Entry Door for a Recreational Vehicle :

Probably not something anyone would think about for an RV guide, but there are definitely things that need to be said about the door to the RV.

There are a couple of door styles that I know about that have a PROFOUND impact on the enjoyment of your RV.

Door style #1 is a two door design with one door being a screen door and the second door is the solid metal door, usually with a window covering about 1/4 of the door area.

Door style #2 is a single door design that has the glass pane in the door such that it will open somewhat to allow air in or out. I can see pros and cons to both doors, but the MAJOR con to the single door design is that you simply cannot get a breeze through the doorway. The reason for this is that AIR does not like to go around corners. So if you are getting a breeze such that it comes directly at the door of the RV, just cracking the window open won’t allow a breeze to flow. The only way to allow a breeze to flow is to have only a screen. Not possible in this door style.

Another thing to think about with doors is actually how many do you have. Our Open Range 399BHS has two. The primary entrance which I won’t detail more and the EXTRA door which I will detail here.

The EXTRA doors are put on for a number of reasons :

• To provide a direct entry to the RV restroom from the outside. Not a bad idea, but we have not found this useful in the way we use the RV. Also, if to get this you have to have a 2nd restroom, then that is something that I do not recommend – you can see why if you click on the link.
• If your RV is long and you have children in a rear bunkhouse, then the 2nd door seems like a good idea – if only to provide you peace of mind.
• I see many, even smaller, RVs that have 2 doors. As near as I can tell, the idea behind the doors has to do with the placement of the bathroom. If the bathroom is in use and “cuts off” one room from another then the extra door can come in handy. In our Puma Travel Trailer we had two doors and we DID use the extra door in this way.

So now you have some things to think about when you are learning about your fifth wheel. Here is a picture of the Open Range 399BHS external door, which is a style I do not recommend.