How to keep things closed??

[AlanandMayya]

I am increasingly getting yelled at by Mayya for failing to properly tie our fridge and chest of drawers closed with the bungee cords before setting off, so we get this percussion symphony as we drive. Ive had enough. There has to be a better way. What do others do? I really dont want to pop-rivet an 8 inch draw bolt onto the fridge but I am getting desperate .....

 

[MH-Ellie]

Do an Amazon search for childproof catches, something there will probably do the trick. Personally we don't have any problems with the fridge or cupboards opening, and we do not have any chests of drawers but there are clips available for them.

 

[Pausim]

Bit surprised you need to bungee the fridge to keep it shut. Our motorhome fridges have all clipped shut so that they stay shut during journeys. Perhaps the catch is broken and needs replacing.

 

[Gingernuts]

I got child locks after my fridge kept popping open and the cupboard above it hated roundabouts and both would deposit their contents on the carpet!

 

[AlanandMayya]

Bit surprised you need to bungee the fridge to keep it shut. Our motorhome fridges have all clipped shut so that they stay shut during journeys. Perhaps the catch is broken and needs replacing.

Nothing in our van is kosher camper stuff, it's all domestic. The fridge is a £150 one from Curry's. The kitchen is a (very nice, solid wood) unit from Ikea. Its really not built for going round corners.

 

[Cush]

Its really not built for going round corners

Agree with above. Search child / baby proof locks

 

[Nanniemate]

Agree with above. Search child / baby proof locks

I used to put the case of coke a cola or beer I front of my fridge to keep it closed the cupboards were fine (as long as a checked they were closed properly before moving)

 

[bobnick]

We had a fridge in a new van that the fridge door fell off several times.
Cost me a fortune in gaffer tape.

 

[stevewagner]

You could fit 12 volt locks with a switch

 

[The Wino]

We had a tambour door that was a very poor design and prone to opening when driving and found a cheap catch from IKEA that worked really well. Actually bought another as a spare and never needed it

 

[D&G]

We have an oven door that pops open while driving along. I have changed the clip and pin in the door and it still pops open. The previous owners had screwed something across the door to stop it opening but took it out when they sold it to the dealers, I wish they hadn’t, I know they did this because the holes were still there.
We now use duck tape across the door on to the cupboard next to it, so far………..

 

[LenaTimes]

Our Fridge door catch broke in Spain in 2022 and post-COVID Supply Chains were not able to cope with spare part requests, with everything going to new Van builds ...

The fridge sits in a cabinet so I drilled a hole at top-of-fridge-door height in both sides of the cabinet, and bought some 5mm threaded rod and some 6mm aluminium tubing from the local fereteria plus two decorative knobs and suitable R clips to allow some manoeuvrability [rh knob just clears the bathroom wall ...]. Lh knob is permanent onto threaded rod, aluminium tube protects the fridge door; then it's a 'last and final call for the fridge' before the lock down ... Still have it on the bulkhead shelf for the next time

 

[hja]

One of our drawers has taken to opening. Double check by both of that it is properly latched. Roundabout, and it opens. Next roundabout, it closes! All still latched. Next roundabout, it opens …. You get the idea. It didn’t used to do it. I have one or two thoughts about whether stuff in the drawer is moving and bashing the drawer open. I will try some non slip stuff on the base of the drawer and move a chopping board that seems to be an issue. Then we will see.

 

[Boldly]

We too had a domestic fridge freezer from Currys for nine years. If you fit extendible rods to stop the contents moving the doors will stay closed. Most proper camper fridges have a raised lip on the front edge of the shelf to stop stuff moving.

 

[AlanandMayya]

We too had a domestic fridge freezer from Currys for nine years. If you fit extendible rods to stop the contents moving the doors will stay closed. Most proper camper fridges have a raised lip on the front edge of the shelf to stop stuff moving.

I suspected that. Our problem is the fridge door packed with gin, tonic and beer.

 

[AlanandMayya]

Our Fridge door catch broke in Spain in 2022 and post-COVID Supply Chains were not able to cope with spare part requests, with everything going to new Van builds ...

The fridge sits in a cabinet so I drilled a hole at top-of-fridge-door height in both sides of the cabinet, and bought some 5mm threaded rod and some 6mm aluminium tubing from the local fereteria plus two decorative knobs and suitable R clips to allow some manoeuvrability [rh knob just clears the bathroom wall ...]. Lh knob is permanent onto threaded rod, aluminium tube protects the fridge door; then it's a 'last and final call for the fridge' before the lock down ... Still have it on the bulkhead shelf for the next time View attachment 1257244

Very nice job, im inclined to do something similar. Mayya would then roll her eyes and ask why we can't live like normal people, instead of in a space shuttle- cum - Pioneer camp. She's not bowled over by inventiveness.

 

[Hymerboy]

We have an oven door that pops open while driving along. I have changed the clip and pin in the door and it still pops open. The previous owners had screwed something across the door to stop it opening but took it out when they sold it to the dealers, I wish they hadn’t, I know they did this because the holes were still there.
We now use duck tape across the door on to the cupboard next to it, so far………..

I used duck tape once in a similar problem, it took the surface off the cupboard

 

[stuartholmes]

For a door that swing open when you don't want I'd be looking for somewhere in the adjacent cabinet or bottom of worktop to fit a bit of wood that's hinged or screwed in a way that lets it swivel so it's either out of the way or over enough of the door to prevent it opening. Probably incorporate a magnet to hold it in the 'out of the way' location.

For drawers, you need to adjust the sliding rails so the drawer needs to be lifted a tad before it'll slide out.
(That means need to lift when static and on the road - small price to pay!)

 

[AlanandMayya]

We have an oven door that pops open while driving along. I have changed the clip and pin in the door and it still pops open. The previous owners had screwed something across the door to stop it opening but took it out when they sold it to the dealers, I wish they hadn’t, I know they did this because the holes were still there.
We now use duck tape across the door on to the cupboard next to it, so far………..

Blimey, you're worse off than we are! Well I can recommend our bungee cord solution. It works perfectly until you forget to put it on; then you do get yelled at. But thinking more broadly, there is a homely pleasure in these little rituals isnt there? I mean, we are all just mammals, scrabbling around in our little burrows, I think these humble domestic tasks are better for us than having everything AI-controlled and whirring out automatically. Maybe one day MH manufacturers will catch on, and start marketing this sort of thing as a feature? And our van will rocket to the height of chic?? No. No, maybe not.

 

[L' Hobo]

Nothing in our van is kosher camper stuff, it's all domestic. The fridge is a £150 one from Curry's. The kitchen is a (very nice, solid wood) unit from Ikea. Its really not built for going round corners.

Have tried magnets, the small ones you find in an old discarded hard drive are some of the strongest I've found!

 

[L' Hobo]

We had a fridge in a new van that the fridge door fell off several times.
Cost me a fortune in gaffer tape.

Too many heavy beer cans in the door, obviously,!