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Yesterday while laying over in Ardmore, OK waiting for a load offer I thought it would be a good time to wash my van. There was a coin-op car wash just across I-35 from the Flying Pilot. Why not wash my van? I had a shower. Clean body, clean mind, clean van.
It was a blustery day and that's an understatement. Strong winds directly out of the south. The wash bay was a wind tunnel but I got the beast cleaned without getting too wet. After washing I pulled out and parked next to the building to clean the glass and dry my van. As I opened the driver's door, the wind caught my door and tore it from my hand. Over the howl of the wind I heard the distinct sound of metal meeting metal. The door, with help from the wind, went a little bit past it's normal stop point. I got out, threw my shoulder into it to get it to close. It closed, almost. It was sprung enough to where it wouldn't latch.
I called a Ford dealership and they said the best they could do was sometime next week depending on parts. So I attempted to get the door to latch and drive home. I figured $80 or $90 for gas was cheaper than several days in a motel. I used my bottle jack to try and lift the door enough to meet the striker and latch. No go. I ran a ratchet strap through the top of the door frame and secured the other end inside the van. I ratched the snot out of it and it closed halfassed. Off I went. Ardmore to Minneapolis. Just like a Koch driver doing the Best Buy Thing, only I wasn't getting paid.
I dropped my van off at my local Ford dealer this afternoon. Worst case, about $4000 for a new door, including parts and labor. I should know Monday. On two occasions I blasted deer with my Chevys and got off cheaper than this. Big van. Big door. Big bucks.
Warning to Ford Transit owners: Hang on to your doors as best you can. The placement of the inside door grip is such that you have little leverage to hold the door against a strong wind. The hand-hold is positioned off center toward the hinges instead of behind center near the door end.
