Cupboard keep opening

[Bolerpuller]

I spent a few days out on the west coast and the gravel road beat the crap out of my bigfoot. I lost my brakes, the bathroom door fell off, and the cupboards opened and dumped the contents on the floor. I've fixed most of the problems but not sure how I'm going to keep the cupboards from opening next time. Any Ideas? And before someone states the obvious....yes, i was going slow, at one point only 15kph.

[Jack L]

What Model Bigfoot?? What shape is your suspension in?

[Jerrymcs]

We traveled in New England and New Brunswick this summer and ran into some rough roads most likely associated with their freezing/thawing in the colder seasons. Our cupboards opened frequently as did our sliding windows.

Speed likely was one factor but my best guess for our experience was there must be some flexing as the trailer hits unexpected bumps and I don't see how to avoid that. I have seen this in my fiberglass boats in the past and only assume that the fundamental structures are similar.

We did loose one of our rivets on the shower wall as a result of all the bumps. any suggestions on how to repair will be appreciated.

There are a number of accomplished engineers that read this forum regularly, you may want to look for their input which is always insightful and practical.

Regarding my sliding windows, we tried clips with little success. Once we were able to keep small wooden dowels in place they did the job.

Safe travels!

[jgilardi]

What I did for traveling was to drill a small hole through each cabinet door and through the fiberglass frame (the cabinet butts up to) and I screw in a i-bolt on one side and a washer and nut on the other side. This holds the cabinets tight while traveling and I take them off while camping. Probably a better solution is out there but this works well for me. Good luck

[DavidG]

Originally Posted by jgilardi

What I did for traveling was to drill a small hole through each cabinet door and through the fiberglass frame (the cabinet butts up to) and I screw in a i-bolt on one side and a washer and nut on the other side. This holds the cabinets tight while traveling and I take them off while camping. Probably a better solution is out there but this works well for me. Good luck

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Without cutting or drilling, one thing I have used is the small ( 1/4 or 3/8 ?) bungee cord material that comes in big rolls at DIY stores. Cut an appropriate length, hook it on any bracket such as the fire extinguisher bracket or a small stick-on coathook, and just loop it across the face of the doors or draws to another stick-on coat hook. When you unhook it, it springs back to its unstretched length and just hooks over the coat hook. I even had one of a larger diameter from the Fire extinguisher bracket, across the Scamp's Closet door which often opened, and as I stepped out the trailer's entrance door I looped it over the door handle so the door could not swing open on rough roads. I have a lot of trouble with this so I know if I don't solve the problem I will have to fight it forever. I have also replaced the screws in some of the heavier cabinet doors with brass bolts and nuts with lock washers so they don't come loose. David in Fresno and Sonora, CA

[sharon_b]

Jason, you might be able to loosen the screws that hold the latch & move it a few mm closer.

[Dave Fish]

I put magnetic baby locks on my Campster. I had considered them for some cupboards in my class A that persistently opened at the most inconvenient times but never got to it. Now that I've done it, I wish I had before. They lock securely while traveling and you can leave them unlocked at you destination.

I posted pictures on another thread a couple of weeks ago but I can repost them here if needed.

[BarbinBC]

Hi Dave,

Please do post your photos of your solution!

Thanks,

Barb

[Franswa]

like first thing is WHERE on the "west coast" were you exactly....I like to think I drive on some pretty rough roads and the spring shocks (overheads) on my 97 have never opened on me....most of my heavy stuff is sort of stacked/seperated though, so a whole compartment of stuff can't make a flying leap towards the closed door at the same time together.

like most everybody else I suspect, I have forgotten in the past to secure one thing or another... (worst was the fridge door "incident")...but over time the routine before hitting the road is well learned by now....(knocking firmly on wood)

What road were you on??? If you say "Holberg" I won't be at all surprised...that's bloody awful

[BarbinBC]

Not sure who you were addressing in your post, Franswa, but I'll reply anyways!

Your "Holberg" comment made me laugh out loud. Yes, I have driven that road many times to Winter Harbour. I'm in Comox on the W. Coast. Now, I didn't take my trailer on that road, but I have been on worse roads with it. I towed it 12,000 km to Inuvik and back in 2015 on the Dempster Hwy, which isn't such a bad road for the most part.

On our return I took a scenic route back to the Horseshoe Bay ferry on a bone-shaking logging road. That's where the apparatus that held my spare tire on the back of the trailer broke off even though it was chained and locked. It flew off somewhere into the woods never to be seen again. And the cupboard doors were open when we stopped along the way for lunch. The worst washboard road I have ever been on and I like back roads.

I use really long, wide elastic bands that stretch from one knob to the next, but even those didn't hold the door shut, hence my question. They are losing their 'stretch', so was looking for another solution.

[Dave Fish]

Originally Posted by BarbinBC

Hi Dave,

Please do post your photos of your solution!

Thanks,

Barb

This package had 8 latches. I needed another package of four to do tthe last two openings.

The installed pics are the closet door and a drawer. Bought the kits at Home Depot.

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by Bolerpuller

I spent a few days out on the west coast and the gravel road beat the crap out of my bigfoot. I lost my brakes, the bathroom door fell off, and the cupboards opened and dumped the contents on the floor. I've fixed most of the problems but not sure how I'm going to keep the cupboards from opening next time. Any Ideas? And before someone states the obvious....yes, i was going slow, at one point only 15kph.

They make good door latches to keep this from happening. Our Casita latches have never failed us. They spring latch. To prevent the fridge door from opening we put the fridge rods about 3 inches from the bottom of the shelf to keep things in place. If the shelf is not full we put the rod further back to hold things in place. You could put fridge rods or spring curtain rods with the rubber on each end in each cabinet to hold things in place. If it is a tall cabinet use more than one rod.

[Bolerpuller]

Originally Posted by Jack L

What Model Bigfoot?? What shape is your suspension in?

19 foot with double axle. I just did a spring over conversion and replaced most of the suspension parts as they were shot.

[Bolerpuller]

Originally Posted by Franswa

like first thing is WHERE on the "west coast" were you exactly....I like to think I drive on some pretty rough roads and the spring shocks (overheads) on my 97 have never opened on me....most of my heavy stuff is sort of stacked/seperated though, so a whole compartment of stuff can't make a flying leap towards the closed door at the same time together.

like most everybody else I suspect, I have forgotten in the past to secure one thing or another... (worst was the fridge door "incident")...but over time the routine before hitting the road is well learned by now....(knocking firmly on wood)

What road were you on??? If you say "Holberg" I won't be at all surprised...that's bloody awful

I was on the road to Bamfield. Later in September I'll be headed to Northern BC, were I travel over 100k on washboard, so hoping not to repeat the disaster!

[Bolerpuller]

Originally Posted by Jann Todd

They make good door latches to keep this from happening. Our Casita latches have never failed us. They spring latch. To prevent the fridge door from opening we put the fridge rods about 3 inches from the bottom of the shelf to keep things in place. If the shelf is not full we put the rod further back to hold things in place. You could put fridge rods or spring curtain rods with the rubber on each end in each cabinet to hold things in place. If it is a tall cabinet use more than one rod.

Do you have a link? I like this idea best.

I hadn't thought of child locks. Also a great idea! Thanks!