Kitchen Drawer Problem Found*

[KarenLukens]

We drove maybe 5 miles from our last store and when we came inside, we walked into this -

 

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What happened is that the drawers were not screwed down to the roll outs and only these 4 screws , maybe 4 threads were holding the cabinets in.

 

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So over the last 7 weeks of driving home the little #8 x 1/2" screws vibrated their way out, cracking the wood and those 4 screws in the face were ALL that was holding the drawers in place. The actual slide outs were still in, and never slid out with the drawers as you can see in the first pic. There should also be screws into the wood from the holes in the pics below

 

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And this way, the drawers would be screwed in properly and would have never pulled out the screws in the face. This is something that everyone should check. To do so, simply open the drawer and look for the holes above. If there are screws in them then all is good. If not, then they will need to be screwed down.

 

This is a pic of one of the drawers still in place and you can see that it hasn't been screwed down either... So, now, it's off to a cabinet shop to get them fixed. We left a message with Jason, but it was after 6pm in Tennessee, so we will hear from him tomorrow.

 

So take the time to check all of your kitchen drawers and make sure that they have all of the screws needed to keep them held together. Had this been installed like this in a house, there would have probably never been a problem, but in an RV with all of the vibrations from the road, it's just a matter of time and bumps in the road before you will be crossing this hurdle.

 

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[SeaDawg]

A mess. Glad you found the source.

 

Sorry it happened to you.

 

Sherry

[Try2Relax]

Having been in the business, presentation wise the under mounts are the way to go,so I would guess that when they switched to dovetail drawers they also switched the slides. And as most airstream owners are aware, too much weight in them will override the ability for the drawer to keep itself closed and once it's open and banging against its full extension it's real weakness shows and that is that it's only those little screws that hold it in. I've plugged the holes and reinstalled them many times and that was for non-moving, non-vibrating house kitchens.

 

While not as visually pleasing, aka not as "high end" the side mount soft close are much stronger and can hold themselves closed better. They are slightly more time intensive to install with having to line up both components and screw both sides of the slide to its respective structure, but obviously worth it where situations demand.

 

You should be able to replace the current hardware with the side mounts if desired the tolerances were fairly close, if I remember correctly, you need to pad the side a little. Otherwise search the airstream forum and review the straps, braces, velcro, rubber bands and everything else they've tried to keep theirs closed.

 

 

[Hap]

Hi Karen

 

Thanks for posting the pictures. I immediately got out my inspection light and made sure that ours are securely fastened. I agree that everyone should do an inspection on their unit to prevent this from happening. I intend to put this on my to-do list for inspection every few months.

 

The good news is that after many miles of travel ours are still holding up well.

 

Hap

 

Sometimes at home in Florida but currently in Yuma, Az and meandering towards Lost Dutchman State Park for a 5-day reservation this weekend.

[KarenLukens]

Having been in the business, presentation wise the under mounts are the way to go,so I would guess that when they switched to dovetail drawers they also switched the slides. And as most airstream owners are aware, too much weight in them will override the ability for the drawer to keep itself closed and once it’s open and banging against its full extension it’s real weakness shows and that is that it’s only those little screws that hold it in. I’ve plugged the holes and reinstalled them many times and that was for non-moving, non-vibrating house kitchens. While not as visually pleasing, aka not as “high end” the side mount soft close are much stronger and can hold themselves closed better. They are slightly more time intensive to install with having to line up both components and screw both sides of the slide to its respective structure, but obviously worth it where situations demand. You should be able to replace the current hardware with the side mounts if desired the tolerances were fairly close, if I remember correctly, you need to pad the side a little. Otherwise search the airstream forum and review the straps, braces, velcro, rubber bands and everything else they’ve tried to keep theirs closed.

 

The rollers themselves didn't open. There's a little clear plastic piece that broke on the front of each end bracket that caused the drawers to tip down and slide out, leaving the arms still locked in place. There's over an inch of wood to screw into but they used only 1/2" thru a 1/8" plastic L bracket and maybe 1/4" of that screw was actually holding the drawers in place. The top drawer was full of plastic and rubber cooking utensils, so it wasn't a weight issue, it was empty holes where the rest of the screws usually are put in, along with small screws that wouldn't do the job. Plus they were screwed into soft pinewood, so they should be glued first, then screwed in with #12 x 1" screws. Not #8 x 1/2" because the #8 threads aren't thick enough to hold in soft pine.

 

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[Mike and Carol]

After braking hard one day we found the nightstand drawer out and off the tracks when we stopped.  I had 3 books in the drawer that must've been enough weight to cause the drawer to open when I braked.  I got it all put back together, but we always found the drawer open after driving, finally resorting to duct tape.  I removed the mechanism and found that an internal plastic piece was broken.  I called Tommy and explained the situation and he sent me a new set.  Haven't had any issues since - I also don't have anything heavy in that nightstand drawer.  I haven't checked our kitchen drawers but will.  We've had no problems with them.  Thanks for the heads up on this.  Mike

[KarenLukens]

After thinking about this, if I had known beforehand, like you all do now... :)

 

I would pull all of the short screws out, put in #8 x 1" into the drawer face and into the front pannel. Then take the short screws and put them into these holes into the bottom of the drawer. You could also glue the drawers onto the rails but with all of the screws in place, it may not be needed.

 

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In the bottom pic, the screw is there for reference, but a good flat head screw will fit in this rectangular hole.

[Try2Relax]

Yup, those are the Blum's and those little screws are the ones they come with.

 

The whole reason for not screwing or gluing them to the slides is so that they are click and remove. Did you remove the slide from the cabinet? I don't remember those slides having two parts, it's the slide and the clip correct?

[KarenLukens]

Yup, those are the Blum’s and those little screws are the ones they come with. The whole reason for not screwing or gluing them to the slides is so that they are click and remove. Did you remove the slide from the cabinet? I don’t remember those slides having two parts, it’s the slide and the clip correct?

 

"Did you remove the slide from the cabinet?"

 

Nope, the slides ripped out of the drawers by the screws, because the screws were too short... If it was screwed into hardwood, it would have held. But the pine is too soft for those small screws to hold in an RV. So 1" screws will work best while having them screw through the drawer pannel and into the face. I added 2 more screws to each one today.

 

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So now there are 4 screws holding each slide lock instead of just the 2 that proved themselves inadequate.

 

Oliver uses the Blum 1901 series, and I found this video on them

 

 

We didn't hear back from Oliver today, but it feels strange having a new trailer that I'm working on just like the old ones :) I guess it never ends, I must have been dreaming when I thought that this new trailer wouldn't need any work... At least it doesn't need much :)

[KarenLukens]

Then here's a good video on the adjustments.

 

[Try2Relax]

http://www.airforums.com/forums/members/airstreaminc-120571.htmlReed, I just looked at your initial pictures again, on the back of the two drawers in the center are two plates, on is on the top and the other on the bottom of the drawer back.

 

I've never seen someone install these before on a drawer, would you look inside the cabinet and see what is in the back at these locations? Looking at them they look like the receiver plates for magnets and if so it seems Oliver was aware of the weakness and tried to rectify it with the extra help holding the drawer closed. Hmmmm... Curiosity....

[Try2Relax]

My apologies if this is a duplicate, seems the forum is back to its old way's.

 

Reed, looking back to your original picture, on the back of both drawers, one on the top one the bottom, is a metal plate, it looks like the receiver for a magnetic catch.

 

Would you look in the cabinet and see what's back there. If I'm right, I'm guessing Oliver was aware of the weakness and tried to rectify it with the extra holding power of the magnet, if that's the case you might need to adjust it to hold better. If that's not it, then I'm really curious as to what is for.

 

 

[donthompson]

I've had issues with the nightstand drawer in my twin-bed Elite II. Last summer, Jason shipped a replacement locking device (the red piece) and that solved the problem for the rest of the year. During my January/February trip this year, I experienced the problem again. It's disheartening to open the door and find the contents of that drawer strewn around the cabin of the Ollie. Jason is working with a local RV dealer to have a latch installed on this drawer--the same type of latch that Oliver uses for the pantry door. They haven't installed it yet, but I'll post a photo once it's finished. I like this big drawer and want to use it without concern about weight. Given the orientation of the drawer, I think it's inevitable that it will fly out if its contents are too heavy and you have to hit the brakes at some point. In about 16,000 miles of towing, mine has come out an estimated 7-12 times.

[KarenLukens]

My apologies if this is a duplicate, seems the forum is back to its old way’s. Reed, looking back to your original picture, on the back of both drawers, one on the top one the bottom, is a metal plate, it looks like the receiver for a magnetic catch. Would you look in the cabinet and see what’s back there. If I’m right, I’m guessing Oliver was aware of the weakness and tried to rectify it with the extra holding power of the magnet, if that’s the case you might need to adjust it to hold better. If that’s not it, then I’m really curious as to what is for.

 

Yup... A magnet that doesn't do much.

 

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[Try2Relax]

That is a horrible attempt at a half assed fix, the first time I'm disappointed by them. Both pieces to the resolution are fixed with no play, there is no room for anything being off in the slightest and that one is supposed to hit both drawers.

This may be a pain in the ass to deal with but you should pick up some of THESE, if you attach one on each side of that strip, in the back, with the corresponding plate on the back of the drawer that should hold them closed. The magnet mount screws are elongated for adjustment and the magnets float in the frame for some play, so if everything isn't straight they can still make full contact. There are some stronger ones listed that are a little more expensive.

 

If the clearance on either side of the drawer is at least 1/2 inch, I would really consider replacing those slides with the side mounts, but that's just me.

[KarenLukens]

That is a horrible attempt at a half assed fix, the first time I’m disappointed by them. Both pieces to the resolution are fixed with no play, there is no room for anything being off in the slightest and that one is supposed to hit both drawers. This may be a pain in the ass to deal with but you should pick up some of THESE, if you attach one on each side of that strip, in the back, with the corresponding plate on the back of the drawer that should hold them closed. The magnet mount screws are elongated for adjustment and the magnets float in the frame for some play, so if everything isn’t straight they can still make full contact. There are some stronger ones listed that are a little more expensive. If the clearance on either side of the drawer is at least 1/2 inch, I would really consider replacing those slides with the side mounts, but that’s just me.

 

There are separate magnets for all 5 drawers but adding in at least one magnet from your link above to each drawer will add that much more. Jason sent us an email today offering to send us 2 new drawers, so all is good with them. At this point, I'm not sure if I need the new drawers yet. I'm waiting until we get home this weekend and then I'll open the screw bin and see what I can come up with. I'm thinking that the longer screws coupled with the 2 extra short one's that I installed will be enough to secure the drawer. I can also add a lift pin for the rectangular hole but we'll see how it feels first.

[Hikegsm]

I am sorry to hear about the problems you are having with the drawer clousures. I had hoped to store some heavier items in the drawers and lighter things in the overhead compartments. Not sure where to store my new Magma pots (they are pretty heavy)...but I digress.

 

 

At home, we have what appears to be the same Blum drawer glides on our vanity. Even with the addition of extra screws, they do not look up to the abuse that they will be subjected to in our upcoming Western camping adventures. We have not had a problem in the Bigfoot with the drawers coming open but they have a different closure mechanism. We often travel for miles on very badly washboarded forest service roads, and even though the drawers have stayed closed, I have found the oven door in the floor at the end of one such road...

 

I guess I will call Jason on Monday and ask what can be done to secure the drawers for travel. I would really hate to bust a drawer and possible damage the interior of the trailer..especially on its maiden voyage. Anyway, thanks for the "heads-up" about the closures.

 

Yvonne

[ScubaRx]

.....Not sure where to store my new Magma pots (they are pretty heavy)…but I digress.... Yvonne

 

Yvonne, your Magma set will store very nicely in any of the overhead cabinets.  We store ours in the one right over the cook-tops. It fits perfectly thru the opening and I recommend you store it as far forward as possible so that it will not slide during braking.

[KarenLukens]

I am sorry to hear about the problems you are having with the drawer clousures. I had hoped to store some heavier items in the drawers and lighter things in the overhead compartments. Not sure where to store my new Magma pots (they are pretty heavy)…but I digress. At home, we have what appears to be the same Blum drawer glides on our vanity. Even with the addition of extra screws, they do not look up to the abuse that they will be subjected to in our upcoming Western camping adventures. We have not had a problem in the Bigfoot with the drawers coming open but they have a different closure mechanism. We often travel for miles on very badly washboarded forest service roads, and even though the drawers have stayed closed, I have found the oven door in the floor at the end of one such road… I guess I will call Jason on Monday and ask what can be done to secure the drawers for travel. I would really hate to bust a drawer and possible damage the interior of the trailer..especially on its maiden voyage. Anyway, thanks for the “heads-up” about the closures. Yvonne

 

With longer screws into the face the drawers are doing good so far but it's too soon to tell. We were in Albuquerque, NM driving on pavement when ours came out. It was a paved washboard... The short screws just can't handle rough roads at all, even in town. Blum sells them with these screws, Oliver just needs to throw them away and put in their own longer screws in and fill the holes. That should solve the problem :) Our Magma's are up top also.

 

Edit: If you're going to be on Forest Service roads a lot, then I would brace them with the table cushions, etc. The drawer slides will hold the weight on them really well, but those Blum Catches in the front won't handle really rough roads. I'm going to use a collapsible shower rod backed with our cutting board to hold a cushion in place over the front of them. I've had the lift style drawers in other RV's but I really like these and can work with them easy enough. I'm not driving this over the Rubicon by any means, but I will be hitting the back side of it in different spots. My old Jeep made it over the Rubicon 16 times, the last being back in the 80's, then I walked it as a boy scout before that... Of course Great Granny beat us all over that trail in that covered wagon...

[Overland]

Thanks for the heads up on the drawers.  I was wondering how well they stayed in place during travel and I guess now I know.  A lot of purpose-built offroad trailers use pushbutton marine latches on their drawers, like these.  I asked Jason if they could fit them on our trailer but they couldn't figure out how to make them work.  I haven't put much thought into it myself, but surely there must be a way, though perhaps it would require adding an intermediate rail between each drawer to give a mounting point for the strike plates.

[GrayGhost]

My Oliver, Hull 98, was delivered in Sept. '15. It came with the drawer slides shown below. They are "soft close", "not easy open".... have had no trouble with them at all. Perhaps Oliver should return to this supplier.

[Hap]

My Oliver, Hull 98, was delivered in Sept. ’15. It came with the drawer slides shown below. They are “soft close”, “not easy open”…. have had no trouble with them at all. Perhaps Oliver should return to this supplier.

We've owned two Legacy Elite IIs, so I assume that we've had both types of drawer closures. I'm sure that it happens, but I can't think of one time that we've had a drawer come open while traveling even while spending two and a half months in Alaska and hitting some awful frost heaves there. Having said that and after seeing the pictures, I do think it is a good idea to inspect the screws on the drawers every several months and maybe check them on a delivery of a new trailer. Until recently we've carried a regular coffee maker on the counter beside the sink and never had it fall. Now we carry an individual pod machine that's much taller and put it in the sink while traveling.

 

Hap

 

Currently in Phoenix Arizona and headed to Joshua Tree National Park in a couple of days

[KarenLukens]

I'm wondering if any others have the Dexter Easy Flex like we do and if it could be a contributor?

[GrayGhost]

We have EZ Flex as well.  Does not seem to have an impact.

[KarenLukens]

And now...

Karen went to open the sponge drawer and...

 

 

 

How the heck am I supposed to get screws back into that corner? This short screws in the cabinet issue, is really getting rediculous... I'm going to have to pull all of the drawers, then play gymnast, to try and getto these to put it back together...

Where's the quality we paid so much money for?