RayBall Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 Our auto-trail Cheyenne 634 has just passed its third birthday and its most infuriating feature has always been the internal lock release for the gas compartment. To have to crawl on your knees, lift up the offside bed and then try to thread your hand through the wooden slats in order to grope for the release lever which is situated up against the offside wall has always seemed to me to be the height of design folly, especially since you still have to go outside to turn the gas on. Has anyone carried out a successful modification by putting normal outside locks on the gas locker door? If you have information would be gratefully received Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 What's the release lever like? Is there any way you could attach a piece of cord or something to it so that you can pull it rather than having to scrabble around? Obviously you'd need to make sure you didn't pull it accidentally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greynomad Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Hi Ray, Sorry to hear that you, also, have experienced frustration with the Gas Locker door fastening. Our Cheyenne 635 is late autumn 2003 build and by this time AutoTrail had moved the lever to outside the end of the sofa, so it is easier to get at it by opening the driver's door and reaching in behind the driver's seat box. Our main problem is that while it opens easily, it is an absolute 'so-and-so' to get it to fasten again. I can only suggest that you consider moving your lever assembly to outside of the seat locker - the difficulty might be getting the cable length adjusted precisely or, you will have the same problem as us. As you say, the whole fastening system is rather a poor design. In practice I try NEVER to open the Gas Locker. Firstly, I always have a Truma 'GAS-SHUT-OFF-VALVE' [Gasfernshalter - in German, the correct pronounciation if not the correct spelling!] fitted to every Motorhome, since 1991. Which means that we only ever turn the Gas On and Off from inside the motorhome. That even satisfied the Ferry staff, on the dockside when they came to check that the Gas was switched off. Secondly, I have the Gaslow 'Re-Fillable' yellow propane Cylinders with the exterior filling, direct from the AutoGas pump, so again it is unnecessary to access the Gas locker to exchange an empty cylinder. Good luck with resolving your dilemma. Greynomad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I have a Mohican with the lever behind the drivers seat it is easy to release but as said a bit of a so and so to lock if not properly greased. The answer to your problem is to get a longer boden cable its the same as bonnet release cable on a car and you can shorten them to fit. who ever decided to fit it in the bed box well defies words. when i first bought the Mohican i had to ask someone where the electric switch was for the water heater yes you guessed it in the bed box so you have to remove cushions to get to it DOH. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayBall Posted June 11, 2006 Author Share Posted June 11, 2006 Many thanks to Mel B, Greynomad and Spartan for your replies and suggested modifications. I think that I'll pursue my original idea of fitting two external locks. They would certainly be less hassle than the impossibly situated internal release presently fitted and at least I wouldn't have to scrape away the gunge thrown up by the back wheel two or three times a year in order to make it catch properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.