Visit our Popular Forums

Safari Tim · 07-09-2004, 07:29 PM

This cabinet door has never worked since I got the trailer. I need to remove it and see what I can do to get it going but I cannot figure out how to remove it.

Has anyone done this without ripping the cabinet completely apart in a fit of anger?

Here are some pictures of the door I'm talking about.

Sneakinup · 07-09-2004, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Safari Tim

This cabinet door has never worked since I got the trailer. I need to remove it and see what I can do to get it going but I cannot figure out how to remove it.

Has anyone done this without ripping the cabinet completely apart in a fit of anger?

Here are some pictures of the door I'm talking about.

I took mine out on my 72 Overlander, and it was all I could do not to get a sledge hammer and smash it. It required pulling all the trim off above and below it. That means removing the brittle plastic inserts to expose the 300 rivets holding it in place. Oh, and there are some strategically placed sheet metal screws... at least there were on mine. Sorry to say, it is a nightmare!

Good luck!

Safari Tim · 07-09-2004, 09:02 PM

I think you just convinced me I don't need it as bad as I thought:-)

After all your efforts, do you have a nice working door?

Sneakinup · 07-09-2004, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Safari Tim

I think you just convinced me I don't need it as bad as I thought:-)

After all your efforts, do you have a nice working door?

The door worked fine, I removed it to modify the cabinet. I'm not putting it back in, but rather going to build a solid door that folds down. My area in the bathroom is a straight run rather than making the curve I see in your picture.

uwe · 07-09-2004, 09:20 PM

Tim,
I took mine out, due to having to remove the entire vanity panel/sink assembly.
Here's how:
Remove the lower yellowish trim insert and find the rivets that hold the vertical leftmost extrusion. remove the trim from this extrusion also. Reach around inside the little closet and find some of the sheetmetal screws that go in the approximate area of this extrusion.
The idea is to loosen, but without removing, the lower part of the cabinet.
Remove the rivets that hold the bent up part of the lower shelf to the rear inner skin. Start wiggling on things and see where else it's fastened. It is really not that bad. Look under the lower tambour snail with a mirror, it will show the remaining rivets or screws, depending on how they originally put it together. The lower left part of the cabinet can eventually be pushed down far enough to release the tambour from the groove holding it captive. You can wedge a piece of 1x2, cut to the right length, in there, to keep the space open. Most likely ther is a bunch of crud inside the tambour track, behind the covering, keeping it from sliding smoothly. Also, make sure the plastic snail track pieces line up perfectly with the aluminum track. If you keep tugging and removing rivets down below, you will not have to remove the sink, plumbing, or upper vanity parts. Just be patient, and gentle. Good Luck!!

Safari Tim · 07-09-2004, 10:30 PM

Thanks for the nice instructions Uwe.

Were you able to put it back together and did the door work smoothly?

uwe · 07-09-2004, 10:57 PM

Ahm, no. I had the bathroom refinished, including the tambour. The paint coating is thick, too thick for the track, I found out.
It was sliding fine before, now it's very sticky, and only opens about 1/2.
So, I will be doing the same thing you're doing, AGAIN.

Safari Tim · 07-09-2004, 11:31 PM

Like the saying goes, you do it right cause you do it twice

Lets have a race to see who gets it working smoothly first.

Ready?

Set?

GO!

Safari Tim · 07-10-2004, 09:01 PM

I cut the small trim piece because the risk of totally ruining it since it was so brittle. This gave me access to drill out the rivets.

Safari Tim · 07-10-2004, 09:03 PM

BTW, now I learned you only need to undo the bottom trim piece. And all the rivets on the bottom of the cabinet holding the lower track on. This way you can drop the lower track to get the door out.

I got the door out and the two track pieces. You can see how dirty the door bottom is from 30 years of scum.

Safari Tim · 07-10-2004, 09:06 PM

Next, I cleaned the door and track pieces with simple green and got all the scum off. Then I lightly sanded it with 220 grit sand paper along the top and bottom edges to make is smooth.

Next I took a candle and ran the wax across the bottom and top cabinet door to give it something to glide on. Also put some wax in the track pieces.

Safari Tim · 07-10-2004, 09:10 PM

Finally I cleaned the track in the trailer with the brush and got it spotless. I reasembled everything carefully and got it all back together.

And the final verdict is.... it was a good way to waste 4 hours. The door still only opens about a foot from the right. After it gets past that the door starts binding and folding on itself. I think it is just a terrible design.

So the only good thing about the experience is at least I tried and I don't have to wonder if I can get it working. I can't

My advice to someone who wants to attempt this is to just live with it or rip it out all together and put something different in!

uwe · 07-10-2004, 11:29 PM

Shucks! My door worked well before I had it painted. After having it painted it is sticking, just like yours.
Ok, i won't mess with it any longer.

Dbraw · 07-11-2004, 08:44 AM

SafariTim,
I had the same problem with our '71 Safari bathroom tambor. After taking it out several times and working with it, I finally gave up and closed the door and don't plan to ever try to open it again. Just won't slide open and closed without a lot of cussin'. Really don't need the space anyway.
Dan

Chuck · 07-11-2004, 08:58 AM

anyone have a clue how to remove that one? its a horizontally moving tambour underneath the stove/oven. mine has a couple of broken slats, and it was always very difficult to move. I did manage to loosen it up w/ silicone and some graphite lubricant. feels like the problem is that some loose end its catching on part of the scroll, because if you wiggle it enough to get it past that one hang-up, it slides easily. I'm sure that if I could get it out, I could re-hab it...but as with your bathroom tambour, I can't figure out how to get it off of there without removing the whole oven.

tips?

Safari Tim · 07-11-2004, 05:25 PM

Chuck,

It's not too bad to remove the one your talking about. Look in my first picture. You simply remove the three screws shown from each side and wiggle the whole thing. It will come out togther or in three peices, either way. To put it back reverse the steps.

The following pictures showed how I made regular cabinet doors to replace mine. I like them much much better. The only rolling tambours I use now are the ones on the tops.

Safari Tim · 07-11-2004, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Brawner

SafariTim,
I had the same problem with our '71 Safari bathroom tambor. After taking it out several times and working with it, I finally gave up and closed the door and don't plan to ever try to open it again. Just won't slide open and closed without a lot of cussin'. Really don't need the space anyway.
Dan

Thanks for that Dan. You and Uwe (say that five times fast

) are sure making me feel better about it!

I'm glad I can open far enought to access the TP though

Trailerbunny · 07-11-2004, 05:58 PM

I'm still drenched with sweat trying to get that thing to work...all the other tambour doors in my newly purchased Argosy '78 work as slick as butter...This seems to be a common problem...after I reached into the cabinet with the door nearly closed but enough to allow my arm in...I lined up all the ends top and bottem into the grooves...and alas..it was still sticking arghhhhh!!!!so I justy closed it enough to gain easy entry . I'm tempted to install something else but too many other things to do...and it's part of the AS "look"...This will be a good resource when I finally have had it....Kate

Chuck · 07-12-2004, 07:42 AM

Tim, I was talking about the one under the stove, as in your second pic. nice doors, btw. I'll have to look for hinges that wrap around like that. are they hard to find? They look better than what I have now, that's for sure. a PO removed all my tambour...except for the one under the stove, and the little narrow one just beneath the counter.

Diesel Pusher · 07-12-2004, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Safari Tim

Chuck,

It's not too bad to remove the one your talking about. Look in my first picture. You simply remove the three screws shown from each side and wiggle the whole thing. It will come out togther or in three peices, either way. To put it back reverse the steps.

The following pictures showed how I made regular cabinet doors to replace mine. I like them much much better. The only rolling tambours I use now are the ones on the tops.

I would like to make cabinet doors to replace my tambour doors on the bottom. Did you use Luan, or what type wood, also, how about hinges? Did you use magnets as well?