# Habitation door fly screen (Autotrail Apache )



## nidge1

Hi,
The sliding fly screen in front of the habitation door on my 2011 Autotrail Apache 700 has decided to pack up. The thin cords have snapped and the door goes all over the place. 
Couple of questions..... 

How do you remove the internal frame to the door as there seems no visible fixings ? 

Is the cord available and are there instructions for re- stringing the screen ?

I presume if I ask Autotrail they will want to sell me a very expensive new door set up !!!

Finally, has anybody attempted this repair and how easy a job was it ? 

Many thanks 

Nidge


----------



## ned

*Flyscreens*

Hi Nidge


----------



## ned

*Flyscreens*

Hi nidge,

I have the same problem on my new carthago so I will be interested to here the answers. I broached the subject with caravan spares and he said he sells the cassette for about £50 but I have not had time to follow this up.

Cheers....... Ned


----------



## eurajohn

It will depend on the make of flyscreen you have, if it is the Horrex type fitted on the Hartal door then they are normally fitted with screws in keyhole slots, so lift the whole thing from the bottom and pull towards you (from inside the van).
No idea if the actual cord is available as a replacement but I'd have thought you will be able to source a suitable one given a bit of digging around in DIY type stores.
The stringing is a bit complicated at first glance but when you work it out it makes sense, don't over tension them though.

Edit: just reading that reply if yours has a replaceable cassette the above will not be relevant.
Also forgot you'll need a couple of 4mm pop rivets as well


----------



## Lizziec

*apache 700 fly screen door*

ours packed up the first time we used it, they are rubbish, surely you can get a new one under warranty, we did, ours is 2012.


----------



## nidge1

*Re: apache 700 fly screen door*



Lizziec said:


> ours packed up the first time we used it, they are rubbish, surely you can get a new one under warranty, we did, ours is 2012.


Not sure about warranty, our M/H is two and a half years old now. We are on hols at the moment in France, so will contact the dealer on our return.


----------



## nidge1

Bump


----------



## eurajohn

You still haven't said what make of door you have but I do think Autotrail use Hartal ones, so my earlier post will be relevant, I did forget to mention that although it looks as if there are more, there are only 2 cords.


----------



## nidge1

eurajohn said:


> You still haven't said what make of door you have but I do think Autotrail use Hartal ones, so my earlier post will be relevant, I did forget to mention that although it looks as if there are more, there are only 2 cords.


Sorry, not sure how you tell which make of door it is. No visible name on it, but the fly screen door does look like it is in a cassette very similar to the window fly screens.

As I am in France for a few weeks I don't want to attempt to remove it until I'm at home. At the moment the screen is just about usable to keep out the French mozzies!!

Regards

Nidge


----------



## rosalan

Hi Nidge

Look up Narbonne Accessoires, they have branches all over France and may be able to offer advice or repair or replacement. They carry a large stock of Motorhome parts and are worth a visit even if you are not buying.

Alan


----------



## rosalan

Hi Nidge

Look up Narbonne Accessoires, they have branches all over France and may be able to offer advice or repair or replacement. They carry a large stock of Motorhome parts and are worth a visit even if you are not buying.

Alan


----------



## celticspirit

Hi we have a Autotrail Delaware 2011, Autotrail wouldn't cover it on warranty but Marquis fitted a new one and and only charged us 50% of the cost. We were in Morocco in January when it broke,so struggled for 6 months with it broken, by the time we had it fixed last week the netting material was out of shape. A new screen is £244.00 so at £122.00 we were happy.


----------



## nidge1

*Fly screen to habitation door*

Now I'm back from France I have dropped off the fly screen cassette with my dealer to see if it can be replaced under warranty ( but I'm not holding my breath )

I presume it is made by Hartal. Can anybody suggest where I could get a replacement from? My dealer is quoting about£240.00 from Autotrail so I will try and shop around.

Regards

Nidge


----------



## nidge1

Bump


----------



## premiermotorhomes

Good evening nidge1, 

Habitation doors and flyscreens tend to only be available to purchase through the manufacturer of the motorhome; I am currently not aware of any other source for them.

If you can PM me your chassis number, I will check the Auto-Trail parts system and confirm the list price for this part for you. Alternatively if can you email me an external photo of your door, then I may be able to confirm the manufacturer as recent Auto-Trail presently use Dometic Seitz doors but I can't advise from what model year

What information has led you to establish that your doors are Hartal?

Regards,
Chris


----------



## eurajohn

nidge1, if it is only the cord that has broken, why replace the whole screen? It really is not that difficult to do (I've done a couple).
If you're not that adept at DIY then I would have thought one of the nice people on here that are close to you would help, I would but I live in NW France.


----------



## nidge1

eurajohn said:


> nidge1, if it is only the cord that has broken, why replace the whole screen? It really is not that difficult to do (I've done a couple).
> If you're not that adept at DIY then I would have thought one of the nice people on here that are close to you would help, I would but I live in NW France.


Hi John

Thanks for your advice. Having to keep forcing the screen while on holiday it has wrecked the bottom slider and its very awkward to slide in the channel. However I am pretty good at diy (you have to be with a Autotrail!!!!!) so when I get a bit of spare time I will give the door some more looking at and see if it can be resurrected.

Many thanks

Nidge


----------



## aldra

ours also snapped

But was replaced under warrantee 

Have fitted a walk through screen to relieve constant use on the new one

Such is life  

aldra


----------



## nidge1

aldra said:


> ours also snapped
> 
> But was replaced under warrantee
> 
> Have fitted a walk through screen to relieve constant use on the new one
> 
> Such is life
> 
> aldra


Our m/H is two and a half years 
Old and is not covered under warranty.

Why should you have to put another door in place ? You could end up having to double on nearly every item!! The manufacturers should make something fit for use and last for a number of years. It's not as if motorhomes are cheap!! rant over.

Regards

Nidge


----------



## aldra

I agree but unfortunately it's what happens Our motorhome is the about the same age but it was in warranty when it snapped

What I really meant is one of those hanging insect things that you just walk through

I alwaysfelt the sliding screen was subject to a lot of wear and tear given its nature so If we're are likely to be in and out of the van a lot the hanging screen discourages flying insects

I also think on the sliding screens you have to be very careful that the bottom channel is free from grit which affects the running over time and being in the threshold of the door its a magnet for grit and tiny stones

once your in or out for the duration the sliding screen is great but I don't think they are as robust as the folding type on older vans

Aldra


----------



## nidge1

aldra said:


> I agree but unfortunately it's what happens Our motorhome is the about the same age but it was in warranty when it snapped
> 
> What I really meant is one of those hanging insect things that you just walk through
> 
> I alwaysfelt the sliding screen was subject to a lot of wear and tear given its nature so If we're are likely to be in and out of the van a lot the hanging screen discourages flying insects
> 
> I also think on the sliding screens you have to be very careful that the bottom channel is free from grit which affects the running over time and being in the threshold of the door its a magnet for grit and tiny stones
> 
> once your in or out for the duration the sliding screen is great but I don't think they are as robust as the folding type on older vans
> 
> Aldra


Agree 100% with your comments.

Regards

Nidge


----------



## nidge1

premiermotorhomes said:


> Good evening nidge1,
> 
> Habitation doors and flyscreens tend to only be available to purchase through the manufacturer of the motorhome; I am currently not aware of any other source for them.
> 
> If you can PM me your chassis number, I will check the Auto-Trail parts system and confirm the list price for this part for you. Alternatively if can you email me an external photo of your door, then I may be able to confirm the manufacturer as recent Auto-Trail presently use Dometic Seitz doors but I can't advise from what model year
> 
> What information has led you to establish that your doors are Hartal?
> 
> Regards,
> Chris


Hi Chris,

I've sent you a PM

Regards

Nidge


----------



## Gerryw

*Cord replacement on door flyscreen*

Hi, Did a lot of searching and could not find any posts from anyone who had undertaken a repair so I decided to jump in and have a go on the basis I had nothing to loose as my local Caravan dealer could supply a new one for £60 and 8 weeks delivery. To my surprise it turned out to be quite any easy job and in the end cost me £2 and a couple of hours work. The most difficult part is removing the whole assembly from the caravan.What you need to do is remove the 4 phillips screws in the bottom of the door channel and then lift the whole assembly up about 10mm to clear the 4 key hole screw fixings and the pull away from the caravan wall.( I had problems getting the assembly high enough due the information display mounted above the door. Once you have the assembly laid flat on the floor disassemble the frame by removing the torq screws at each corner. Leave the frame on the floor and take note of the routing of the cords. There are 4 separate cords routed in pairs . The 2 lower cords pass through the frame and are secured at the top. The 2 higher cords pass through the frame and are secured at the bottom. Start by undoing the torq screws that hold the plastic guides in the frame at the retracted end of the door and ease out of frame.Next unhook the cords from the closed side of the frame. The concertina door can now be eased out of both ends of the aluminium channels Make sure to keep the cords from getting tangled. Now you can replace the broken cord with 2mm cord available on ebay. the aluminium clamp at the spring end can be reused . use the snapped cord as a guide the the correct length.I routed the cord through the concertina using a large needle that my wife uses for sewing up her knitting. Reassembly is the reverse of the above.Take care when threading the concertina door back into its frame to ensure you do not snag any of the cords. The correct position of the end stop is easy as it is still on the mating cord. Good Luck


----------



## Pudsey_Bear

Hi and welcome to MHF Gerry, Thanks, I'm sure that will help someone out when they have the same problem.

We need helpful people like you, why not become a full member with access to all the forums.


----------



## GMJ

I started a thread about this some time ago and posted my temporary solution below which works well...

http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/30-parts-accessories/193497-hab-door-fly-screen.html

I'll have a look at this again in the light of the post above regarding how to fix the hab door. If I dont fix it then I am happy for my temporary solution to become permanent :wink2:

Graham :smile2:


----------

