Fridge Door Secure

Submitted: Monday, Dec 12, 2005 at 03:16

ThreadID: 122360 Views:24727 Replies:8 FollowUps:5

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Tellem Bugrem

When I was last at the Factory, I picked up a couple of marine latches for securing the fridge door in place for rough road travel. Installation of these necessitates drilling new holes and is pretty obtrusive. After some thought, I devised a byjo which makes use of the existing hinge screw holes. (For changing the door to right hand opening.). Thought some Boggers may be interested in the concept so I’ve added an extra couple of photos to my album, including a plastic angle fitting to stop the door from dropping. Look under Tellem Bugrem Photos and Fridge Door.

The byjo consists of a 3mm stainless steel plate with holes to match the hinge holes. A central countersunk hole is drilled to take a 50mm x 3mm SS countersink head bolt (with full length thread). A nylock nut and washer secures the bolt to the plate. A plastic wheel slides over the bolt and is fixed in place by a plastic wing nut. (I’m keeping my eye out for a white wing nut which would enhance aesthetics) - The bit of plastic angle at the bottom of the door also fits onto the existing hinge holes. Take a screw out of the door hinge so you can find a screw with the same thread. ……………KISS

Oh! Sorry....haven't heard of a Byjo before?. It's short for "By Joves...that's a good idea"....an old family saying about little projects that work...based on the KISS principle.

Cheers...........Rob

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Reply By: The Hob - Monday, Dec 12, 2005 at 18:34

Monday, Dec 12, 2005 at 18:34

Congratulations!

That is a very simple yet super effective solution to give peace of mind for any road.

The pictures tell a thousand words.

Alan

AnswerID: 567539

Reply By: Silver Fox - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 19:20

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 19:20

Great minds think alike? I was concerned re fridge doors opening during travel so applied my thinking cap. I used two small angle brackets, probably from Bunnings and attached horizontally onto the spare holes for the alternate swinging of doors. I found that a piece of hose from a flexible shower head for taps was a perfect size to slip over the bit under the door. It needs a little of that sticky silicon too. When the door is closed it rides up onto the short piece of hose and gives good supporrt. However I recently noticed the flexible plastic latches are attached via double sided tape.I am puzzled by this method in a caravan fridge. I seem to recollect a recent thread which suggested a self tapper screw probably through this latch is a more solid fix. I must try to find that thread again. I like the small wheel between the two doors so as to secure both. Flexible plastic seems a little tempory to an old fitter & turner. It's almost fun fiddling with improvements. cheers.

AnswerID: 567540

Reply By: Bushtracker - Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 21:43

Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006 at 21:43

Hello Boggers,

Don't know which of you has seen, or has, the new catches we put on these days, but they seem to be pretty good....

I think these suggestions are more relevant to the older models? Anyways, our new catches in the last part of the year of vans seem to be secure... If they are applied correctly, they are an easy answer....

Regards from the Ranger, and Happy New Year...

AnswerID: 567541

Follow Up By: Andy1 - Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 16:13

Thursday, Jan 05, 2006 at 16:13

Steve

Are the new model fridges any stronger at the lower pivot point of the doors? If there has been no strengthening in this area then some will have the common problem of door sag. Turist came up with a fix pretty similar to that put forward above, viz to have a support bracket on the non pivot side of the door so that the door is supported from below on both sides. To improve on this FTroop came up with the idea of using a small section of that blue marine buffer plastic, which presumably has a name, so that the door rides up ever so slightly on the vee.

We used a method similar to Silver Fox & fitted a bracket into the existing spare holes in the fridge, added a spacer and the section of marine vee buffer. Dead simple & works lika a charm.

Andy

FollowupID: 845212

Follow Up By: Panna Trackers - Friday, Jan 06, 2006 at 09:52

Friday, Jan 06, 2006 at 09:52

To All
I don't think it matters what the door catches are made of or look like. I think Andy has hit the nail on the head. The bottom support of the fridge door is the most important. I have fitted a piece of allu? allom? flat soft stuff made from bauxite ore to the bottom of the fridge door around the main hinge. This will help with stopping the hinge being pushed up into the door on the rough tracks. I have also added a angle to the opposite bottom side to help with the support.
I think if we took a poll of those that have had fridge doors fall off the bottom hinge pushing up into the door would be the most likely cause.
Travel safe
Trevor & Lyndal

FollowupID: 845213

Follow Up By: Bushtracker - Saturday, Jan 07, 2006 at 04:09

Saturday, Jan 07, 2006 at 04:09

Andy,
I will check when we get back and see what the current status is in production. We were talking about a teflon or PVC or Polyeurethane rib, or fitting an angle, that the door slid up on as it closed. While it has not been a wide spread problem, I know of about ten that have had problems with it. I do not know what the current status is. Will follow up on it when we re-open.....

Regards, from the Ranger.....

FollowupID: 845214

Reply By: Turist - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 01:30

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 01:30

I have posted a photo in my album of thr fridge door support.

This was bush engineering using available materials.
The plastic is an off cut from a boat trailer skid.
The bracket was from a bush hardware shop, about 40 x 50 x 40w.
The plastic is attached with s/tappers from below with sikaflex as well.

If I was making from new you can get strips on nylon bearing material from Bearing Service Co.
Put a taper on the leading edge so that the door rides up 1 or 2 mm when closing.

Regards
Bob

"Do It While You Can"
Nobody is getting any younger.

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AnswerID: 567542

Reply By: Silver Fox - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 08:45

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 08:45

I've managed to get some photos of my efforts on fridge door supports into my "photos". I'm a bit concerned mine will look quite rough compared to others efforts. happy days.

AnswerID: 567543

Reply By: Noosa Fox - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 23:57

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 23:57

ANDY,

The earlier Waeco fridges had a SINGLE Angle bracket that screws into the front of the fridge cabinet to support the door hinge,

The later ones have a DOUBLE angle so that not only does it attach to the front of the cabinet, but it goes under the cabinet also. This makes the hinge much stronger than the older models because the weight of the door is supported under the fridge cabinet as well.

We had a problem with our fridge hinge bending the front of the cabinet out under the weight of the door. This then increased the gap between hinge and door and with virbrations just makes the situation worse until eventually the plastic tap in the bottom of the door will giveway and the hinge will then move up into the foam inside the door.

A replacement door is $200 plus.

If this happens to you, I fixed the door by pushing the plastic section that had broken out, into some fibre glass BOG and it actually made the hinge point stronger than the original.

We still have the older type door catches, but I have used Self taper screws on both sections of the catch in place of the double sided tape and this has made it very secure.

Brian

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AnswerID: 567544

Reply By: Downunder - Saturday, Jan 14, 2006 at 07:37

Saturday, Jan 14, 2006 at 07:37

Haven't expereinced the door sag problem yet but I can see the potential for a problem and I will need to act on it before it becomes one.

An option to secure errant fridge and freezer doors is a strip of gaffer tape connecting the fridge doors and the enclosing cabinet. Not as pretty as you beaut catches and other gizmos but is very effective, easily replaced, costs little and does not require mechanical modifications.

Doesn't come any more KISS than that.

Cheers, Bill

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AnswerID: 567545

Reply By: TroopyTracker - Saturday, Jan 14, 2006 at 22:44

Saturday, Jan 14, 2006 at 22:44

G'day,
With all the dramas waeco fridges give, you'd have to say it'd be worth looking at a different make-sure you have Steve, so whats the reason? Vitrifrigo seem to be popular and I haven't heard any complaints? Maybe because there's not alot out there to get the volume of problems these coolmatic/waeco give. I know the coolmatics have a great compressor but it seems to end there. I wouldn't have one in my car for the same reasons-crap cabinets which is the part you deal with all the time really.

I know that if I was having another van built I'd be looking at somthing else just on principle-I've had both doors crack around the handle section and both were replaced under warranty, after Peter soted them out. Waeco tryed to tell me they've never heard of my problem before-turned out to be BS.
Matt

AnswerID: 567546

Follow Up By: TroopyTracker - Sunday, Jan 15, 2006 at 08:05

Sunday, Jan 15, 2006 at 08:05

Just thinking,
Why couldn't BT come up with their own fridge, use danfoss gear and design your own rock solid cabinet built to BT standards? Even have a tropical model for people who need it with huge amounts of insulation and extra fans that could be set to run when you want them.
Matt

FollowupID: 845215

Follow Up By: Bushtracker - Wednesday, Jan 18, 2006 at 00:01

Wednesday, Jan 18, 2006 at 00:01

Matt,
In answer to your question, we have tried them all, and this is as good as it gets. In truth the model is continually being improved, better hinge point for the door, and the rest. From their perspective, in all fairness, part of the problem is people are overloading the door and beating it a bit on the corrugation beyond its design. They break off the shelves and things as well. Improvements are slow, but they are continually coming along. You have to keep in mind this problem has a relatively low occurrance... I think I have only heard of maybe 10? And mostly in older models, it has been improved in recent ones...

They have reinforced the hinge area. We for our part are adding a support for the other side to help support the door on the side away from the hinge. Progress marches on...

As to your question about Vitrofrigo? They use the same Danfoss compressor, we just do not like the fact that it is not as user friendly with no interior light, and the thermostat is in an awkward place and the back of the top shelf. You practically have to unload the shelf to get to it. And trust it is a lower volume out there, they have their share of problems as well.. I would put them on about an even place with the Waeco, just not as "User Friendly", that is why there is not one in either Directors vans... Our fridge as you know is just nicer to live with front thermostat and interior light.

As to why we do not build our own? Yes some of these things are just not built as well as a Bushtracker... I would LOVE to build our own, and hitches, and suspension parts, and... and... and...... I will put it on the list, lets see that will be Number 67 when I have the time and Factory space to do it... Ha!

Regards from the Ranger...

FollowupID: 845216