Keeping rear door shut.

Some units who use the SECM (shop equipment, contact maintenance) truck or BEOD (body explosives ordnance disposal) vehicle have reported problems keeping the rear door shut while the vehicle is moving. If you've had that experience, try these checks:

* Inspect the door latch for paint. Paint can cause the latch to stick in the open position. If you spot paint buildup, scrape it off and lube the latch with a light oil.

* Check if the latch shims are damaged and preventing the latch from locking properly. Damaged shims are usually caused by slamming the door, which you shouldn't do. To correctly close the door, pull up on the latch handle as you close the door firmly.

* Check for a bad latch. Some latches are just plain defective and won't lock the door securely.

* Inspect the door for damage. If the door was bumped by another truck, it could have been knocked out of alignment. After every mission it's a good idea to check that the door shuts securely.

If you find latch problems, your support can fix the latch using the part NSNs in TM 9-4940-563-13&P and TM 9-4940-566-13&P.

Position the slide in the tailgate's footmen loop below the door latch. The bar slide gives more security and support to the door, but does not take the place of the latch. If you expect the door to stay shut, make sure the latch works.