Help please!

[Fidge]

Cant open the gas locker on my Autotrail Dakota. There is a handle behind the passenger seat which you pull up which operates a cable inside the locker. I think this has snapped as I felt something give when I tried to open it. Now I'm stuck as I can't get the locker open from the outside. Any of you very knowledgeable people got a solution please.

 

[David and Sally]

Can you get a screwdriver or similar up the vents under the box to dislodge the catch? Feint Hope I know.
Good luck.

 

[Clivefog]

Assuming it is a cable within an outer sleeve as in cycle brakes. Follow the cable as far as you can to the locker and see if the outer sleeve can be pulled back to reveal the inner cable pliers on that and pull. You may lucky and it is the outer sleeve that has pulled through a clamp. Or failing that a plastic wedge in the gap between door and frame near the lock and gently put pressure to pop the door lock out and open door. Both ways replace cable.

 

[charliesgrandad]

If it is like mine, it has a catch on either side that is connected to each other with a cable ,the cable to the inside lever is connected to the centre of this cable , when mine gave way I used a steel rod with a hook on and threaded it from the bottom of the locker door on the inside till I was able to hook onto the cable between latches then gave it a good pull and it opened ,I now have a secondary cable connected to the cross cable that dangles down enough to be able to get hold and pull down if main cable were to break again

 

[Fidge]

Thanks everyone, I'll give them all a go so fingers crossed!

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[Gellyneck]

Thanks everyone, I'll give them all a go so fingers crossed!

Just in case you can't remember what it looks like inside it will be like this.

 

[Fidge]

Thank you that is really helpful. I've had a go with a hook but couldn't get hold of anything but looking at your photo I may have been fishing in the wrong place. Onward and upward!

 

[Gellyneck]

Thank you that is really helpful. I've had a go with a hook but couldn't get hold of anything but looking at your photo I may have been fishing in the wrong place. Onward and upward!

Meant to mention, obviously, the door is upside down as it's clipped in the open position!
Best of luck.

 

[Fidge]

Fiddled about and cursed but still couldn't do it. Took it in to our local dealer and it took him about five minutes to fix it! As he said, it's because he's done it loads of times. He put extra cables on so if it goes again I can just open it using those, and he didn't charge me anything either! Magic.

 

[L' Hobo]

Just in case you can't remember what it looks like inside it will be like this.
View attachment 595514

I mean no disrespect but, that arrangement cannot be very satisfactory as the locking slides are always been strained at an angle, there has to be a better way surely? (if not, I would always make sure those sliders had a good spray of silicon.)

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[Gellyneck]

I mean no disrespect but, that arrangement cannot be very satisfactory as the locking slides are always been strained at an angle, there has to be a better way surely? (if not, I would always make sure those sliders had a good spray of silicon.)

Agreed, there is a slight lateral strain on the sliding catches however after 9 years so far so good.
Think possibly due to the length of the barrel the slide is in.

Someone may come along and say they've had a slide fail but every instance I've heard of the gas locker mechanism failing is the cable, and or it's connectors, breaking.

And, yes, the barrels are sprayed with silicon oil frequently!

 

[Diabalo]

It would benifit from a couple of guide wheels for the cords to go round level with the catches to keep the pull in line.