Slider latch arm fit

Hey guys, I'm adjusting the vertical placement of my latch in the canopy.


I've already cut the tube in the canopy frame to raise the latch arm up toward the pin. My question is, can I bend the arm so it aligns with the pin, or should it stay straight, so I'd have to trim just a bit more off the tube to make it line up?

Edited: Here's what I have. (I didn't have the canopy on when I originally posted this). I think maybe this isn't the big deal I was thinking it was...


I can push the arm up into position. But I'm thinking I should just shave more off the tube and keep the arm straight.

Yeah, just grind the tube down a little. I used an angle grinder with a coarse sanding disc and did a small amount at a time. It doesn't take long!

Latch arm

Looked at many slider RVs when I was working on my canopy and over 1/2 of them had a small bend or two in the latch arm. On mine the latch pin does not point straight down, it angles toward the tail a little so I put a little down bend in the end of the arm so it engages squarely.

Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer

I bent mine a little as well. I wanted the latch to be perpendicular to the pin.

I took some pictures of my latch. I bent the end slightly and chamfered the end.