Rear Door on Circle J Horse Trailer Has Play in It when Closed

Question:

I have a circle J horse trailer rear loading door that when closed has slop in it. The handle sits against the door not out against the bracket that is welded on. It seems that there should be some kind of pressure on the handle to hold it out into the bracket. I just cannot figure out what I need to replace. On my friends trailer you push the handle in and it pops back into the bracket when closed.

asked by: Renee S

Expert Reply:

From what I could find the Circle J horse trailers use a sort of cam-lock design similar to what you might see on a big rig trailer # 383200 or a side door bar lock like # 305736.

These designs work fine until something gets knocked out of alignment. The most likely cause is damage to the door or a hinge problem. If the door is warped or if you are able to wiggle the door at the hinges then that would be the issue. Straightening out the door or repairing it as needed and repairing the hinges as needed should get things back in line.

If you have a cam-lock style then sometimes the connecting bar between the top and bottom cams can also get bent so look for that as well. Feel free to email me some pictures of the trailer and the problems areas and I can help troubleshoot further.

expert reply by: Michael H