Drawers in a Travel Trailer

I use what Johno02 suggested in the 5th reply to your post. They come in various strengths. I made a drawer under the dinette seat and it came open on every left turn. I installed the 10 pound latch and it hasn't opened by itself since. The small drawers have the 5# latches.

Some trailers are simply worse than others for drawers opening in transit. Just depends on a number of factors. We have a couple that are mounted in a left-right orientation that open once in a while. (Haven't dealt with them yet.) The ones in our rear kitchen facing fore-aft never open, but I would have expected them to over the left-right ones.

Other suggestions:

If you have the standard roller catches (as in photo), check to see that they are properly aligned. Just went through a friend's 1.5 yr old Keystone TT and every single roller catch was misaligned or bent. TERRIBLE factory workmanship. One had the pieces 1" apart and didn't work at all. Also make sure drawer slides are aligned and drawers aren't c*ck-eyed, esp. on wide drawers.

Adding a 2nd roller catch may be all that's needed. These things are really inexpensive and available everywhere including hardware stores.

For the ultimate solution, ditch the drawer slides that come standard in RVs and replace them with Nape & Vogt RV 8400 series stay-close slides. I've installed them and they are EXCELLENT. They work like a soft-close one in a house except to open, you have to give them a tug. You'll never have a drawer open again. Link: K&N RV drawer slides



ps: just noticed RV.net won't allow c*ck-eyed to be spelled out in full, even though it's a legit. word. :S

My drawers have notches on the bottom that hold the cabinet frame very nicely.

Seen this in TT's since the mid 60's..

I've never had a drawer open on me.

All you have to do is lift up on the drawer when you pull on it and it pulls right out. Close it all the way and it's locked in..

Mitch

I removed the tracks and cut a small notch in the fixed track on each side, which allows the roller to drop down about 1/4" when the drawer is fully closed. You just need to lift the front of the drawer abut 1/4" to be able to open it.

If the handles on a bank of drawers has an opening rather than a knob, just slip a yardstick down through all of the handles. Easy.

Ours didn't come open so it sounds like your hardware isn't working as it should.

:B:B

My drawers all have elasticated waistbands and seem to stay in place very well :)

We use bungee cords.

Alabama Jim wrote:
What are your reccomedations for securing drawers while in route. They alwasy slide out and velcro does not hold them.

Shock cord ... simple, and works like a charm. :B

camper drawers are built to stay shut. In 30 years of towing campers. I have yet to have a drawer, OR cabinet door open.