Broken Fridge Door Locks

[The Old Man]

I read a post from someone with a broken fridge door lock.

The piddling little clip on mine broke whilst travelling last year.

It was impossible to drive as the door was swinging open and close.

I looked for a way to wedge it but the only foolproof way was by wedging it open and wasting the food.

Then I noticed that the fridge was equipped with all the necessary fittings to hang the door on either side.

That meant that there was a bodge available.

It works so well I use it still, in preference to the flimsy clip.

I did find later that the clips only cost pennies and just snap into place. I considered buying a spare clip but I knew that I would have forgotten where I had stored it before I needed it and I already had the Allen Key.

 

[houdini]

I read a post from someone with a broken fridge door lock.

The piddling little clip on mine broke whilst travelling last year.

View attachment 300335

It was impossible to drive as the door was swinging open and close.

I looked for a way to wedge it but the only foolproof way was by wedging it open and wasting the food.

Then I noticed that the fridge was equipped with all the necessary fittings to hang the door on either side.

View attachment 300336

That meant that there was a bodge available.

View attachment 300337

View attachment 300338

It works so well I use it still, in preference to the flimsy clip.

I did find later that the clips only cost pennies and just snap into place. I considered buying a spare clip but I knew that I would have forgotten where I had stored it before I needed it and I already had the Allen Key.

Thanks for this idea, was just about to order another fridge door slider. We’ve been wedging the door shut with a heavy toolbag for shortish trips but not practical for when we are staying away.

Thought this time I might have to order the part to include the actual metal lock clip, which makes it much more expensive. Thought about finding a screw to fit in the bit where you’ve put the Allen key but it was getting the right size.

Thanks again, love a good bodge, now to find an Allen Key.

 

[mike mcglynn]

I saw one of those pesky locking devices yesterday on a caravan spares site and it was £26.00 mine broke and I just used a golf tee in the little hole worked fine for years .

 

[houdini]

I saw one of those pesky locking devices yesterday on a caravan spares site and it was £26.00 mine broke and I just used a golf tee in the little hole worked fine for years .

You lot are innovative!! Another good fix, thank you.

 

[The Old Man]

You lot are innovative!! Another good fix, thank you.

It's magic.

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[mitzimad]

dometic have been making fridges for decades you would think the could make a decent catch.Actually they used to make a decent catch but updated for the new improved version which is tech speak for cheaper

 

[The Old Man]

dometic have been making fridges for decades you would think the could make a decent catch.Actually they used to make a decent catch but updated for the new improved version which is tech speak for cheaper

Agreed. The fridge in my caravan was identical but the locking catch was a sprung loaded plug that went into the redundant hinge hole on the door, just like the Allen Key in my bodge.

Couldn't really have been simpler

 

[mitzimad]

Agreed. The fridge in my caravan was identical but the locking catch was a sprung loaded plug that went into the redundant hinge hole on the door, just like the Allen Key in my bodge.

Couldn't really have been simpler

yes but it needed another hole for the half shut position obviously holes are expensive

 

[DavidG58]

we have now changed the whole fridge and have removed the problem that way, but our old one had one of those pathetic plastic slidy things, on ours I discovered that all the plastic bit did was move a metal hook type catch, that I could almost move with my finger and definitely with a screw driver just to push it across, saved my paying £20 odd every time it broke

 

[tinks703]

The slider lock piece broke on our fridge. Reluctant to pay £20 plus posting. Found a site on flea bay printing them with one of them fantush printing machines for £8 including post. Sorry I cannot remember the site name, I was in the motorhome spares dometic fidge section.

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[scotzsue]

we find gaffer tape works well to keep it closed in transit and a well placed clothes peg keeps it open in storage.

 

[jockaneezer]

Late last year, I drove over a cattle grid and the fridge door rattled open. I pulled over to the side of the road and unknowingly, didn't set the handbrake fully. As I went back to fix the fridge, the van rolled back and hit a lampost, cracking the rear bumper and the rear window, pushing the bike rack through the back skin and I ended up on the bed with the freezer door (minus it's hinges) on top of me. Nearly £3000 worth of damage, thanks Dometic.

 

[Reallyretired]

I replaced mine with a metal catch that a funster had made up They work fine on both fridge and freezer He had designed them for himself but had some extras made.

 

[denisejoe]

Bought a metal one a couple of years ago pm your address and I’ll send the second one they sent

 

[autorouter]

On my fridge the plastic catch pushes a metal slider that actually holds the door shut. There's a catch for the fridge and one for the freezer. They were both broken when I got the MH. I replaced them, and they broke again within a couple of weeks.

I can reach the metal sliders with my finger, so I haven't bothered getting any new plastic catches.

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[LesW]

We have found that the catch isn't very good on our fridge anyway, it popped open a few times when we first started using it.

We always use a snug fitting pin dropped into the bracket and hole in the top now as in the Op's post.