Broken RV Screen Door Slide? Options for Replacement

The RV screen door slide is one aspect of most RVs that tends to crack or break over time. This is due to a combination of a few different factors.

First, the RV screen door slider gets a lot of use. It’s also often exposed to extremes of heat and cold. And finally, those RV screen door slider panels generally aren’t made of the most robust materials.

Most RV screen door slide panels are made of plastic or composite material and aren’t very durable. So, it’s not at all uncommon for RVers to find themselves needing to think about an RV screen door slider replacement.

Fortunately, it’s neither a complicated DIY project nor an expensive one. In this post we’ll show you how it’s done and where to find an RV screen door slide replacement for your rig.

What’s an RV Screen Door Slide?

Many RVs have a small screen door slider (also called a “bubble slider” or “stopper”). This is generally a panel made of plastic or composite material that slides back and forth to cover or reveal the door latch and/or lock.

As noted above, these can crack or break from use or even get discolored from UV exposure over time. There are a couple of different styles of RV screen door sliders, depending on the make/model of the door the RV manufacturer used.

They can be as simple as a flat piece of plexiglass with a knob screwed into it, or they can be a more 3-dimensional shape with a molded handle for sliding it open. It may also include a knob or handle that can trigger the door-opening mechanism without opening the slider.

How to Replace an RV Screen Door Slide

In just a few minutes, you can easily replace most RV’s screen door sliders as a DIY project. First, you’ll need to research the proper type of slider for your RV’s year, make, and model.

Again, various manufacturers use different types, shapes, and sizes of sliders, so you’ll also need to know the measurements of your particular model. The type/shape of the slider you have will differ based on your RV, but they all work essentially the same way, so replacement usually follows a few easy steps.

Remove the Old Slider

To remove the old slider, simply bend it slightly until it pops out of one of the tracks. Then it should easily lift out of the housing entirely. If you’re concerned about flexing it too much and possibly breaking it, the old one you’re replacing is good practice for installing the new one!

Clean the Tracks

Clean the tracks of debris, dirt, etc. This will help the new/replacement slider move more smoothly and easily once it’s installed.

The other half of the opening where the slider sits in the screen door is usually a piece of glass or clear plexiglass. With the slide out, you’ve also got a good opportunity to clean the part of that section that was covered up by the slider.

If it’s plexiglass, be sure to use a soft cloth and light pressure to avoid scratching it. If it’s made of glass, be gentle when cleaning to avoid shattering it.

Set the New Slider Into the Tracks

Installation should be as simple as inserting one side into one track in the door, and then gently flexing the plastic just enough to be able to slip the opposing side into its track. Again, since you had a “practice run” at flexing the old slider, it should be easy to avoid any concerns about flexing the new one too much. Note that some sliders may need to be trimmed to fit.

Regardless of the shape or type of slider your rig has, replacement will usually follow the simple steps in the following video.

Where Can I Get a Replacement for My RV Screen Door Slide?

RV screen door sliders are readily available from several sources. You can buy them online through the manufacturer, Amazon, or camping stores.

Below are several of the most common types of RV screen door sliders. But remember – you’ll need to determine which size/shape/type of slider your rig uses before ordering.

We briefly touched on replacing the slider in our previous post on RV screen doors. If you’ve got other issues with your RV screen door, we invite you to check out that post for more screen door repairs.

Free RVing Tips, Tricks, Reviews, Giveaways & More

Subscribe to our daily newsletter! We’ve been full-time RVers for 20 years (!) and share everything we’ve learned about RVing in our daily blog posts. Join our online community to receive a wealth of great RVing knowledge delivered right to your inbox.

Whether this is your first time on the road or you’re a seasoned full-timer, you’ll love the wide range of RVing topics we cover. Don’t miss a single article or any of our famous RV gear Giveaways — Subscribe today!

We'd Love It If You Shared This!