XL door handle failure

[grantracy]

Here is the improved XLII handle that comes in the upgrade kit. The kit is complete with linkage and brackets as seen below. I haven't installed my handle yet but I see the new XLII's come with this handle as well as the entertainer buses.



My original handle isn't broken, its just tough to unlatch the door from the outside as if the handle doesn't give you enough leverage to open the latch. I'm convinced that this kit will fix my door but there must be more to this story. This kit is $454 not $100. I'm starting to believe there was another upgraded handle somewhere along the way or folks were given the same handle as their original when they bought a new one. I can't figure out what exactly is going on but this new handle looks like it will fix the flimsy design of the original XLII handle.

Would you happen to know the part number?

[phorner]

Does this handle also fit the XL's??

Even at $450 or so, it will still rank among the least expensive repairs I've had to deal with if I can install it myself.

Thanks for posting the pix!!

[GDeen]

At some level I get the fact they are trying to survive and may not be covering some things under warranty they used to. On the other hand, it seems like they could afford to price the $20 or so in parts cost in that repair kit reasonably without bending us over for $450!!

[Jon Wehrenberg]

It doesn't fly with me if they use the tough times to justify cutting back on repair work they would have previously done for free.

Imagine how little their warranty costs would be if the designers actually considered improving the product to make it more robust, and their defense against future warranty repairs took place on the drawing board and not in the service center after the fact. This also ignores the impact on customer relations.

[GSwaim]

I believe this handle kit which is listed as a part improvement kit Part# 288556 fit's all XL and XLII.

[TG Transport]

Thought I would resurrect this thread. I am sitting at Prevost Nashville on a Sunday night after having my door latch fail on Saturday while I was getting two new steer tires. Two hours later, and after a locksmith made a key for the drivers side access door, my spouse was able to fit though the toll window and she was able to open the door from the inside. i spent two hours today removing the defective latch and am sitting here waiting on 7am so I can repair the problem.

[Gary Carmichael]

I do not think I heard if H's have this problem also? If so is the latch for the XL's fit the H's Gary

[jack14r]

The H models do not have the problem,they have a different latch.

[TG Transport]

Update on progress: I bought the replacement latch at 7AM yesterday morning for $119 and was on the road two hours later. I asked about the upgrade kit and learned that it indeed cost $450 and required modification to the door and other internal hardware so I decided since I got 9 years out of the first handle I would just start the clock again. Prevost let me use their work bench and grinding bits as I had to enlarge the doorbell hole for the button Marathon used and I had to do some minor grinding on the existing latch opening. My solution moving forward is to store a hide-a-key so I can open the drivers side door and enter from that were a similar problem to occur again.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Thought I would resurrect this thread. I am sitting at Prevost Nashville on a Sunday night after having my door latch fail on Saturday while I was getting two new steer tires. Two hours later, and after a locksmith made a key for the drivers side access door, my spouse was able to fit though the toll window and she was able to open the door from the inside. i spent two hours today removing the defective latch and am sitting here waiting on 7am so I can repair the problem.

I keep reading this and rereading and can't figure why after you had a locksmith make a key, your wife had to climb through the window?

JIM