Screws

[camper1887]

The screws holding the hinge on the bathroom door and most of the cabinets with the roller latches won't stay in the wood they just spin when you tighten them and start to fall back out in travel. Is there a way to keep the screws in the wood so stay tight, I've noticed scamp does not use the most highest quality of wood. Any help would be appreciated.

[rabbit]

Fill holes w/ 5min. epoxy or epoxy paste, let cure, drill undersize pilot hole on centers of holes in hinge leaf, screw em on. Yes Virginia, we've all whittled little pegs and stuck friction matches in oversize holes. The fix that allows you go on fixing and not to be recommended.

[Dennis Clinton]

When I bought mine, the storage room door(same as your bathroom door) had completely torn off, including part of the frame. I cut a new door, installed new moulding around the opening and used a full length piano hinge on the new door. I don't thing the 20+ screws will all come out.

[Raz]

I would drill the hole out. Glue a dowel in the new hole. Cut it flush. Drill a pilot hole and install your screws. I prefer birch dowels if I can find them. Good luck, Raz

[Donna D.]

Easy method is to fill the hole with wooden toothpicks and jam in epoxy (or even Gorilla Glue) to totally fill the voids. Screws need something to "bite" into... and the toothpicks accomplish that.

[Carol H]

A lot of boat builders dip the screw theads in varnish before screwing in to give them a better hold.

[Cam A]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Easy method is to fill the hole with wooden toothpicks and jam in epoxy (or even Gorilla Glue) to totally fill the voids. Screws need something to "bite" into... and the toothpicks accomplish that.

Like Donna said; always a font of wisdom.

[Cam A]

Also helps if you twiddle the toothpicks in the epoxy prior to jamming into the hole.

[john warren]

Originally Posted by Cam A

Also helps if you twiddle the toothpicks in the epoxy prior to jamming into the hole.

"twiddle" a teknickle turm we furniture repair folks use....for coating a tiny bit of wood with glue.
all those are good methods. you sort of have to look it over and see what works best. is it just the screw holes wore out? wood not split then the toothpick/matchstick may be enough. and always put a little glue on them . if the wood itself is splitting, and if you have crammed enough matchsticks in there,,,eventualy it will, then drill it out and glue in a hunk of dowel this will reinforce the slip a little. and give something for the screw to dig into. oh,,,predrill the hole to avoid splitin it back out.
if the whole thing has gone to hell in a handcart,,,you may have to carefully cut out a section , fit a new piece in and glue and clamp it.

i never have any varnish around when i stick screws in,,,but always have a little wood glue, that helps lube the screws puitting them in,,,and makes them hold a little better too, while still allowing you to remove them some day.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Easy method is to fill the hole with wooden toothpicks and jam in epoxy (or even Gorilla Glue) to totally fill the voids. Screws need something to "bite" into... and the toothpicks accomplish that.

I had the same problem. One Saturday I took a bottle of Gorilla glue and a box of small wooden matches and reattached all the cabinet door screws. Over a year later all the screws are still in place. It helps if you wet the matches as per the instructions on the glue

[fusedlight]

The bathroom door on our '98 Scamp fell off during the "shakedown" cruise coming home (3,100 miles). When I got back I shot a blob of Elmer's Wood Glue in each hole (no toothpick!), held up the door, and screwed it back in with a screw that was 1/4" longer than the original screw. Holding up like a champ.

[Briantb]

Our travels this summer took us through Backus twice this summer and seeing as the trailer is still under warranty we stopped at the factory about the screw problem. Ours were the ones holding the kitchen unit in place at the bottom. First time Kent told the repair guy to use silicone but he tried longer screws instead. This didn't work so we tried wood filler and silicone which didn't last long. The second trip to the factory they installed aluminium behind the fiberglass - so far so good. I suspect there is a vibration problem to fix as we haven't been off paved roads except the campsite.