How to Add an RV Pocket Door to Your RV (Replace and Adjust)
Curtains offer some privacy. At least hospitals think so. Unfortunately, curtains don't block sound from going to one room from another. When you have a snorer in your RV, it is best to find a way to block the noise. A pocket door may be the answer, and at least it is better than a curtain.
Adding a pocket door may be an easy task if you do not try to insert it into the walls of your RV. Having them slide parallel to the walls will get you the privacy you need and make them easier to repair or adjust when you need to. Just make sure to have a good strap to hold the door open when you are traveling.
To learn how to install, repair or adjust an RV pocket door, just continue to read our article. It has those instructions and other information you should know about. Take a few minutes to see if this information will help you install your new pocket door.
Pocket Door in An RV
A pocket door is a viable option. Many of the top-of-the-line models already come with pocket doors, so you may not have to install one yourself or have it done. But you may have to repair or adjust one if the rough roads throw it out of line.
One reason most RV models only come with a curtain is that it is the cheapest option. Pocket doors cost the manufacturers a lot more money to design and install. That is why they are usually reserved for the more expensive RVs. Curtains are easy to install and do not cost a lot of money.
Installing a pocket door isn't hard if you are handy with tools and know how to install the hardware. There are kits for the rollers and hangers, but you still have to search for the right wood door that will fit your dimensions.
Instead of a pocket door, some owners have gone to the accordion style. These may be easier to install, but they do little to block noise. If you have the room in your bedroom, pocket doors would be the best option to try.
How to Add an RV Sliding Bedroom Door
The process is similar to installing a sliding door in your traditional home. It just may be easier to do the latter as the walls are easier to manipulate and get the pocket installed. With RVs, the main hassle is the walls. They are not thick enough to hold a pocket.
That means you may have to give up a little space in your bedroom or hallway to accommodate the sliding door. This decision comes in your planning stages. The location of the door will determine how you install it.
After you have decided where the door will hang, you need to decide on the type of door you want. Some owners have installed a barn door, while others have gone the traditional pocket door route for their door.
Weight is going to be the biggest issue when it comes to this project. While you want the door to be as light as possible, you still want it to be sturdy and strong. The thickness will also be an issue, so you have to decide how much space you want to give up.
Next, you have to worry about the type of hardware you need to use. Most hardware options do have weight limits, and you will want to make sure they hold more than the actual weight of the door.
Thankfully, there are different kits available that tell you the weight limit and make installation easy. Make sure to get a very good floor door guide or two to keep the door in place once you hang the roof track.
These door guides should attach to both the floor and the wall for extra security. The track should attach to the ceiling joist if the joist is in the right place. You may need to have it attach to the wall if it is not.
Once you have the hardware ready and the door picked out. It is just a matter of using a drill to screw in the screws or bolts. Mark your spots to make sure you get those screws into solid joists or studs.
The kits come with good instructions, and make sure to follow them exactly in order to get the runners placed correctly on your hanging sliding door. Those instructions will change depending on the style of track and operation you want to have.
RV Pocket Door Holder
There are many options you can use to hold your pocket door still and in place while you are driving. Which one you choose will depend on your preference and how strong these cords are.
You can use the traditional fabric straps that snap into place. These are very good, but some people have trouble installing the snaps or keeping them secure after a few months of use. The fabric can fray after long-term use, so it may need to be replaced after a while.
Alternatives to this option are bungy cord styles made from tough nylon. They don't fray or stretch out of shape. This option is also very strong and should keep your RV looking a little bit modern. These cords are also easy to keep clean and germ-free.
Or you can go to one of the many different varieties of metal or plastic pocket door holders. These come in different shapes, sizes and there may be one that fits your design situation.
If you are still not sure which one to use, you can go to a number of websites that have you put your RV's make and model information into their search box, and they should offer you some good selections.
How to Adjust RV Pocket Door
This sounds worse than it really is. But the task starts with removing the top trim piece to expose the inner workings of the track. Inside the track, you will find the plastic hangers.
These hangers should rotate and lock and unlock the vertical spindles hooked to the door. Just make adjustments to these plastic hangers. There should be screws or other secure hardware that allows for adjustment.
One word of warning, though. Those trim boards may be secured by tiny little nails. You will have to pry the trim off very slowly and carefully in order to not cause any damage. Putting the trim back using the same nails and the nail holes may not be a wise move.
It would be best to use some color-matching wood screws instead of the nails. Not only can you get the trim back in place easily, but you can also remove the trim a lot faster and easier the next time you have to work on your pocket door.
This is what you have to watch out for as the hardware and its decorative pieces are not always made to be strong. They are made to hold the door, move when it moves as well as look nice.
You may want to consider replacing the existing pocket door hardware with something easier to work with, and that can handle adjustment or repair tasks.
How to Remove RV Pocket Door
Generally, to get the door off the tracks, you just lift a little and slide toward you and down. That works for many pocket doors if the construction is done just right. There are those doors that do not go into the wall and slide parallel to the wall, and that is the best method to use.
However, when the door does go into a little pocket into the wall, the removal of the door can be quite time-consuming and construction heavy. As one owner, who had a stuck door and a crowbar did not release it from this mess, found out.
He had to remove the bed, the wall cabinets, and the wall panel just to get to the door. This is a lot of work for one little accessory. The design of your pocket door will determine how you remove yours.
You may be lucky, and on the kit instruction sheet, you will have guidelines to follow to help you remove the door without all the extra work. Examine your track and runners to see what options you have. Each style of pocket door may have similar methods, or they may be unique and have their own way of coming off.
RV Pocket Door Ideas
When you decide to make this renovation, you will find that there are a lot of good design options available to you. One owner decided to do the sliding barn door idea. Their concern, of course, was weight. Not just for the RV but for the hangers that would hold the door in place.
Originally, they made their own hardware out of copper, and that did the trick. Later they found some professional hardware that were quieter, stronger, and lighter. They replaced their DIY hardware with the pro-style.
Another option is to just place the track parallel to the wall and let the door slide behind the wall when you want it open. You can use a lighter door with a recessed handle, then use a web canvas door holder to keep it open as you drive.
Another person built his own door to make sure it fits the dimensions of the doorway as well as any weight restrictions he may have had. When you build your own, you have lots of material options.
If you build your own, be careful of the material you use. It should be dry 2 by 2 wood pieces that are not scrap. Then you do not use staples to secure the thin door skins to the 2 by 2s. You want a thicker door skin on each side and use good nails or screws to hold the wood pieces together.
If you don't do this, the door will be too weak and warp on you, as one owner found out. The manufacturer did the construction and went cheap all the way. Then if you are not a do it yourself type handyman,, you can always ask for advice from the pros to make sure you are getting the right materials to use.
Is Installing a Pocket Door a Good Idea
Some people do not think so as the pocket doors are not as secure as traditional house doors are. They say that movement in the pocket door does not insulate against any sound going from one room to the next.
However, they do provide more privacy than a curtain will. They also save on space like a curtain will, and they can be handy to have as an extra security measure. Another positive aspect is that they can disappear, and you do not have to look at them when you are relaxing in your RV.
Curtains tend to look not that good, and they can get dirty, adding to your laundry duties. Then you can make pocket doors out of almost any material. They do not have to be made from wood. If you want to add a decorative touch, you can turn your pocket door into a work of art as well.
The biggest negative to putting a pocket door inside your RV will be designing it to fit. It just may not work out, and you may have to go to accordion doors if you do not like curtains.
Some Final Words
Pocket doors are a great way to have some privacy and save space. The issues that come in is having to repair, adjust or replace them. This is not always an easy task and can be quite frustrating to do.
