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You are here: Home / The Daily Pose / GMC Motorhome, Restore a Birch screen door

September 27, 2016

GMC Motorhome, Restore a Birch screen door

The original screen door for the GMC Motorhome was called the “Birch” screen door.  Alex Birch worked for General Motors and worked with Coachmen building the Royale and Birchaven coaches.  He was so beloved that the “Birchaven” was named for him.  He devised a unique hinge assembly for the door and GM allowed him to apply for his own patent.  So for years, Alex Birch WAS the screen door guy.  He usually installed the doors himself…. knowing just where to twist and girk the flimsy screen door to fit just right.  I saw him once do an install…. it was inspiring!

Today the Ragusa door is you choice and with a few well placed cuss words you can get it to work well as we got Cal’s Ragusa door put together on his coach  cal-finals-26   So if you want a screen door…. I likeum… give Ron Ragusa a call… search for “Ragusa pattern company”, tell him I said hello and pick up a door for your very own… they work if you get it adjusted well.

We’re not here to look at installing a new Ragusa screen door though… Willie & Nancy picked up one of the original Birch screen door so our mission is to integrate that classic screen door to their restoration.

Step one is to do something about that gold colored aluminum frame.  Hey, this coach is light tan with brown accents.  We sanded, etched and painted the Birch screen door brown.  Now I’m here rescreening getting ready to install it.  white-screen-door-5

Yes, the base/lear finish will be a little on the delicte side but we feel it will work OK.  Look at the hinge assembly, you will need to remove the door hinge pin which can be a job…. install new longer pins for the screen hinge.  The newer Ragusa screen door does not require the pins to be longer… a really great install bypass. 

 

Willie & I were so concerned to install and fit the screen door well…. I forgot to take any pics….. but believe me it can be done… you gotta think a bit but the outcome on their screen door came out nice  white-screen-door-4.  white-screen-door-1  white-screen-door-2

  white-screen-door-3

One of the “Unobtanium” parts used in this door is the “h” plastic track on the door jam.  Looks like our Bulb trim seal “wind lace” does a great fit job on the door…. no cracks for divebombing mosquitos can find a way in!  Lemme know if you have one of these doors and need the “h” trim.  Takes 15 feet at $2 a foot.

Willie and Nancy’s coach has a really clean rear window  white-window-1  ait, Ray is replacing the shrunk rear window gasket with the glass out.  Willie got in on getting the glass back in   white-window-2  A “fun” job…..

Finally today, we’re getting the roof accessories going onto Bill’s roof painted satin black.  We’re doing a “blackout” on those accessories  bill-acc-paint  Ray is also picking at the wet sand and buff out but I think you can see the caliber of our finished product  bill-wet-sand-9  Yep, that’s the flash of my camera phone.  No “wax” finish on it yet!.

OK, gotta go.  Listen… if you have been trying to contact me with no luck.  Call me on my cell phone… I’m running around like a crazy guy keeping up.  Hey..  I’m continuing to keep positive stuff flowing out of this page but I just wanted to let you know I got 2 harassing calls about midnight from you know who.  Ask him why he’s doing this.  Enough, hey, my cell phone is on 24/7 for you guys.  I’m a support contact for many of you… and I’m happy to help when it needs to happen.  Abusing this communication hurts us all.  So give me a call anytime if I can help.

 

Have a great day and thanks for the visit….

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Article by jimbounds / The Daily Pose

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