Potential Solution to Wardrobe Doors that come off during travel

[GOUSC]

In preparation for a 3 day trip to NC mountains I decided to check my wardrobe closet screws since I had seen posts about people doors coming off in route. I was surprised to find that 4 of the 6 screws were stripped on the left side of the closet. The problem as I see it is;

1. The left side of the closet is 1/2" particle board.
2. The factory used sheet metal screws for this instead of screws for particle board.
3. I don't think the factory drilled a pilot hole before drilling the screws in.

There was no issue on the right side as the factory put a 1/2" plywood strip on that side. I think they added that strip so no one would accidently drill into the fiberglass shower on the back side of the closet. Plywood holds a screw a lot better than particle board.

I had added wood toothpicks into the holes and was going to insert a better screw. I have a woodworking friend I checked with an he had a better idea. I do woodworking as a hobby and he does it for a living. One of the pictures I attached is the type of screw that should be used in particle board. You can see the definite difference in this screw and what was used by the factory. You drill a 5mm pilot hole and then insert this screw. At a minimum, Airstream should use these screws.

However, to do it right he suggested using a 2 part system that is similar to the parts used in holding together 2 cabinet bases. For these you drill a hole thru the left closet side. Then, insert the receiving end on the outside of the cabinet and then attach the hinge with a machine screw from the inside. The machine screw will tighten down the connection and the hinges will never come off in transit.

More specifically,

1. My friend lent me a jig template used for marking hinges. Line up the template over the existing holes and clamp it down.
2. The template will allow you to drill a 5mm hole in the cabinet.
3. Your then drill a 7/32" hole thru those holes to allow the receiving end to be inserted in. You will have to tap it in flush from the outside.
4. Line up the hinges with the new holes and insert the machine screws.
5. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WARDROBE CLOSET AS YOU DON'T WANT TO DRILL A HOLE THRU THE SHOWER.

I don't believe the closet doors will fail using this system. The only downside is the visual aspect on the outside. I'm hoping someone on the forum has a suggestion for this. I'm thinking I would be able to contact Airstream for some extra Barcelona Blue laminate to cut and glue to these items. If you don't like that option, the particle board screws would be an upgrade.

I also did a couple of other things for the closet.

1. I will use a Velcro strap around the outside handles to prevent the doors from flying open.
2. I used Velcro straps to hold a vacuum cleaner my wife bought for the RV.

[pcskier]

I am 'boondock-proofing' mine, upgrading all latches and hinge attachments. Fortunately, most closet doors in my 23d are designed in such a way that I can 'through bolt' the hinges using a screw and a nut and lock washer on the other end...which will be concealed. Your solution for visible panels is solid. Some might not like the visibility of those round 'bases' that the screws attach to, as you noted. I'd have to think about it. As an aside...are you sure the panel is particle board? I'm pretty sure all wood used in Airstream cabinetry is plywood. One of the differences from other brands. The screws are woefully short and narrow, for sure.

I am also upgrading all my cheap plastic latches to the brass adjustable ball catch kind.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[GOUSC]

Originally Posted by pcskier

I am 'boondock-proofing' mine, upgrading all latches and hinge attachments. Fortunately, most closet doors in my 23d are designed in such a way that I can 'through bolt' the hinges using a screw and a nut and lock washer on the other end...which will be concealed. Your solution for visible panels is solid. Some might not like the visibility of those round 'bases' that the screws attach to, as you noted. I'd have to think about it. As an aside...are you sure the panel is particle board? I'm pretty sure all wood used in Airstream cabinetry is plywood. One of the differences from other brands. The screws are woefully short and narrow, for sure.

I am also upgrading all my cheap plastic latches to the brass adjustable ball catch kind.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I will say that I am not 100% sure. However, the each hole in the middle hinge had two drill points in them. When the second drill point was made too close to the first drill point there was no good material for it to grab and that's why both of them were stripped. All of the loose material that came out appeared to be particle board. The top and bottom hinges each had 1 screw stripped and there was nothing really for them to grab. The right door had a 1/2" plywood strip and those screws were solid compared to the left side. There was no laminate on the exposed side of the right door so I could confirm it was plywood.

I just made the decision I could live with the visibility of the bases better than I could live with the visibility of the doors coming off. Now, if I could just convince my wife.... (In the meantime I will look for a solution to pretty it up some).

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by GOUSC

I will say that I am not 100% sure. However, the each hole in the middle hinge had two drill points in them. When the second drill point was made too close to the first drill point there was no good material for it to grab and that's why both of them were stripped. All of the loose material that came out appeared to be particle board. The top and bottom hinges each had 1 screw stripped and there was nothing really for them to grab. The right door had a 1/2" plywood strip and those screws were solid compared to the left side. There was no laminate on the exposed side of the right door so I could confirm it was plywood.

I just made the decision I could live with the visibility of the bases better than I could live with the visibility of the doors coming off. Now, if I could just convince my wife.... (In the meantime I will look for a solution to pretty it up some).

I picked up my FC23 in California about a month ago. I immediately noticed some 'sawdust' on the shelf of the galley closet, right below the lower hinge, and the screws were somewhat loose. I knew I would need to address it when I got home. I spent one night on the drive home boondocking down a bumpy road. When I stopped to set up, that closet door was...on the floor. Those screws obviously worked free, leaving just the upper hinge to carry the load, until those screws failed shortly thereafter. Along with the plastic latch (which is being replaced with a brass one). The corner of the door put a tiny gouge in the vinyl floor, which was a bummer. But it's in front of the range/oven, where I keep a mat to stand on...so no big deal. But still.
So I get your desire to avoid having doors surprise us by being somewhere other than on their hinges when we get to our destination.

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by GOUSC

I just made the decision I could live with the visibility of the bases better than I could live with the visibility of the doors coming off. Now, if I could just convince my wife.... (In the meantime I will look for a solution to pretty it up some).

How about these? Just monster glue them on and call it good? Or thin 3M double sided tape if you'd like the option to easily remove? Gives a better finished look?


https://shop.wagnercompanies.com/disk-d001

[quietguy]

There isn’t particle board used anywhere in an Airstream any more. They make a big deal about that. If you go to the factory and take the tour you’ll see exactly how all of that cabinetry is made and that there isn’t a single piece of particle board anywhere in the factory. Now that’s not to say there isn’t a hidden void within the laminated layers of the plywood or someone “overtorqued” a screw...

Regardless. Great fix. Doors are now secure for life!

[pcskier]

Maybe these are better. Probably can search around and find something less 'chrome' and more 'aluminum' looking. Anyway...I'm keeping your upgrade in mind since I'm confident there is a solution out there to dress up the screw bases with some double sided tape!


https://www.ebay.com/p/Show-Chrome-A...4436103&chn=ps

[Toasterlife]

I don't know when they made the change to plywood - but our pull out bounced out all the way and fell apart and it was definitely particleboard, the cabinets in ours Christopher Dean are quite shoddy. I have to secure everything with to prevent the doors opening on bumpy roads.

[TxTravelsUSA]

My 2018 Flying Cloud 27FB has had several hinges pull out in transit. In every case the screw was stripped out of cabinet material was particle board. I removed the hinge, filled the hole with wood glue and wood toothpicks, let it dry, then reinstalled the hinge. Wood glue and wooden tooothpicks also worked when I replaced the screws holding the drawer slides under the dinette seat.

[GOUSC]

Originally Posted by pcskier

Maybe these are better. Probably can search around and find something less 'chrome' and more 'aluminum' looking. Anyway...I'm keeping your upgrade in mind since I'm confident there is a solution out there to dress up the screw bases with some double sided tape!


https://www.ebay.com/p/Show-Chrome-A...4436103&chn=ps

PCSKIER,

Thanks for all of your info. We didn't have cell reception on our mountain trip so I was not able to respond to you. I will look into the double tape option but I don't think the chrome covers are a fit for me. When I made the original post, I pulled my curtains back all the way so everyone could see how the back side of the fasteners looked. While we were camping I noticed that when you are seated anywhere in the RV you don't really notice them when the curtains are in a normal position. I've attached as picture from our trip.

I think I'm going to check with Airstream first to see if they have any scrap pieces of the matching laminate available. If not, then I'll look for double sided tape or something in a gray color or just find a shade of paint or nail polish to blend. It doesn't need much as there is not much showing in the normal curtain position.

With regard to your metal latches - do the ones in your link line up with existing holes that are drilled with the plastic latches?

[Kodiak2006]

Originally Posted by GOUSC

In preparation for a 3 day trip to NC mountains I decided to check my wardrobe closet screws since I had seen posts about people doors coming off in route. I was surprised to find that 4 of the 6 screws were stripped on the left side of the closet. The problem as I see it is;



1. The left side of the closet is 1/2" particle board.

2. The factory used sheet metal screws for this instead of screws for particle board.

3. I don't think the factory drilled a pilot hole before drilling the screws in.



There was no issue on the right side as the factory put a 1/2" plywood strip on that side. I think they added that strip so no one would accidently drill into the fiberglass shower on the back side of the closet. Plywood holds a screw a lot better than particle board.



I had added wood toothpicks into the holes and was going to insert a better screw. I have a woodworking friend I checked with an he had a better idea. I do woodworking as a hobby and he does it for a living. One of the pictures I attached is the type of screw that should be used in particle board. You can see the definite difference in this screw and what was used by the factory. You drill a 5mm pilot hole and then insert this screw. At a minimum, Airstream should use these screws.



However, to do it right he suggested using a 2 part system that is similar to the parts used in holding together 2 cabinet bases. For these you drill a hole thru the left closet side. Then, insert the receiving end on the outside of the cabinet and then attach the hinge with a machine screw from the inside. The machine screw will tighten down the connection and the hinges will never come off in transit.



More specifically,



1. My friend lent me a jig template used for marking hinges. Line up the template over the existing holes and clamp it down.

2. The template will allow you to drill a 5mm hole in the cabinet.

3. Your then drill a 7/32" hole thru those holes to allow the receiving end to be inserted in. You will have to tap it in flush from the outside.

4. Line up the hinges with the new holes and insert the machine screws.

5. DO NOT USE THIS METHOD ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WARDROBE CLOSET AS YOU DON'T WANT TO DRILL A HOLE THRU THE SHOWER.



I don't believe the closet doors will fail using this system. The only downside is the visual aspect on the outside. I'm hoping someone on the forum has a suggestion for this. I'm thinking I would be able to contact Airstream for some extra Barcelona Blue laminate to cut and glue to these items. If you don't like that option, the particle board screws would be an upgrade.



I also did a couple of other things for the closet.



1. I will use a Velcro strap around the outside handles to prevent the doors from flying open.

2. I used Velcro straps to hold a vacuum cleaner my wife bought for the RV.

Thanks for sharing. I will have to look closely at mine. I had the screws for the bath mirror latch stripped all out. I also have issues with the attachment of the stove on the Rh side of the oven door.

The wardrobe doors seem to need a stop stamp to my eye - to limit over stressing the hinge attachments and stripping them out. I have not explored too much the warped hardware yet.

[GOUSC]

After talking to my woodworking friend I have two potential solutions for covering the hardware on the wardrobe closet.

First - I called Airstream. Formica Corp (1-800-367-6422) is the company that makes the laminate for covering our cabinet in the GT. The Model # and Code for our Barcelona Blue is a) Citadel b) FL1097-2058-4X8. Formica will be sending me a 5" X 7" sample of the laminate. I will try and cut / stamp out 6 - 3/4" round pieces to glue and cover the hardware.

Second - Formica referred me to Fastcaps.com. This company makes peel and stick PVC or wood covers to hide screw caps. He thought their Folkstone Gray would be the closest match to the Citadel color. If the laminate doesn't work I will go this route.

I'll let you know if this works out.

[ROBERT CROSS]

...the Macgyver method when aligning our replacement bead latches.
Push on the door and the screws tell you where to drill.😂
Anchored with 3M 5200 👍

Toothpics with MarineTex can work for stripped wood screws, it will anchor the screw, not likely to loosen again. 👍

Bob
🇺🇸

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

...the Macgyver method when aligning our replacement bead latches.
Push on the door and the screws tell you where to drill.😂
Anchored with 3M 5200 👍
🇺🇸

Good idea. Here's another method I used, shared by Troutboy on the 23d thread. Worked great. Install the base unit to the cabinet, with bearings as loose as possible. Then put the door piece into the catch with double sided tape on the back. Close the door and push firmly on it. Open door. Door piece will be stuck to the door in just the position. Leave it on there, tape and all, and screw it in. Worked perfect!

[GOUSC]

Well, I’m finally getting closer to a conclusion. I’ve to make a bunch of phone calls so I decided to post the issues to try and save someone some time in the future. When I rec’d my sample from Formica I found out the Airstream Customer service rep gave me the wrong information. I asked for the Wardrobe Closet Formica Part # / color and he gave me the color for the galley area cabinets.

I then took the color he sent me to see if I could cut out the formica and see if it would work. I referred to my woodworking friend for the process. Basically clamp the formica sample on top of a sacrificial wood backing. I then used my drill press with a 7/8” hole saw and cut out the formica that can then be hot glued on top of the exposed fastening hardware. See attached pictures.

Once I saw this worked I googled Airstream 2018 Globetrotter Parts Book. This book contains the part # for every component of our Globetrotter. It is a valuable resource. It told me the laminate Color of the wardrobe closet in my Barcelona Blue is Natural Elm LG, not the Citadel color given to me originally. I then called Formica Corp to get them to send me a sample in the correct color. I found out that Formica does not provide the laminate for the Wardrobe closet.

I then called AS Customer service. They told me Tamarack provided this part. They looked up the AS part # and cross referenced with to the Tamarack part # of LT-1499 and gave me the phone # for Tamarack of Cincinnati, OH.

I then called that number and got a company of Michigan that had never heard of Tamarack. I followed up with Airstream and they said they gave me the correct #. I called back and found it the company is named Richelue Corp. I asked if they had a division called Tamarack. The got my info and said they would get back with me.

In the meantime, I followed up with Airstream again and they gave me a different phone # of 513-554-3770 for Tamarack. I called that # and got a very helpful woman named Marilyn who was a life saver for me. Came to find out that Richelue purchased Tamarack earlier this year. When Airstream places an order for the cabinets in our GT they do this with Tamarack. Tamarack then goes to various vendors to get the parts for the final product. Formica Corp happens to be the company that provides the laminate for the kitchen galley base cabinets and Decotone Surfaces is the company that provided the laminate for the main cabinets and color in the Barcelona Blue décor furniture. Decotone’s part # for the laminate is LT-1499. Luckily, Marilyn was able to find this info out. See attached picture.

Marilyn is sending me an 8”X10” sample of this laminate that I will hopefully use to cut out 6 holes with my hole saw blade to cover the exposed hardware on my wardrobe cabinets. I had no idea it would take so long to track down this info but the finished product should look good after it is done. Just want to try and save someone else time down the road.

Do check out the parts book because it will tell you everything about your unit from colors to part sized to which holding tank your kitchen and bath sinks drain to.

[stevejones]

Originally Posted by GOUSC

Once I saw this worked I googled Airstream 2018 Globetrotter Parts Book.

Thanks for this tip! Doing the same thing we were able to find the parts book for our 2019 Globetrotter. Fantastic to have this! For those who are interested it is at:

https://www.airstream.com/wp-content...Parts-Book.pdf

Thanks,

Steve

[GOUSC]

Finally completed hole cuts with the matching laminate and hot glued them to the hardware. My wife is pleased with the final look and I'm pleased my closet doors won't come off.