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ntry doors are taken for granted — and often neglected. Let’s face it, a door is as forgettable as it is functional. It has one job: To allow you to easily enter and exit your RV. Not surprisingly, trailer- and fifth-wheel entry doors are pretty bland from the factory. However, Lippert has introduced several aftermarket products of late that make entry doors and screens more convenient, private — and protected from pets who love to plow through the lower screen or, at least, paw the material to death.
Our door transformation started with replacement of the window with a snap-in frame counterpart that can be fitted with a Thin Shade pleated privacy “curtain.” From here, we installed the Screen Shot auto-closing mechanism for the attached screen door and, finally, added a Screen Protector mesh panel to the bottom section of the screen door. None of these projects was particularly difficult, but you’ll have to spend some time reading the clearly presented instructions to avoid making mistakes. Installing all three products will take about an hour for anyone with a moderate level of mechanical aptitude.
You’ll have to verify window size to make sure the kit will fit without modifications, but for the most part, the hole opening is universal — chances are the door was made by Lippert, the largest single supplier to the RV industry, so fitment should present no issues.
Popping out the existing window requires removal of the screws around the inner frame and pushing on the outer frame and window. It’s best to have a second person on the other side just in case the window gets away from you while popping out. The existing frame may be a little sticky, depending on the age of the trailer, but for the most part it does not require a lot of pressure to get the job done.
Once the window frames are free, the old sealant must be removed. The fifth wheel for this project was fitted with an aftermarket replacement for the stock opaque window, so there was more sealant to contend with than normal. A plastic razor blade scraper (various products are available at Amazon and local hardware stores) was used to scrape away the bulk of the sealant (in this case butyl tape) and the residue was cleaned with alcohol.
The Thin Shade fits into the inner frame (Part No. 786036), which attaches uniquely into the outer frame (Part No. 711862). Barbed studs molded into the edges of the frame are mated to the other side; when pressure is applied the two sides are seated. There are no screws to install into the inner frame as done with conventional counterparts. While the process is easy, you only get one shot at mating the two frames — and it takes quite a bit of pressure to make sure the seal on both sides is tight. The caveat: Don’t plan on removing this frame without damaging the barbs and plastic frame. Obviously, we’re speculating since we didn’t test that supposition. Realistically, there should be no reason to remove the window unless the glass becomes damaged.
There’s an obvious snapping sound as the barbs are seated and we were comfortable that the seal made by the outer and inner frames was tight, but just in case we ran a bead of silicone around the upper edges of the outer window frame. Clear silicone from a small tube was used to run the small bead and cleaned up with a caulk finishing tool, easily procured on Amazon or from a local hardware store.
The last step was installing the Thin Shade, which could not be easier. Maneuvering it at a 45-degree angle allows the shade to fit between the inner frame and window. Levers on the top and bottom of the frame hold the shade in place. It only takes a minute to accomplish this task.When you want privacy, simply grab the “handle” at the bottom of the shade and pull it down. It moves smoothly with little effort and covers the entire window.
Since the screen has to be separated from the entry door in order to reach the Thin Shade, most owners will have to get into a routine to pull it down before the door is closed. If the shade becomes damaged — through misuse or after exposure to heavy rain — it can be replaced easily without tools. The frames, window and Thin Shade retail for $99.95.
The design of the Screen Shot is one of those “why didn’t I think of that” products. It simply uses a length of webbing attached to a spring that is secured to the screen frame and door jam. There are a few small parts in the kit and it only takes a few minutes to install (once you figure out how it’s assembled). After threading the webbing and spring through a tube, the latch and hinge side-support brackets are attached to the ends before securing (using provided screws) to both sides of the screen door frame. Lastly, the open end of the webbing is stretched across the door jam and a metal screw is installed through the brass eyelet 1/2-inch from the edge. A rivet can be used in lieu of the sheet metal screw; we found no issue with using the screw.
Before ordering, you’ll have to measure the door from the frame edges and match the size with the proper part number. The Screen Shot ($23.95) is designed to work on Lippert doors with hinges on the right side, but don’t worry — you’d be hard-pressed to find a contemporary RV using something other than a Lippert door today.
The Screen Defender is a metal mesh insert that attaches to the bottom portion of the screen, as long as this area is more than 20 inches high. Don’t get overwhelmed by the seven pages of instructions: The process is exceptionally easy, taking only a few minutes to accomplish.
First, a determination must be made whether the provided extrusions are needed to fill any gap between the center bar of the screen door and bottom of the frame. To establish the need for extrusions, the metal mesh insert is pre-fit on the screen and any visible gap is measured. We had to put two extrusions together to make a 2-inch gap filler, taking into account the Screen Shot bar installed earlier. This is done by sorting through the provided extrusions and finding the right combination. For this project, two pieces were pressed together, setting the barbs that are used as fasteners.
