Power Latching of Sliding Door in "Camping Mode"

[Wallaces Travels]

I don't know if anyone else had observed this, but when camping and closing the sliding door, the power latching on the sliding door seems to operate differently.

When closing the door gently ( to be as quiet as possible), the power latching seems to operate 3 times in order to close properly. I was going to take it to the dealer, but realised it was only when set-up for camping. Thinking a little more about what's the difference between everyday use (latching is "normal", maybe one attempt to close the door) and when camped, was that I set "Camping Mode" for the lighting.

To be sure that it was "Camping Mode", I operated the door without it set and with it set....and it only operates the latching multiple times when "Camping Mode" is selected.

Is this normal ?

 

[RockinNRollin]

I think the camping mode bit is a coincidence. Mine did this a lot, went in to get looked at, they replaced something, it now does it very occasionally and it makes no difference what "mode" it's in. I've still got over 4 years of warranty left so will see if the issue "develops" . . .

 

[lohr500]

+1 for coincidence.

Ours was doing it last weekend whilst in camping mode, but I can't get it to do it now in camping mode on our drive.

 

[Kevin5658]

Mine does exactly the same in camping mode when I try to close it quietly. Only two weeks old.

 

[TripleBee]

I have the old grinding noise when closing the sliding door. The only thing I can do to make it less obvious, is gently closing the sliding door in the first lock, and then push the window at the back of the door, to get the power latch work. Anyway, it makes "a lot" of noise.
The same for opening, it makes the grinding noise.
But on the other hand, being parked next to a big white (camper or caravan) with airconditioning, my noise is just 2 seconds each, not hours at a time.

 

[myvanrodney]

I think camping mode is a coincidence and rather it’s happening when you are not closing the door with a good helping of momentum.

Mine does this whenever I close the door gently. I have concluded it’s the closing mechanism finding how much force is needed to patch the door closed. It tries ‘normal’ force twice, then on the third attempt it gives the door a little bit more oomph to get it to close. I think it gives up before a 4th attempt.

 

[RockinNRollin]

I think camping mode is a coincidence and rather it’s happening when you are not closing the door with a good helping of momentum.

Mine does this whenever I close the door gently. I have concluded it’s the closing mechanism finding how much force is needed to patch the door closed. It tries ‘normal’ force twice, then on the third attempt it gives the door a little bit more oomph to get it to close. I think it gives up before a 4th attempt.

I'm not sure about this theory; surely the whole point of the soft close is you only have to offer the door up for it to then pull itself closed. I wonder if it's a sensor/contact issue, maybe thinking it hasn't closed fully but it has, so it releases as it thinks there's an obstruction before trying again?

 

[Nick from Bath]

I'm not sure about this theory; surely the whole point of the soft close is you only have to offer the door up for it to then pull itself closed. I wonder if it's a sensor/contact issue, maybe thinking it hasn't closed fully but it has, so it releases as it thinks there's an obstruction before trying again?

Had something similar which was my first thought reading this - our step carpets had slipped a little with people getting in and out. Enough to make the soft close on the door think if there was an obstruction and not fully latch. Shuffling the carpet back a few mm into place fixed it.

 

[Scapa]

I would agree it’s just a coincidence re camping mode. I’ve been away last couple of weeks for example and experienced both single soft close and the 3 times pull in motion randomly. This can happen in either camping or normal driving mode. I tend to find it does the 3 times pull in thingy more often if the van is lying at an angle (slope).

 

[Annie Camping]

Ours went 3 times each time when attached to the awning but unlikely to do it when not attached.

 

[Kalifornia Kim]

I don't know if anyone else had observed this, but when camping and closing the sliding door, the power latching on the sliding door seems to operate differently.

When closing the door gently ( to be as quiet as possible), the power latching seems to operate 3 times in order to close properly. I was going to take it to the dealer, but realised it was only when set-up for camping. Thinking a little more about what's the difference between everyday use (latching is "normal", maybe one attempt to close the door) and when camped, was that I set "Camping Mode" for the lighting.

To be sure that it was "Camping Mode", I operated the door without it set and with it set....and it only operates the latching multiple times when "Camping Mode" is selected.

Is this normal ?

Mine has never done it - camping mode or not.

 

[Van Diesel VW]

This has happened to me a few times, more often than not when camping, but not always when van is in camping mode. Not sure if a fault or just not used enough force when closing the door.

 

[Happydays Huxley]

It might not be the same issue, but we were having problems closing our sliding door quietly and had to apply a little force to get the mechanism to engage properly. It turned out to be the bolts on the topside of the door which attach the top hinge to the door. They just needed tightening with a torx/star head screwdriver.

 

[Wallaces Travels]

I thought that I'd post an update on this. Several weeks using the camper and the door closes normally.

Tonight I set camping mode for the first night in many months....and yes the door takes 3 cycles from close. On my Cali it definitely is consistent!

 

[lohr500]

Resurrecting an older thread here.

It seems as though ours has also gone into a permanent three cycles when in camping mode.

The only times it doesn't cycle are when I slam the door shut or if I apply gentle inward pressure to the rear of the door as it closes.

It doesn't matter if the batteries are fully charged or not. Nor the angle at which the van is parked up.

So long as it is not indicative of an imminent failure I'm not too worried about it.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Mine cycles : times more often than not.

It’s not to do with a slope - my drive is a slope so I give it a good heave to shut it.

It’s not to do with camping mode, happens whether in or out of camping mode.

It’s clearly a random, intermittent issue with a sensor.

Mildly irritating. Not irritating enough yet for me to take it up with the dealer.

 

[66tim99]

I'm not sure about this theory; surely the whole point of the soft close is you only have to offer the door up for it to then pull itself closed. I wonder if it's a sensor/contact issue, maybe thinking it hasn't closed fully but it has, so it releases as it thinks there's an obstruction before trying again?

Why always 3 times though? It’s never 2 or 4, only 1 or 3.
I talked to the dealer at a service, and of course I couldn’t get the door to perform. Sometimes I close the door gently and it closes in 1.
Puzzling…

 

[66tim99]

Related aside to this: the tailgate soft close seems pointless. If I close it just enough to find its latch, it doesn’t pull it closed. So I might as well slam the thing.
V Poor, see me.

 

[Begize]

I also have the 3 times thing - sure it does it all the time but probably just notice it more in camping mode because I'm inside and shut it from there. My drive slopes down and always park nose down so would imagine it needs less force to close than normal, and it's definitely done it there when not in camping mode and I'm outside.

 

[JuanVecino2023]

Related aside to this: the tailgate soft close seems pointless. If I close it just enough to find its latch, it doesn’t pull it closed. So I might as well slam the thing.
V Poor, see me.

Absolutely agreed. Doesn’t come close to delivering.