Water Tank Hatch Holder

by Greg Zimmerman

The water tank access door falls down while wrestling hoses and other gear in and out of the compartment.  There’s a brilliant little device that will solve this problem.  They are called baggage clips or latches. They are available here on amazon for about $6 a pair.  JR products makes higher quality plastic items for the RV industry than the cheaper ones, it’s worth the extra couple of dollars.

To install one, hold the door open and see where the latch needs to mount on the Casita.  Mark a hole and drill a 3/16″ hole into the fiberglass.  You want to stop as soon as the bit goes through the fiberglass and avoid drilling through the foam and carpet on the inside of the Casita.  I used a dab of white silicone in the hole before installing a 3/16″ pop rivet.  Once that rivet is in, make sure the clip is straight and drill the other 2 holes and rivet them as well.

Now I can access the hatch and even watch the water level while filling the tank, hands free!

2 comments

Jeff L October 3, 2019 - 10:25 am

This is very nice but I use one of those small bungy cords, the really skinny ones, and hook on the inside latch piece and stretch it up to the little hole in one rivets on the band. The bungy barely stretches so there is not a lot of tension. The hook on the bungy fits perfectly in to that rivet hole. I keep the bungy right inside the compartment. No drilling required. I love your posts and appreciate you tips. Thanks.

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Alan Day April 5, 2020 - 9:38 pm

Hi, Greg! I finally got around to doing this mod on my 2017 ID. I found the holes went into the wood support for the curb-side twin bed. I just used some wood screws, with a dab of silicone to seal the holes. This is a great mod! I never realized what a PITA it was to try to work in that hatch while holding it up!!!
I hope you and your family enjoy Italy, and look at it as a new adventure!!!…after the Covid-19 mess dissipates. Stay safe! Thanks to both of you for your service!

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