I have a '04 Holiday Rambler Presidential 5th wheel.I have several cabinet doors that are pulling apart at the seams.I have tried a rubber mallet to tap the door back together, but it didn't move at all. I was fearful to pry the entire side panel off.I uploaded a picture to my Flickr account to show the details.The link is below:http://www.flickr.com/photos/55056358@N04/12132608545/How do you repair the doors? Any advise is greatly appreciated.Flickr is a safe photography site. Feel free to look at my vacation pictures in my area (Wallyfish).Thanks to all. Stay warm!

You should be able to remove the doors and gently try to separate the door pieces and re glue them. If nothing else just slip a little glue into the separated joints without disassembling the whole door and clamp them until dry. Just go easy so the glue isn't running all over. Some glues will ruin the finish so be careful.

Take the door off its hinges. Get a ratchet strap and some quality wood glue, Very carefully pull the joint open, apply a liberal amount of glue. Push together, attach the ratchet strap and tighten until the door is back together. Checking with a carpenters square to ensure it is square. Wipe off all excess glue that squeezes out. Let the door sit for 24 hours. Remove the strap and reattach the door. If you are careful, no one will ever know.

I think the reason they came aPArt n the first place is that the center panel is not floating and it has to be. It expands and contracts with temp and humidity at a different rate the the frame. If you just gl;ue it again, it'll come apart again. You need to trim a little off the center panel so it floats and then glue it.

After 9+ years, I think the glue has failed. Following suggestions of the first 2 respondents and you should be good. I have gotten to where I use Gorilla glue for most of my projects.

Did the doors get wet????? That is what will cause that. You have to fix that problem first. Then dry the doors out completely. They then should go back together with glue and a clamp. Chris

Cabinet doors "Pulling apart" - how to repair?

32 Replies

Tom_Diane
Explorer
Jan 28, 2014
I see your flicker photos now. Unless you are handy with wood working, I would be careful about taking the door apart. I would myself but I have tools and bits to that to make a rail and stile door if I had to build a new one. Wood glue can be stronger than the wood itself and you can without notice, splinter that door along the grain. I personally would take the door off and clamp it down so it doesn't move and take a narrow wood chisel and carefully clean out the mortise, then take some fine sand paper and smooth out the tenon side. Its not going back together ,simply because of old dried glue in the joint. Make sure that before you apply glue back into that joint that you do a dry fit first. If it is properly cleaned, it will come back open so you can add the glue when the fit is right. Also I would put a short brad nail from the inside of the door. If you have other loose joints on the cabinet, I would tack them also from the inside. You can also get a needle type applicator at a wood working store that will inject a little glue into a loose joint and then clamp
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jan 27, 2014
Me Again wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Me Again wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Where do I find your Flickr account?

First post in the thread! Chris

No workie for me

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55056358@N04/12132608545/

Thank you!

Based on what I see. I would remove the doors and lay the doors face down and place a wood block against the back of the raised panel and tap with a hammer to break apart the frame from the center panel then glue all the pcs and clamp back to gather. Trim a bit off the edges of the raised panel if it looks like it has swollen to be to large for the frame.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Jan 27, 2014
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Me Again wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Where do I find your Flickr account?

First post in the thread! Chris

No workie for me

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55056358@N04/12132608545/
Maine-iacs
Explorer
Jan 27, 2014
WallynDiane wrote:
Thanks for all the replies.
If I can't do this, would you recommend taking a few of the bad doors to a cabinet repair shop for repair? The cabinets are nice oak and look good.

I have the same doors in my HR Presidential. They have never been a problem. Although I can't see your photo for some unknown reason, I'm sure that the description of a "glue starved joint" is most probably correct. If you are not a woodworker, don't screw around and mess up these beautiful oak doors. Bring them to a good local cabinet shop and they can fix them easily and professionally for a few bucks. It will be money well spent.

PM me if you have any questions.
spadoctor
Explorer II
Jan 27, 2014
First you must check the joints. Most rv companys use pin nails in the joints as well as glue because they don't want to keep then clamped for as long as it takes for the glue to set. If you take the joint apart you will need to remove those pin nails....something that can be a real PITA. I suggest....remove the doors....brush high strength Titebond into the joints....clamp with pipe clamps with wood blocking on each sid (if you just place the clamps on the door frame you will crush them leaving marks the size of the clamp pads). This is actually quite common. I see it often on home kitchens....
Duck
Explorer
Jan 27, 2014
JMO Unless you have the experience and tools needed I would take them to a cabinet shop and have them do the work.
Don
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jan 27, 2014
Me Again wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Where do I find your Flickr account?

First post in the thread! Chris

No workie for me
45Ricochet
Explorer
Jan 26, 2014
WallynDiane wrote:
Thanks for all the replies.
For those that have looked at the the picture on my Flickr account questions?

Only the corners have pulled apart. I was trying to tap that joint only at the corner to see if it would come back together. From sereral replies, do I pull that whole joint apart, then attempt to put it back together? If so, how do you put it back together? I can't even tap in the one corner back into place.

If I can't do this, would you recommend taking a few of the bad doors to a cabinet repair shop for repair? The cabinets are nice oak and look good.

A good cabinet shop can fix em. You need some kind of clamps if you glue them. Home Depot carries lots of clamps, I use pipe clamps myself.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Jan 26, 2014
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Where do I find your Flickr account?

First post in the thread! Chris
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Jan 26, 2014
Where do I find your Flickr account?