Curved Cabinet Door Below the Sink - Fell Off

[Frank&Mike]

Have any of you experienced the screws stripping out of the side where the curved cabinet door (below the kitchen sink) is installed ... and then the door falling off? If yes, how was it repaired? I don't see where the hardware will accommodate any larger diameter screw than what was used. Guess I'll be taking it in for service to ensure it's repaired properly before the warranty expires.

[Piggy Bank]

If you need to do a fix on the road, get some gorilla glue and a wooden match or toothpicks. Remove the screws, dry fit the match (wood end of course) or toothpick in the hole. Wet with glue, insert, let dry, and then trim away the standing portion. Now you should have some surface area for the screws to screw into to re-attach.

[rmkrum]

I use bamboo skewers or bamboo toothpicks because the fibers seem to be stringer. Ordinary matches are made of very soft wood...

[Docinabox]

Originally Posted by Frank&Mike

Have any of you experienced the screws stripping out of the side where the curved cabinet door (below the kitchen sink) is installed ... and then the door falling off? If yes, how was it repaired? I don't see where the hardware will accommodate any larger diameter screw than what was used. Guess I'll be taking it in for service to ensure it's repaired properly before the warranty expires.

Just fixed my kitchen sink door a few days ago. My right top hinge screw fixation completely failed. Airstream never placed the center screw in the hinge base. I went with larger screws, #10, in the top and bottom hole and a smaller #8'wood screw in the center hole. I drilled out the existing holes so they could accept the #10 screws. Because the sink is in the way, I removed this to gain clear access to the upper hinge.Very solid now.

[Rgentum]

Match stubs plus glue has worked for me, at least so far.

[Mollysdad]

How did it fall off? While driving or someone walked into it while open? By your picture, it looks like two screws are good, but the third ripped out and took the door with it.
I see there are drawers to the left of the sink, can you remove the drawers and get a nut on a machine screw to through bolt it?

"Anything worth doing is worth overdoing." -- Mick Jagger and me.

Originally Posted by Docinabox

Airstream never placed the center screw in the hinge base.

Sigh.

[Frank&Mike]

Thank you for the suggestions and most of all thank you for showing the "repair."

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

How did it fall off? While driving or someone walked into it while open? Sigh.

It fell off as a result of IH10 in Louisiana beating the heck out the Airstream ....... anyone that has traveled IH10 in Louisiana knows what I'm talking about when I say "the washboard between Lafayette and the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge will destroy your Airstream and it's one of the most dangerous stretches of road because of its pathetic condition!" Avoid it at all cost and no matter how many hours it adds to your trip.

[Airtandem]

I m not having trouble with the screws, it is the hinge it s self. They are loose and the doors keep opening and we have to tie them shut. I have tried the adjusting screws, but doesn't t work, suggestions?
Mike

[Frank&Mike]

Originally Posted by Airtandem

I m not having trouble with the screws, it is the hinge it s self. They are loose and the doors keep opening and we have to tie them shut. I have tried the adjusting screws, but doesn't t work, suggestions?
Mike

Hmmmm...we haven't had that problem. Not sure what to suggest with that. Hopefully others will offer some ideas.

[Rocinante]

In our case, the hinge anchors for one hinge (the top left one) popped out of the curved cabinet door rather than the cabinet behind it. Spoke to Airstream and they recommended that we use two-part wood epoxy. Takes longer to cure, but soaks into the wood and sticks to everything. They said it should provide a longer-lasting cure.

So, we'll take the hinges apart so we have the door free of the cabinet, and remove the screws from the plastic anchors. We'll squirt some of the epoxy on a paper plate, stir it together with a toothpick or popsicle stick, and then apply the mixed glue to the hole and the plastic anchors. Then we'll epoxy them into the door, and later screw everything back together after the glue has cured. While the glue cures and we travel, we'll lay the cabinet door on the front bedroom bed, and put all the cabinet contents into a bag.

At least, that is the battle plan. We'll see what happens once we get started. Will try to remember to take and post pictures showing the process and the result.

[Rocinante]

Airstream's recommendation appears to have worked. I used JB Weld wood epoxy, which sets up in 6 minutes and cures in 3 hours. Took the two hinges apart via the two screws that hide behind the black plastic cover that snaps off. Note how those hinges are put together - two different screws for each hinge, each one set differently. You will have to put them back together exactly the same way. Once I had the hinges apart, I removed the screws that connect the remaining half of the hinge to the door. Then I pulled out each of the plastic anchors, or collected the loose ones. I mixed a bit of epoxy for each socket as I fixed it. This stuff sets up so fast that if you make a bunch at once, by the time you get to the third socket, the epoxy you mixed up is already unusable. So, I mixed up a small amount, applied it into the hole and onto the plastic anchor, and shoved the anchor firmly in the hole, wiping away the excess that squirted up out around the anchor I just inserted. After doing this times 4, I set the door on the bed and waited the requisite three hours for the epoxy to cure. After it cured, I re-mounted the door. As of right now, it seems a very tight repair. Much tighter than it was before. At the moment I'm feeling like this was a successful repair. Time will tell - if it lasts, we're good. If it all pulls out again in a month or two, I will be disappointed. Nitrile gloves are optional, but helpful so you don't get epoxy on your skin as you work. In one case, there had been some damage to the wood, so I modeled some epoxy to fill that damage and achieve the original shape of the interior of the door. Seemed to work well.

[StreamGlider]

One of my hinges on the galley sink cabinet broke- the metal literally snapped. Shouldn't be too hard to replace it but where do you buy these hinges? Appear to be from a company called "Grass" (?) but their website doesn't specify dimensions.

Any help appreciated.

[TravlinMan]

I have had to tighten those screws many, many times. I reckon if ya don't tighten em, it eventually falls off. I was gonna out some locktite on em.

But if the hinge is loose, have ya opened the little cap that covers the hinge screw and tightened that?

[drairstream]

You can search grass hinges on google. Cabinet hardware.com sells them I think

[StreamGlider]

Yeah, I googled them before I posted. Their website is non specific on sizes of hinges and/ or what they fit on.

[Foiled Again]

The curved doors are actually extruded with a foam core, so an epoxy fix is the best choice. Ditto on the overhead cabinet doors on the Safari/Flying.Cloud models. They really should wear OK but they are not wood or plywood core.

And as to I-10 in Louisiana - it is horrid ! LASH your doors closed !

[cwalter]

Have read through several threads on curved cabinet doors under sink. Had no issues when we picked up our 27'FC and drove it home...but recently took it for a practice run (getting comfortable backing the rig) and noticed the top hinge of the left cabinet door came apart and door was hanging on by the bottom hinge. Was able to get the hinge back together but difficult because the hinge is presses up against the sink....and starting to scratch it. Is this a normal placement for this hinge?? I do not think the sink should be getting scratched up.... Sink does not appear to have shifted. I foresee the door being a problem every time we tow the rig since the movement/vibration of the sink will pop the hinge right off again. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated! Pics attached

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[mspearman]

Yes, we had the same problem. The original screw was tightened too much and stripped. We "fixed" it several times using match sticks and the like but it kept stripping out.

This is poor quality control for an expensive product. The door is too heavy for the screws in plywood. Should be either a hard wood side or at least three hinges. And Airstream should have better quality control on screw tightness.

I called Camper Clinic II to see about getting it fixed. Sure, no problem, bring it to us in 3 months (called Aug 25, bring it in Nov 30). That is unsat!

This is not the only quality problem we have had. I would not recommend Airstream to a friend.

Good luck

Mark

[Tim A.]

Originally Posted by StreamGlider

One of my hinges on the galley sink cabinet broke- the metal literally snapped. Shouldn't be too hard to replace it but where do you buy these hinges? Appear to be from a company called "Grass" (?) but their website doesn't specify dimensions.

Any help appreciated.

Well, the question was posted long ago, so this may not be any help. Judging by the pictures posted by cwalter, the hinges are these: https://www.hardwaresource.com/grass...ng-bundle.html.

As an aside, Grass is an Austrian company that, along with Blum (Germany), has been making European-style concealed hinges for many, many years.

Tim

[Rocinante]

Been there, done that. We fixed it with wood epoxy, and the fix held for as long as we owned the trailer. Never lost another curved door under the sink. If I can do it, anyone can. Not exactly Mr. Handy over here...