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  1. #1
    Setting Up Camp
    Join Date
    Feb 2021
    Location
    Meridian, Idaho
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    Pantry Opens During Travel - 395MS 2021

    Wanted to share an issue and a fixt that started a few trips ago and a simple solution. The 395MS has three slide out drawers for the pantry that is adjacent the refrigerator. After a day of travel, we would find that the Pantry door had opened and the drawers would roll out. Annoying at best and probably not a good idea for the weight of the drawers to be cantilevered on the slides during travel. GD does make some note in their documentation that overloading could be an issue, but they don't specify any specifics. We have taken note and are careful not to but a lot of heavy items in the pantry, but it is hard to avoid entirely.

    While it would be tempting to increase the latch tension on the two latches of the door (making it hard to open the pantry which it already is annoying to pull open with two latches), I strived for a better solution. I considered some additional external or internal latching of the drawers, but wanted to avoid that too.

    Here is what i discovered as to why the drawers were able to easily open the pantry door during travel. The door is spaced differently from the face frame of the cabinet (the gap) on the hinge side and latch side. On the latch side the door nearly contacts the face frame. On the hinge side it has a gap of 1/8-1/4 inch. When the trailer rocks during travel, the drawers move laterally and roll out to contact the latch side of the door first. This "bumps" the door open and the drawers roll out. I looked at the hinge side for an adjustment and there was no way to do that.

    To eliminate this from occurring, I opted for an inexpensive and simple fix. I cut a length of 1/2" diameter foam pipe insulation and sandwiched it between the door and face of the 3 drawers on the hinge side. When the door is closed and latched, the drawers are able to contact the door (via the foam insulation) only on the hinge side of the door. This prevents the door from opening during travel and the problem is solved

    I've included three photos. One shows the foam pipe insulation on the hinge side.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Pantry - drawers out.jpeg   Pantry - door.jpeg   Pantry - door and foam insulation.jpeg  

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