Flimsy top cupboard bases

[Folkranger]

Found one curtain rail to be hanging down a bit loose. Turned out the previous owners had had a problem and tried to fix with extra screws. The curtain rail screws into cupboard base, hollow, not closed at back and no wood inside. Hymer have used short fat screws up into the 1/8" board. NOT SATISFACTORY ERWIN!

 

[Guigsy]

Found one curtain rail to be hanging down a bit loose. Turned out the previous owners had had a problem and tried to fix with extra screws. The curtain rail screws into cupboard base, hollow, not closed at back and no wood inside. Hymer have used short fat screws up into the 1/8" board. NOT SATISFACTORY ERWIN!

Small gaps up the back of cupboards is the way most are built now. It reduces creaks when the vehicle flexes, and most importantly, improves passive airflow to prevent damp and mould. As long as there's a lip at the back of the cupboard to prevent stuff falling out, it's a good design.

And most large bits of 'wood' sheet are 'Ikea' style panels with just a laminate of wood front and back and a honeycomb of cardboard type material in the middle because it's stiff and light... but rubbish for screwing stuff into.

 

[Stealaway]

Similar construction with Burstner for weight saving.
Thin ply polystyrene sandwich.

 

[Folkranger]

Small gaps up the back of cupboards is the way most are built now. It reduces creaks when the vehicle flexes, and most importantly, improves passive airflow to prevent damp and mould. As long as there's a lip at the back of the cupboard to prevent stuff falling out, it's a good design.

And most large bits of 'wood' sheet are 'Ikea' style panels with just a laminate of wood front and back and a honeycomb of cardboard type material in the middle because it's stiff and light... but rubbish for screwing stuff into.

Sorry didn't explain properly.
The cupboard base is made of two skins, completely separate, joined at the front by a curved moulding but not joined at the back and nothing but air in between. The curtain rail has to support the roman blinds with pull cords, two fixed side curtains and a pelmet. This rail is fixed to brackets screwed into the bottom 1/8" skin using fat screws with coarse thread. This bottom thin skin is made of particle board and there is no wood behind to support the screws.

 

[Folkranger]

Similar construction with Burstner for weight saving.
Thin ply polystyrene sandwich.

Nothing wrong with engineered board to save weight but reinforcing should be used as required.

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[Landy Andy]

If they were built properly they would be 5 tonne plus. There has to be a compromise

 

[Lenny HB]

I blame all these idiots that want sub 3500 kg vans.
Loads of things I could complain about but I take the view that Hymer's are a mid price van so that's what you get.

 

[Folkranger]

If they were built properly they would be 5 tonne plus. There has to be a compromise

Four blocks of wood 20mm x 20mm x 10mm total weight under 50g. Or if your are cleverer, metal inserts to holes weight next to nowt.

 

[Folkranger]

I blame all these idiots that want sub 3500 kg vans.
Loads of things I could complain about but I take the view that Hymer's are a mid price van so that's what you get.

Being 77 years old I would like a sub 3500lg van but know I would seriously have to compromise on size and/or quality.
Not sure this problem qualifies as "the many niggles you get with most van's". Let's be honest, Hymer should have done better but the DLs were an experiment in reducing weight that went too far in some respects and still did not produce van's that in reality can be run at 3500kg. Despite such issues they are basically still a quality van.

 

[Folkranger]

Just to add, not as good as my first 2002 Hymer that was built like a tank.

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[Folkranger]

Fixed. Cant get inside to reinforce holes but took everything down (holes shot) fitted back up with sawn-off rawlplugs and managed to get two additional end screws into solid side cheeks. Hate bodging!

 

[jockaneezer]

Get yourself a few of these in for when the other side goes ? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PLASTERB...d=link&campid=5338547443&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

 

[Folkranger]

Get yourself a few of these in for when the other side goes ? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PLASTERB...d=link&campid=5338547443&toolid=20001&mkevt=1

Only got about 10mm between two skins. Not sure these would fit but there is probably some similar hole reinforcing that would do.

 

[BusyBuilder]

No 6mm boards in my Hymer, seems to be all 9 or 10mm ply, but it is a 2011 model so they may be using crap stuff on newer vans now.

 

[jongood]

If they were built properly they would be 5 tonne plus. There has to be a compromise

I agree this is the problem, the only way they can achieve weight savings is by using lighter materials and less of them. Even the N&B Smove's at £100K+ are flimsy IMHO.
V's when there were only a few hundred on the road and meeting one was such an event we used to wave, but they now need treating separately so at least they can get a bit more actual rigidity into them. a reappraisal will probably be required to get them through to the next stage of fuel type whatever it is. In the meantime the best advise is to man up and take the medical for the oldies and go and pass a C test for the younger ones.

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[Folkranger]

No 6mm boards in my Hymer, seems to be all 9 or 10mm ply, but it is a 2011 model so they may be using crap stuff on newer vans now.

Not 6mm. At a guess they are 1/8" inch or 3mm. Not sure if ply or MDF type. These are built to reduce weight. The cupboard shelves are about 3mm without centre supports and sag. I have added a centre support to the longest.

 

[Folkranger]

I agree this is the problem, the only way they can achieve weight savings is by using lighter materials and less of them. Even the N&B Smove's at £100K+ are flimsy IMHO.
V's when there were only a few hundred on the road and meeting one was such an event we used to wave, but they now need treating separately so at least they can get a bit more actual rigidity into them. a reappraisal will probably be required to get them through to the next stage of fuel type whatever it is. In the meantime the best advise is to man up and take the medical for the oldies and go and pass a C test for the younger ones.

I still don't think this is the whole problem. Yes, lighter means reducing unnecessary bulk but on these DLs Hymer engineers were on a mission to build reduce as much weight as possible without reducing quality. They largely succeeded but went far too far with some items. Plastic door hinges, hollow cupboard handles, single skin shelves, and cupboard bases that won't hold the fixings they need to. Otherwise still top quality. Oh and they dropped the range after the second year of production.

 

[AndyVW]

I agree this is the problem, the only way they can achieve weight savings is by using lighter materials and less of them. Even the N&B Smove's at £100K+ are flimsy IMHO.
V's when there were only a few hundred on the road and meeting one was such an event we used to wave, but they now need treating separately so at least they can get a bit more actual rigidity into them. a reappraisal will probably be required to get them through to the next stage of fuel type whatever it is. In the meantime the best advise is to man up and take the medical for the oldies and go and pass a C test for the younger ones.


I find it fascinating ... every time flimsy materials subject comes up the thread leads to 3,500kg,s limit and a medical test to keep your
C lience, The point is the medical is for everybody else on the road ( to prove to Gov. you are capable) of driving, So to go to a 3,550kg vehicle just because you failed or wont take the medical, .... Well please explain to me ?

 

[Folkranger]

I agree this is the problem, the only way they can achieve weight savings is by using lighter materials and less of them. Even the N&B Smove's at £100K+ are flimsy IMHO.
V's when there were only a few hundred on the road and meeting one was such an event we used to wave, but they now need treating separately so at least they can get a bit more actual rigidity into them. a reappraisal will probably be required to get them through to the next stage of fuel type whatever it is. In the meantime the best advise is to man up and take the medical for the oldies and go and pass a C test for the younger ones.


I find it fascinating ... every time flimsy materials subject comes up the thread leads to 3,500kg,s limit and a medical test to keep your
C lience, The point is the medical is for everybody else on the road ( to prove to Gov. you are capable) of driving, So to go to a 3,550kg vehicle just because you failed or wont take the medical, .... Well please explain to me ?

Not sure what you mean in most of this post. I'm talking about vehicles that cost over £100k, are over 3.5T but have unnecessary design weaknesses. As for manning up... ?
To quote you, please explain to me. So that I can appreciate your point of view.

 

[Ian Bosman]

Sorry didn't explain properly.
The cupboard base is made of two skins, completely separate, joined at the front by a curved moulding but not joined at the back and nothing but air in between. The curtain rail has to support the roman blinds with pull cords, two fixed side curtains and a pelmet. This rail is fixed to brackets screwed into the bottom 1/8" skin using fat screws with coarse thread. This bottom thin skin is made of particle board and there is no wood behind to support the screws.

Try hot melt glue sticks to inject a mass of stuff into the cavity, insert a screw while not quite solid and leave to set. This has cured my wardrobe door latch screwed into this hollow laminate constructipn

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[The Old Man]

I have just finished fitting a 'drop down' TV bracket in the bedroom.

I felt fairly certain that just bolting it to the bottom of the cupboard would not be strong enough so;

I cut a piece of wooden shelf to my assessed needed size, glued that into what is the inside base of the overhead cupboard. It cannot be seen on the outside of the cupboard and then bolted the TV suspending arm up through the cupboard base, through the shelf.

 

[Folkranger]

Try hot melt glue sticks to inject a mass of stuff into the cavity, insert a screw while not quite solid and leave to set. This has cured my wardrobe door latch screwed into this hollow laminate constructipn

Good idea. I was looking at various compounds to inject through the screwholes but found nothing to inject them with. Hence modified rawlings.

 

[Folkranger]

I have just finished fitting a 'drop down' TV bracket in the bedroom.

View attachment 533566

I felt fairly certain that just bolting it to the bottom of the cupboard would not be strong enough so;

I cut a piece of wooden shelf to my assessed needed size, glued that into what is the inside base of the overhead cupboard. It cannot be seen on the outside of the cupboard and then bolted the TV suspending arm up through the cupboard base, through the shelf.

Good thinking. Look fab. Have you left the stand on the tv?

 

[The Old Man]

Good thinking. Look fab. Have you left the stand on the tv?

I had intended to but then realised that when parked up it make a nice little 'shelf' to put the remote on.

 

[125BEER]

I agree this is the problem, the only way they can achieve weight savings is by using lighter materials and less of them. Even the N&B Smove's at £100K+ are flimsy IMHO.
V's when there were only a few hundred on the road and meeting one was such an event we used to wave, but they now need treating separately so at least they can get a bit more actual rigidity into them. a reappraisal will probably be required to get them through to the next stage of fuel type whatever it is. In the meantime the best advise is to man up and take the medical for the oldies and go and pass a C test for the younger ones.


I find it fascinating ... every time flimsy materials subject comes up the thread leads to 3,500kg,s limit and a medical test to keep your
C lience, The point is the medical is for everybody else on the road ( to prove to Gov. you are capable) of driving, So to go to a 3,550kg vehicle just because you failed or wont take the medical, .... Well please explain to me ?

Sorry but have you quoted jongood in part of your post or copied and pasted?

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