It's hard to work out why a manufacturer doesn't use this idea as standard as it just works so well. You do need to raise the water deflector just a tad to fit it in. The door anchor point needs a little more refinement as it could do with more strength. The door bracket in this example is steel. Using aluminium would extend life. The first strut lasted 3 years - not bad at all. This was fitted on a Winnebago 1904. It is particularly suitable for any Winnebago with the door very close to the passenger's door. These models have a design problem in that there is no where to anchor the cabin bolt and owners are forever breaking it. The strut can cost up to $80.00 but you can't put a price on convenience. Please don't confuse this with a door closer as it's not. It is just a very clever way of holding the door open even in gusty conditions. It also eliminates the "rattling" problem found with cabin bolts. With a bit of modification this could be adapted to suit a Camec Triple Lock door.

UPDATE August 2003

Winnebago have experimented with gas struts on the new 2304. The system does not work on this model as the door is not set to fully open as it hits the awning when extended. This means the door has to take the full force of the wind and early failure can often result. Another manufacturer pointed out that the strut should be the opposite way around to the picture. This avoids loads on the gland seals and can reduce the risk of the piston rod bending. One neat thing with this system is the door auto opens once you release the lock - very cool!