Our slideout nearly munched a kitchen drawer...
Got home after our first camping trip of the season on Monday and started to put the slide out. Out of the corner of my eye I happened to catch that one of the kitchen drawers was open and being pushed sideways by the slide's trim. Immediately let go of the slide switch. The drawer front was pushed sideways by maybe an inch.
I came so very, very close to destroying the drawer and damaging the slide trim & seal. OMG. Still have a sick in the stomach feeling thinking about it. Have had this TT for 2 years and the drawer has opened during travel maybe 1/2 dozen times but never far enough to get hung up on the slide. It came out in under 10 miles of travel back home from the CG and there were no bumpy roads and no sudden stopping or accelerating.
The problem is that the double roller catches they typically use in RVs are junk and often not installed properly. Ours appear to be aligned but they don't have much holding force. I just ordered some replacement heavy duty catches as in the photo. They are made by Southco and similar ones are available from RV Designer and JR Products. (I have used both before and the Southco seems better quality.)
These photos are a re-enactment of the event... The drawer slides, front & box are okay. The slide trim has a slight buckle in it that I won't be able to fix but it's cosmetic and not really noticeable. The seal looks okay. I got super lucky on that day. :E
I get so tired of poor design and workmanship in TTs. Over the past 2 years I have spent countless hours and hours re-enforcing, fixing, rebuilding or otherwise improving factory work to make it what it ought to be. There never seems to be an end to it.
I came so very, very close to destroying the drawer and damaging the slide trim & seal. OMG. Still have a sick in the stomach feeling thinking about it. Have had this TT for 2 years and the drawer has opened during travel maybe 1/2 dozen times but never far enough to get hung up on the slide. It came out in under 10 miles of travel back home from the CG and there were no bumpy roads and no sudden stopping or accelerating.
The problem is that the double roller catches they typically use in RVs are junk and often not installed properly. Ours appear to be aligned but they don't have much holding force. I just ordered some replacement heavy duty catches as in the photo. They are made by Southco and similar ones are available from RV Designer and JR Products. (I have used both before and the Southco seems better quality.)
These photos are a re-enactment of the event... The drawer slides, front & box are okay. The slide trim has a slight buckle in it that I won't be able to fix but it's cosmetic and not really noticeable. The seal looks okay. I got super lucky on that day. :E
I get so tired of poor design and workmanship in TTs. Over the past 2 years I have spent countless hours and hours re-enforcing, fixing, rebuilding or otherwise improving factory work to make it what it ought to be. There never seems to be an end to it.
