Drawers coming out

[kswelsh]

I have a 2006 Airstream Classic with queen bed configuration. Whenever we pull the trailer, the drawer under the foot of the bed (seen from bathroom) comes open. Any advice on how to keep it shut during travel?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by kswelsh

I have a 2006 Airstream Classic with queen bed configuration. Whenever we pull the trailer, the drawer under the foot of the bed (seen from bathroom) comes open. Any advice on how to keep it shut during travel?

Drawers coming open are caused by vibration.

The vibration is caused by unbalanced running gear, bad rubber rods in the axles, excessive rated hitch bars and/or excessive rated tow vehicle.

Andy

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by kswelsh

I have a 2006 Airstream Classic with queen bed configuration. Whenever we pull the trailer, the drawer under the foot of the bed (seen from bathroom) comes open. Any advice on how to keep it shut during travel?

Since it's under the foot of the bed, that mean's the bottom edge is at floor level, right? If so, a simple rubber doorstop should do the trick, at least until you can figure out where the vibration is coming from.

[Foiled Again]

Unbalanced axles? Maybe but in a 2006? How about big honkin' potholes and rough roads. Most of the modern clasps are made of plastic which fatigues over time, or are magnetic, but not all that strong. If you've got a big load shifting in the drawer, could be as simple as adding another magnetic latch or two. If yours is at the foot of the fore and aft queen, on a FB model... inertia would tug on it every time you accelerated, too. Rear bed, every time you brake!

I've deployed quite a bit of cargo mesh in my new Airstream and since the cargo doesn't shift... the doors stay closed.

Paula

[dznf0g]

Make certain that the two latches are:

1) adjusted so that the rotating catch in the frame half are fully rotating past their detent when the drawer is fully closed.

2) one or both of the frame half catches hasn't gotten "closed" while the drawer was open, preventing latching when the drawer is pushed closed.

[Len n Jeanne]

I can't quite visualize your configuration, but we have cupboard doors under the bed-- the ones that lead outside through the back storage area. These tend come open if we don't park something in front of them. Usually these are the black gym bags in which we take clothes that won't fit into the closet. They fit well under the bed. We had trouble once with a kitchen drawer that kept sliding out en route, but got a better sort of weighted latch for it.

[Silver Otter]

What Rich said in #5 above. We have the same configuration, and I bumped the moving latch part on the face frame "closed" once. Well, because the drawer closes I thought it was OK, but it didn't actually latch. I took out my small screwdriver, pried the working part back out in the open position. All is well.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Unbalanced axles? Maybe but in a 2006? Paula

Running gear refers to the tire, wheel, hub and drum as an assembly.

Those are the parts that totate when moving the trailer on the road.

That running gear vibration can and does happen to every travel trailer ever built by whoever, and if not corrected, can cause many different damages as well as unnecessary expenses.

Andy

[kswelsh]

Thank you all for your comments. I'll look at the latch parts and see if I can monkey with it. I though too of putting a simple hook and eye lock on it to keep it closed. We did drive over some bumpy road coming through Iowa recently. It's always a surprise to go into the Airstream after towing for a while and finding little surprises like drawers open and socks all over the place

[wolverine]

Originally Posted by kswelsh

Thank you all for your comments. I'll look at the latch parts and see if I can monkey with it. I though too of putting a simple hook and eye lock on it to keep it closed. We did drive over some bumpy road coming through Iowa recently. It's always a surprise to go into the Airstream after towing for a while and finding little surprises like drawers open and socks all over the place

We experienced this problem when our Classic was new and found that two bungee cords solved the problem while we travel. We attach one end of the cord to the side drawer and the other end to the front drawer on each side--haven't had anymore problems after we started this procedure before long trips. We have Centramatics so I don't think vibration is what was causing the opening. Some roads and highways are just rougher than others and can lead to drawer issues. We also use one cord down through all handles on the stack of drawers next to the wardrobe--solved that problem too.

[Wingeezer]

We have the same problem with underbed drawers coming open on our 2005 Classic 30 despite having centramatics installed.

I was thinking to add some better latches, but I like teh bungee idea - will certaily give that a try! Thanks!

Brian

[m.hony]

Our drawers come open and our trailer is new. I think the roads here are just rough and bumpy. We take the drawers on either side of the bed out during travel.
We had the same problem with our previous trailer. The wheels were balanced.

[LawChick]

Our clothes used to fly off the closet rod before Esmerelda ( ah, saying her name makes me sad) got new shocks installed at the mother ship. Never happened again.

I did bungie everything closed in Ezzie because her drawer latches, etc, were long gone. I had a network of long & short, looked a bit like a spidery web. Nothing moved.

Be careful NOT to put too much downward pressure on upper cabinets! Can cause them to pull away. Just enough gentle pressure so IF they open the elasticity will shut them back. I would go from the rearward closet door to the under sink cabinet. But that may only work on Excellas. It became a stowing operation I didn't have to think about.

Now with Dulcie we so far haven't had to bungie. Her drawer stops, etc., work well.

Someone loved this ole girl. But she's just not quite as fancy as Ezzie was - although she's in better shape.

[dwightdi]

Bungees are the next best thing to duct tape or WD 40 for fixing anything. Bungees do not leave adhesive residual, like duct tape. After the retaining locks wore out, old trailers used to use dowel pins through screw eyes in front of the drawers. It worked.

[cwf]

I thought about "child safety latches"..... But am fresh out of 3 year olds to operate them.

We do have some bouncy ones that like to ease out... Especially when I have had a heavy braking operation.

I thought of magnets. Haven't thought of how that mite work....

[jcanavera]

Bad roads have a lot to do with it. My Classic has had problems with the drawers popping open since it was new. The problem is the front of the rail has a small tab that is supposed to resist the drawer being opened. Technically you have to lift the drawer and pull. This allows the drawer to raise up over the tab. The problem with this technique is two fold. First unless you are careful, just sliding the drawer back tends to bend this tab down. Secondly if you hit a bump, the drawer will raise in the rails. This rise in the drawer causes the drawer to clear the stop tab and the drawer then is subject to opening. It's a terrible system and while I regularly bend those tabs up, they slowly succumb to bending if they aren't treated carefully.

I know it's road conditions because in most cases around the St. Louis area, many of the Interstates have been patched or have dips which causes this lifting action. Once we get out of town, at the first rest stop I go back and close the opened drawers. If the roads are good on the balance of the trip, the drawers are all in place once we get to our destination.

I don't know if there is a better system that is compatible with the current drawers for our 2004 unit, but I might look at some of the newer Classic's at the dealer and see what they are doing today.

Jack

[Silver Goose]

The drawers under our bed and several of the other cabinet doors have this type of latch.




They come in 5# and 10# latch strengths. I've replace a couple that became weak with use and replaced the one on the closet door with the stronger grip. As others have mentioned, it is not too difficult for the toggle to get bumped and flipped in and then the latch doesn't grip and can go unnoticed on those low drawers. The galley drawers typically have a notch on the bottom that engages a lip when fully closed that usually keeps them closed.

Since we don't ride in our trailers, we really don't realize what goes on back there when underway. Clamp a camera to the table and record a few minutes of video going down the road. It might be an eye opener. I've heard our trailers endure a 6+ magnitude earthquake several times a minute going down a good road. It's a wonder things don't look like they went through a blender when you open the door at your destination. Unbalanced running gear and overly stiff WD bars can increase the effects by several orders of magnitude.

[featherbedder]

I have never had drawers doors etc. come open on road even w/axles 36 yrs. old, only prob frig. comes open even w/new axles [1 yr. old] unless put cooler in front of door w/throw rug to prevent damage too door old style frig. [60s era] had pins or swing type locks to prevent this. New type plastic frigi locks don't work..... I have traveled on some very bumpy or what ever roads. Maybe A.S. design dept has prob. This is not what cost of A.S. owners should have to put up with.

[kswelsh]

Originally Posted by featherbedder

I have never had drawers doors etc. come open on road even w/axles 36 yrs. old, only prob frig. comes open even w/new axles [1 yr. old] unless put cooler in front of door w/throw rug to prevent damage too door old style frig. [60s era] had pins or swing type locks to prevent this. New type plastic frigi locks don't work..... I have traveled on some very bumpy or what ever roads. Maybe A.S. design dept has prob. This is not what cost of A.S. owners should have to put up with.

We had a 1975 Excella for 10 years before getting the 2006 - never had a problem with the doors opening either, but the new one sure does.

[Silver Otter]

As Silver Goose shows in Post #17, I've upgraded all our drawers to solid wood running on Blum slides with the latches he pictured at the top of each drawer. Results = drawers run smoothly, close themselves in daily use, and lock closed/star closed under way. Nice!