# Adding A Folding Handrail By The Door



## ZHB (Mar 17, 2009)

OK guys, this shouldn't be a hard mod, but I have a couple questions for anyone who has been there before. I'm VERY nervous about drilling into the side of the OB.

I want to add a handrail like this, the kind that stick out by the door and folds in when you're traveling:










I plan to mount it right over the small white door handle that is in place now. I'm trying to find a close-up picture on the web to illustrate, but basically the current handle is mounted right beside the door, with a (covered) screw at top & bottom. My question is, does the door stud extend a couple inches back from the door frame, so that if I was right above/below the current handle, I should hit the stud?

And second, what type of caulk should I use to seal around the hole?

In searching pictures, it seems like many of the newer models already have this handle, but my 300BH doesn't.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I had my dealer install one. Wish they would have done a better job. It's pretty obvious that they didn't hit any structure on the lower bracket. It pulled out the first time my then three year old swung on it. I ended up fixing it in a rather unique way.

I knew I couldn't open the wall so I had to build a plug in the wall through the holes that had been drilled for the handle. I cut three pieces of dowel that were a slightly smaller diameter than the hole through the fiberglass skin. I covered the area around the holes with painter's tape, mixed up some epoxy, coated the dowels with the epoxy and shoved them into the holes, moving them around to look like the attached image. I then forced as much epoxy into the voids around the dowels as I could. Once it was cured, I had a fairly large plug, that was bonded to the skin and foam in the wall. I then drilled a pilot hole back through the void in the middle of the dowels and mounted the handle.


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## ZHB (Mar 17, 2009)

Nice fix~ now I'm a little worried though...... ;-)


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Do not use silicone to seal it. Use Butyl tape under the brackets and around the screws.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

thefulminator - No image was attached.


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## ZHB (Mar 17, 2009)

CamperAndy said:


> thefulminator - No image was attached.


I see it.


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## ZHB (Mar 17, 2009)

Butyl tape?

Is this the stuff?










And can I get it at a typical big box hardware store, or is that a Camping World purchase?


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

Considering that most of the load is taken by the upper bracket and that the three year old culprit is now seven, I don't think the lower bracket repair I did will be a problem. Just be sure your dealer knows where to locate the handle.


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

My 5er has one of these and it's ok but I don't like it. It sticks out far enough to make it harder to get into the door than with out it. The DW uses it, but I usually refold it out of the way. I guess to each their own.


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## outback loft (Sep 22, 2008)

I installed one on my 27L and I did hit a stud right next to the door frame. I put the handle on more for the nights that involve a few too many beverages, and that is about the only time I use it. Other than being able to fold it over my door when driving as a precaution should it not be fully latched, I hardly use it. I did not use butyl tape behind it, I used a self sealing tape that I use at work and then silicone around the whole bracket as well.


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## Cabana Dave (Jan 29, 2007)

I just put one on my 21RS last week. I mounted the top brace just above the small handle already there, so I could use either one. Both the top and bottom mounts hit an aluminum stud with one screw each (each bracket has one screw that merely pierces the wall). I used a generous amount of silicon caulk in all holes, and on the screws. Seems sturdy, but this weekend will be the trial run.

Good luck,
Dave


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

ZHB said:


> Butyl tape?
> 
> Is this the stuff?
> 
> ...


Thats the stuff, most RV stores have it.


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## spepi (Apr 12, 2010)

I installed on my 300BH last week. took me 5 minutes. Placed it above the small handle, tight to the door jam, marked the 2 holes, drilled a 1/8" hole, squeezed some caulking in there, screwed it in....done. Just make sure when drilling, you just go through the first surface, dont keep drilling, or you'll gou through (Yep, I did, but not noticable)


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## ZHB (Mar 17, 2009)

Thanks everyone~ this will be my project this weekend.


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## ZHB (Mar 17, 2009)

spepi said:


> I installed on my 300BH last week. took me 5 minutes. Placed it above the small handle, tight to the door jam, marked the 2 holes, drilled a 1/8" hole, squeezed some caulking in there, screwed it in....done. Just make sure when drilling, you just go through the first surface, dont keep drilling, or you'll gou through (Yep, I did, but not noticable)


I attached the handle this weekend, and sure enough~ on the top screw, I went thru. :-( You can't really notice it though - it's on the black trim paper, and I popped some putty in the hole and colored it with a Sharpie.


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## swanny007 (May 24, 2009)

FYI for whoever else comes across this thread. I added a handle to my 25RSS last week, same handle (24" I think). I held the handle up in place, marked where the holes go using a pencil. Then I drilled the holes out with a small bit. I did find something sturdy for the screws to go into on the top above the small white handle that's already there, but on the bottom I found nothing. I guess just an aluminum "framing stud" or whatever it's called. The bottom mount is not as sturdy as the top but only time will tell if the bottom gets messed up ;-)


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

I like the triangle of dowels to plug a hole. Thank you for the idea.

One thing I learned with wood repairs: you can use toothpicks smeared with epoxy to fill up spaces. They dry along with the dowels. Then when you drill your "real" hole for mounting, you're drilling almost into solid wood. This also works with such repairs as wood screws into old wood where the old hole is enlarged, etc.


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