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  1. #1
    Left The Driveway
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    Did Your Kitchen Island Collapse ?

    Early this summer, my campsite neighbor in Garrison MT told me his kitchen island collapsed on his new Solitude 310GK. What a horror show. Checked out a number of web sites and found this not to be an uncommon occurrence. So here I am a few months down the road and guess what? Driving from the Smoky Mountains in TN to Georgetown KY (and not hitting any major bumps along the way), I open my rig's door when I arrive at the campsite to find half my island is now on the floor.

    Note that my 310 and that of my Garrison neighbor does not have the optional dish washer. I don't know if they are built any different or better.

    Fortunately, having done my homework, I was ready for this and able to fix it in short order.

    First thing to do - Empty all those cupboards under the counter. Remove the boards on the bottom by taking out the four screws in each corner. Next - Carefully pry off the end panels (I didn't bother to be careful with the staples since I was planning to screw the panels back on later).

    In my case, only one end came down and the plumbing pipes remained in position. My Garrison neighbor had the entire island come down and he did have to replace a broken drain pipe. Although I only had one side down, I decided to do repairs to both ends so I wouldn't have to deal with this again.

    As I learned in my research, the island is screwed to the frame (approximately 4" off the ground) with only 2 cheap quality screws at each end. The island is far too heavy for that and these screws are never going to stand up for any length of time. In my case, both screws were actually broken in half. They must have broken at separate times, as only one hole was ripped apart when the island fell. I'm strong enough to lift the island back into place but my wife isn't strong enough to hold it while I fasten it back together. My Garrison neighbor told me he went to Lowes and purchased some wood to act as a temporary stand to hold it while he screwed it back together. Fortunately, I have a couple of those scissor wheel jacks that allowed me to jack up the island, one end at a time, and work it myself.

    Before putting in new screws, I double and triple checked that the island was level. Once in place, I put 6 new good quality screws along the bottom of each end (triple the support the rig came with). After I was sure the island was solid, I drilled several small pilot holes in the end panels and then fastened them to the island with decorative wood screws that matched the color of the panels. Looks and functions perfect.

    2,500 miles later and the island is still standing!

    It might be a good idea to strengthen your island before it falls. Preventative maintenance might save you a lot of extra work later, especially if your plumbing line breaks. Also better to do this while it is still attached. A whole lot easier since you won't have to jack anything up and you can get away with minimum tools.

  2. #2
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    I moved this thread from General Tech to the Solitude Interior section, since it was a Solitude 310GK.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
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  3. #3
    Site Team Soundsailor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Carabine View Post
    Early this summer, my campsite neighbor in Garrison MT told me his kitchen island collapsed on his new Solitude 310GK. What a horror show. Checked out a number of web sites and found this not to be an uncommon occurrence. So here I am a few months down the road and guess what? Driving from the Smoky Mountains in TN to Georgetown KY (and not hitting any major bumps along the way), I open my rig's door when I arrive at the campsite to find half my island is now on the floor.

    Note that my 310 and that of my Garrison neighbor does not have the optional dish washer. I don't know if they are built any different or better.

    Fortunately, having done my homework, I was ready for this and able to fix it in short order.

    First thing to do - Empty all those cupboards under the counter. Remove the boards on the bottom by taking out the four screws in each corner. Next - Carefully pry off the end panels (I didn't bother to be careful with the staples since I was planning to screw the panels back on later).

    In my case, only one end came down and the plumbing pipes remained in position. My Garrison neighbor had the entire island come down and he did have to replace a broken drain pipe. Although I only had one side down, I decided to do repairs to both ends so I wouldn't have to deal with this again.

    As I learned in my research, the island is screwed to the frame (approximately 4" off the ground) with only 2 cheap quality screws at each end. The island is far too heavy for that and these screws are never going to stand up for any length of time. In my case, both screws were actually broken in half. They must have broken at separate times, as only one hole was ripped apart when the island fell. I'm strong enough to lift the island back into place but my wife isn't strong enough to hold it while I fasten it back together. My Garrison neighbor told me he went to Lowes and purchased some wood to act as a temporary stand to hold it while he screwed it back together. Fortunately, I have a couple of those scissor wheel jacks that allowed me to jack up the island, one end at a time, and work it myself.

    Before putting in new screws, I double and triple checked that the island was level. Once in place, I put 6 new good quality screws along the bottom of each end (triple the support the rig came with). After I was sure the island was solid, I drilled several small pilot holes in the end panels and then fastened them to the island with decorative wood screws that matched the color of the panels. Looks and functions perfect.

    2,500 miles later and the island is still standing!

    It might be a good idea to strengthen your island before it falls. Preventative maintenance might save you a lot of extra work later, especially if your plumbing line breaks. Also better to do this while it is still attached. A whole lot easier since you won't have to jack anything up and you can get away with minimum tools.
    Thanks for documenting your experience with such detail Dave, maybe someone else will avoid the issues you encountered. I totally agree that some of the ways things are secured in these rigs isn't enough. A few bumps is often all it takes to dislodge something. Glad you were able to make repairs.
    Stephen and Judy
    2022 Reflection 150 Series 260RD (Stella)
    2017 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (Blue)
    Traded - 2018 Forest River Rockwood Minilite 2104S

  4. #4
    Big Traveler Calbar's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Carabine View Post
    Early this summer, my campsite neighbor in Garrison MT told me his kitchen island collapsed on his new Solitude 310GK. What a horror show. Checked out a number of web sites and found this not to be an uncommon occurrence. So here I am a few months down the road and guess what? Driving from the Smoky Mountains in TN to Georgetown KY (and not hitting any major bumps along the way), I open my rig's door when I arrive at the campsite to find half my island is now on the floor.

    Note that my 310 and that of my Garrison neighbor does not have the optional dish washer. I don't know if they are built any different or better.

    Fortunately, having done my homework, I was ready for this and able to fix it in short order.

    First thing to do - Empty all those cupboards under the counter. Remove the boards on the bottom by taking out the four screws in each corner. Next - Carefully pry off the end panels (I didn't bother to be careful with the staples since I was planning to screw the panels back on later).

    In my case, only one end came down and the plumbing pipes remained in position. My Garrison neighbor had the entire island come down and he did have to replace a broken drain pipe. Although I only had one side down, I decided to do repairs to both ends so I wouldn't have to deal with this again.

    As I learned in my research, the island is screwed to the frame (approximately 4" off the ground) with only 2 cheap quality screws at each end. The island is far too heavy for that and these screws are never going to stand up for any length of time. In my case, both screws were actually broken in half. They must have broken at separate times, as only one hole was ripped apart when the island fell. I'm strong enough to lift the island back into place but my wife isn't strong enough to hold it while I fasten it back together. My Garrison neighbor told me he went to Lowes and purchased some wood to act as a temporary stand to hold it while he screwed it back together. Fortunately, I have a couple of those scissor wheel jacks that allowed me to jack up the island, one end at a time, and work it myself.

    Before putting in new screws, I double and triple checked that the island was level. Once in place, I put 6 new good quality screws along the bottom of each end (triple the support the rig came with). After I was sure the island was solid, I drilled several small pilot holes in the end panels and then fastened them to the island with decorative wood screws that matched the color of the panels. Looks and functions perfect.

    2,500 miles later and the island is still standing!

    It might be a good idea to strengthen your island before it falls. Preventative maintenance might save you a lot of extra work later, especially if your plumbing line breaks. Also better to do this while it is still attached. A whole lot easier since you won't have to jack anything up and you can get away with minimum tools.
    Good write up. Does anyone know if this is just a 310GK issue or across the Solitude line? We have a 378MBS and I would hate to have this happen to us. Already had slideout trim fall and some other issues with the trailer that should never happen.

    Rob
    Rob & Barb
    2022 Solitude 378MBS
    2022 RAM 3500 SRW HO Aisin 4x4
    Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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