[Chuck v]

I know that this is pretty old thread, but I last night had a similar issue with the latch. Since the exterior handle/latch would not actuate the door catch to release it -- I was very securely locked out. Had to jimmy driver window lock and slide that window and screen forward to climb in that way.

This morning I took the inner door panel off by removing all the handle hardware and the lower window trim...this allowed a good access to the exterior latch mounting bracket inside the door (one central nut and the bracket comes off that allows the handle mechanism to be removed from the outside.) The handle mechanism has two rods that go up to the latch proper -- one for the key lock to move the trip action clear of the latch release, and the other to trip the latch when the system is not locked. This level of indirection is needed to allow the inside lock and door release handle to work in concert with the outer mechanism. Turns out the lock is actuated by either the outer cylinder, the inner slide lever or the electric solenoid of the remote lock/unlock feature...but the latch trip is truly independent for the outer handle and the inner one.

Over the decade since my coach was made, the actuating rod has worn the holes in the plates where it engages at each end so it needed more travel. This rod has a turnbuckle in it to allow for just such length adjustments, so I just made its effective length longer such that the outer handle now trips the pawl release of the door latch in its first part of its travel, rather than in the last bit of travel (or never, as was the case last night!)

Dick, when your handle failed was the rod out of the hole in the mating plate? Some of my mechanism's rods are retained by spring clips, and others are trapped by the mounting bracket once fully assembled. Have you ever had to revisit the latch since this thread was started?

Chuck