the locked position, against the door! This gave us a real problem as my wife can only access the MH by the habitation door, as this has a double step. Fortunately, we were at my brother's house at the time & were able to borrow a plastic step from him to enable her to climb in via cab door. After moving to site I decided to remove the grab handle altogether (4 x M6 nuts inside) but after loosening all 4 nuts it would unlock. I therefore bolted it back up & all seemed OK. Added plenty of GT85 spray to ensure well lubricated. When we got home, locked solid again! When it was locked, you could turn the barrel with the key but it was impossible to pull the small release handle down. As this was on our first trip in a brand new MH, with the grab handle fitted by supplying dealer, I returned it to them to fix with the other "snags". They couldn't get it to work reliably either, so they fitted a new one. One comment they made, they felt the original was fitted too close to the body, so used slightly thicker spacers underneath the new one. So far, it seems fine, although we haven't ventured far since it was fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archiesgrandad Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Hi We have the same problem on our Rimor. I lubricate ours with a PTFE spray which works up to a point, but it is still unreliable. When it does stick I find the only, and relatively simple, way is to use a large screwdriver between the upper face of the red plastic handle, the bit where the metal bolt goes into the plastic, and the lower face of the aluminium housing and gently lever them apart. It doesn't take a lot of effort and then you can apply more spray. Do not apply excessive force to the "T" part of the handle, ie don't hit it with a hammer. I shall be reattaching the "T" piece with the hot melt glue gun when the weather improves. AGD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Chapman Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 mondo - 2009-02-11 5:52 PM My Fiamma grab rail seems to have siezed/jammed/stuck in what I would term in the open position (ie)it's flush against the side of the vehicle but not across the door.I can turn the keys in the lock......however when the key is vertical the key can be removed...but when the key is horizontal it stays in the lock.The little lug that you pull to move the handle will not move at all....I've tried WD40 no joy...Can any one help as this handle is sort of an added bit of security All replies are gratefully received,HELP ME OBI_WAN YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!! *-) *-) :$ :$ Hello Mondo, I had this exact problem after a severe cold spell and assumed that the lock or the vertical pin was frozen. I heated the key and after several attempts the pin released allowing the handle to move. The key could be turned and removed as you described so assumed that the pin or locking mechanism had been frozen. Gave the lock and key area a good dose of lock de-icer and lubricated the pin with moly-grease. No problem since even in -10C temperatures. Regards, Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 Hi Mine was awkward from new, so i sprayed it with silicon spray and its worked smoothly ever since (18 months old now) pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondo Posted February 20, 2009 Author Share Posted February 20, 2009 Thanks to all who posted replies *-) good or bad I have now managed to free it off, and get it back in a reasonably decent working state.I would now consider this thread CLOSED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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