Microwave Trim/Fascia

[cmdmom286]

I have an 2018 Elite.  The trim/fascia for the microwave  sheared apart in the middle on the right side and I need to replace.  Any ideas?  Don't want my microwave  falling out when I am on the road.  

[topgun2]

58 minutes ago, cmdmom286 said:

Don't want my microwave  falling out when I am on the road.  

If your microwave trim is like this one then it actually does not "hold" the microwave in place - it is basically just a trim piece.

 

[topgun2]

However, if this trim piece had cracked or become notably loose then it just might indicate that your microwave is not held in place as it should be.  And/or you have been down some very rough roads.  

This microwave is actually held in place (basically) by being attached to the upper cabinet via the screws that go through the two holes (barely seen in the photo below) at the rear of the metal piece that approximately spans the middle of the microwave.

Once you remove the trim piece then reach in, grab the microwave and try to move it from side to side.  If you can move it without too much force then it is likely that either this support attachment has come loose or isn't there at all.  Jason Essary can assist you in making repairs - just open a Service ticket.

 

[Jimmy64]

I received mine last week from Oliver. Put it in it needed a three-quarter piece of foam to level out microwave she rides nice no more broken rim. I don’t really use the microwave. So this summer I will take it out and in close And put a door on it.

[topgun2]

10 hours ago, Jimmy63 said:

it needed a three-quarter piece of foam to level out microwave she rides nice no more broken rim.

Yes, I didn't trust the microwave being attached by just those two screws in the top.  I used scrap pieces of wood to wedge it in prior to putting the trim piece back on.  Six years later it hasn't moved!

Bill

[SeaDawg]

17 hours ago, Jimmy63 said:

I received mine last week from Oliver. Put it in it needed a three-quarter piece of foam to level out microwave she rides nice no more broken rim. I don’t really use the microwave. So this summer I will take it out and in close And put a door on it.

You will love the extra storage.  We did just that.

We used gloss white doors from ikea, and they look pretty good with the Ollie shiny interior .

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2335-cabinet-to-replace-microwave/

[cmdmom286]

By the way Oliver did not have the size molding I needed.  So I contacted the company who manufactures them directly.  The are Coutoure located in Florida.  Info@countoureusa.com or 888-656-9317.

 

[Kansa]

I have this broken frame issue with my 22 E2 I have received my trim piece from the factory 

and they sent instructions to install  Problem is the instructions say to put a metal strap on one corner of the microwave then drill a hole in the fiberglass in the back of the fiberglass from the fridge vent side.   Thats 1 screw in the microwave and 1 screw in the fiberglass I am thinking that’s not very secure. 
Below is a photo of their solution the picture I got of the fridge vent location does not match my set up🙁

I really  would like to know what type of 3/4 foam sheets did you use for this issue.  

 

 

I will be doing the project this weekend. 

Edited October 12, 2023 by Kansa
Additional information

[SNY SD UP]

#665 was picked up in Aug 2020.  We have an "threaded adjustable" rubber foot (similar to a table foot) at the upper left rear within the microwave enclosure.
When you turn the rubber foot clockwise it extends it down until the microwave does not move.  You do have to remove the face plate as shown above, to see/adjust that rubber foot.

"And/or you have been down some very rough roads."  Yes, lots of that.

 

Sorry no pictures.

B-Out

 

[Kansa]

Here is a update I sent my pic from the upper outside vent to service they wrote back my Ollie is a newer model… (My service thicket included my year) and they don’t use the strap anymore. Now my instructions are to pull it out and remove the 2 screws that are in the side of the trim ring. Then put the micro in with the new trim ring ( not anchored to anything) and secure with the 4 screws in the front) 

Sooo I will be trying the leveling and shoring up the extra space ideas from this forum to try to keep it from bouncing around… thanks for the ideas 🤞

[John Dorrer]

2022 E-2, Oliver replaced it twice. They sent me #2 and I installed

 2 months later it crack in 3 corners. 10/22 stopped at Oliver for warranty work and they shimmed the microwave and installed the 3rd one. This has also crack in one corner. Out of warranty now so I will just live with it.

[Ronbrink]

20 hours ago, John Dorrer said:

2022 E-2, Oliver replaced it twice. They sent me #2 and I installed

 2 months later it crack in 3 corners. 10/22 stopped at Oliver for warranty work and they shimmed the microwave and installed the 3rd one. This has also crack in one corner. Out of warranty now so I will just live with it.

Real bummer!

[MAX Burner]

@John Dorrer:  Try sending a few pix of the affected area - we may be able to come up with a collective "FIX" so you won't have to just "live with it".  There's always a work-around, brother!

[John Dorrer]

3 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

@John Dorrer:  Try sending a few pix of the affected area - we may be able to come up with a collective "FIX" so you won't have to just "live with it".  There's always a work-around, brother!

I'll try to remember to get some pictures when we drove up to the storage place to check on the trailer in a couple of weeks

 Thanks👍

[John Dorrer]

*Hull #1045, 2022 Picked up 3/10/22

*Noticed 3 corners of microwave skirt split, 6/10/22

*Oliver sent a replacement

* By Fall of 2022 at least 2 corners split again

*3rd one installed by Oliver on 2/20/23 under warranty. Oliver installed some type of shims

*2/27/23 the bottom right corner split, so one week after being replaced for the 3rd time

 

My brain is a bit hazy as to whether I communicated this to Oliver or just kind of gave up.

 

Picture #1 taken in June 2022

Picture #2 taken in June 2022

Picture #3 taken 2/27/23, on week after it was replaced for the 3rd time.

 

[topgun2]

46 minutes ago, John Dorrer said:

My brain is a bit hazy as to whether I communicated this to Oliver or just kind of gave up.

I'm guessing that Oliver Service would be able to tell you - assuming that you opened or added to a Service ticket.

Good luck!

Bill.

p.s.  We do not have the same type of installation as you do. but, when I was having similar issues with my 2016 I wound up taking the facia trim off, shimming (with scrap pieces of wood) the microwave in such a manner that a earthquake would not move it and replaced that trim. Haven't had a problem since.

[John Dorrer]

Went back through this thread. It was October they shorted up theicrpwave and replaced the trim for the 3rdntime, not this past February 

 

So I went from late October 2022 until 2/27/23 when I discovered the new crack. I need to check and see if I started another ticket in February, which O would have been still iny 1 year

 Not really concerned either way.

 

JD 

 

[MAX Burner]

16 hours ago, topgun2 said:

shimming (with scrap pieces of wood) the microwave in such a manner that a earthquake would not move it and replaced that trim.

@topgun2:  Sounds like an awesome fix - can you share some pix?  We are still on the fence regarding the microwave - we removed it for several trips earlier this year to increase storage options (for a wine/whisky bar); then put it back in for the last several recent trips.  It actually came in handy recently.  Low priority on the "To Do List" ATM.

[topgun2]

3 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

Sounds like an awesome fix - can you share some pix?

Well - 

Its a bit of a long story and - sorry - no pics.

When originally delivered the microwave in my Ollie wasn't installed properly - a bracket that supposedly held the microwave in place from the top simply wasn't there.  This caused the MW to simply bounce around in the "box" where it resides with only the four trim screws that hold the face plate onto the outside fiberglass actually holding the entire unit.  As you might imagine, those four 3/4 inch screws didn't hold much in place for very long.

Supposedly, the fix was to drill a 4 inch hole through the fiberglass floor of the storage cubbie located directly above the MW.  Then remove the MW and install the correct missing bracket.  Slide the MW back in place and "blindly" screw two self tapping screws through the inner MW support box (this is accessed through the 4 inch hole mentioned above).  

While this "fix" stopped some 80% of the MW movement, the fact was that the MW was still only held in place via those two screws and bracket at the top of the MW.  This meant that the MW could still move around at the bottom.  So, once again, I removed the trim plate, installed "lumber" on both the sides and the front and back of the MW such that the MW simply had nowhere to "run".  The trim plate hides all of the ugliness so I didn't have to worry about being pretty.  Note that my MW sits on rubber feet which gave me room to wedge this lumber all around the bottom of the MW while at the same time wedging it against the side walls, back and front of the interior cabinet.  The last piece of wood was actually "tapped" into place at the front of the opening where there is a bit of a lip.

Hope this helps.

Bill

p.s.  I'd take the trim plate off and take pics for you but those trim screws have been in and out of the fiberglass a number of times such that I'd rather not deal with the possibility of repairing a stripped screw at this point.

[Geronimo John]

On 11/11/2022 at 11:27 AM, topgun2 said:

it is likely that either this support attachment has come loose or isn't there at all. 

Bill:  

I am hoping that my 2018 has the plate.  If so, then my understanding of how OTT has used it is more than a bit foggy at this point.  As several above, I have a cracked trim and suspect failure of the microwave attachment.  So this thread is a great one for my Ollie.

I assume that the below picture was taken at OTT since it appears to be "Jigged Up", and it would be extremely difficult to field remove what appears (on the right side of the heavy aluminum  "L" shaped plate) to be an imbed in the fiberglass wall behind the Microwave.  And finally, that the two holes in the L-plate are for screws into the cabinet of the microwave itself.  Is this interpretation in line with reality?

If so, possible failure points appear to be: 

• Not having the L-Shaped plate with or without the wall imbed.
• The two screws into the microwave
• The attachment of the plate to the wall imbed
• The imbed separating from the fiberglass wall
• Or if the Ollie survived being driven off a cliff, several or all of the above

From your efforts, is the above logical?  

Next, I am perplexed how OTT installed the microwave and plate assembly without holes from above?

I can understand why you took the "Lumber Shims" approach.  I suspect I'll be doing the same.  Some questions:

• Is the aluminum "L" plate hard against the microwave cavity ceiling?  Or just against the microwave top?  If the latter, how much space is above the plate and the Microwave cavity?

• Did you Epoxy in your shims or just force fit them into place for possible removal down the road?

Thank you,

GJ

[topgun2]

GJ - 

Actually, THAT pic was taken in my workshop.  The two holes in the "L" plate are from those self tapping screws that I put in place (the first time) through the 4 inch circle that I cut in the floor of the cubbie above the MW.

I could never tell if the "L" plate is screwed hard against the MW cavity ceiling because you simply can't see in there once the MW is in place.  However, if it is not hard against then it must be fairly close.  The "problem" is that the two screws are the only thing holding the MW in place and the "case" of the MW is simple sheet metal.  So, even if the "L" bracket is hard against the top there will still be flex in the rest of the MW cabinet which will place strain on the only other contact point(s) the face plate.  I frankly was surprised by how much the MW still moved.  But, bouncing down dirt roads let alone expansion joints on our super smooth interstates just might explain a bunch of things.

No, I did not epoxy or "liquid nail" anything in place - the simple friction fit seemed to do the trick.  All I was trying to do was to keep the MW from bouncing and it appears that I succeeded.

If you try to do something similar to what I did - be mindful of trying to not restrict airflow too much given the heat that can collect in and around the MW.  It is rare that I use my MW for longer than 3 or 4 minutes in one sitting.  But, for years it was the lack of airflow inside this space that prevented Oliver from offering something like the convection oven that is now available.

Bill

p.s.  In re-reading your comments above I'm thinking that a better mental pic of the wood box(s) into which the MW is placed might be of some benefit.

Basically, it appears to be a box inside a box or at least a three sided box inside a box with the three sides being the top and (at least ) two sides - I'd bet on a regular five sided box with one side missing - the front where the MW slides in, but, since I didn't want to tear what was there apart, I really don't know.  Having said this - I was a bit surprised when Oliver Service told me that I would need to drill a 4 inch hole in the cubbie above.  And, when I drilled that hole (it absolutely ruined a 4 inch carbide hole saw doing this - that fiberglass in really touch stuff - I looked in expecting to see the area where the MW was located.  All I saw was what turned out to be the top of the "wood box" I mentioned above.  Blindly, I drilled pilot holes for the self tapping screws and that is where the two holes in the "L" bracket came from.  Next, I was worried that I'd play hell getting those two screws back into those two holes when it came time to put the MW back in place the second time.  But, (maybe luck was on my side) it was a piece of cake given that I (obviously) slide the MW right back into the same original position.  Hopefully this helps.

p.p.s.  Where did you dig up that pic?  A moldy oldie for sure.  I had forgotten that I even took the pic.

Edited November 12, 2023 by topgun2
added detail

[Geronimo John]

Bill:

Thanks for the get back.  Helpful for sure.  

I did about 20 searches on "Microwave" and other words to describe it's tendency to migrate.  One of them resulted in a thread on our forum that had your picture. 

With the understanding of the wood box that the microwave inhabits, I'm planning on doing the "Weggie" approach  you pioneered.  Follow-up questions:

• About how much "slop" is there side to side and up and down?  (Basically am I talking about Popsicle Sticks, Paint Sticks or 2" x 4"s?)
• Using this approach do you seen any benefit of drilling holes and screwing into the microwave cabinet?  Sure has potential for causing a real problem with the function of the unit.
• Is it feasible to have the SS Microwave Trim Piece rewelded or must it be replaced?

thanks

GJ

 

[topgun2]

24 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:

About how much "slop" is there side to side and up and down?  (Basically am I talking about Popsicle Sticks, Paint Sticks or 2" x 4"s?)

When you take a look inside you will see that the microwave has a sheet metal piece attached to the bottom that extends about 5/8 inch from the bottom of the microwave.  Then there are four rubber feet - one at each corner - that extends another 5/8 or so  for a total of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches.  As I remember, I used scrap 2 x 4 around the bottom to wedge around that wood box and under the microwave until the wedges hit the rubber feet.  Then where that didn't fit I shaved off slices (using my radial arm saw) until it was tight.  Pay attention to the fore/aft movement - you can wedge wood not only against the rubber feet but also between the sheet metal at the base of the microwave and the front of the interior cabinet.

31 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:

Using this approach do you seen any benefit of drilling holes and screwing into the microwave cabinet?  Sure has potential for causing a real problem with the function of the unit.

I did not drill into anything - the simple wedging did the trick.

32 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:

Is it feasible to have the SS Microwave Trim Piece rewelded or must it be replaced?

Once you get the trim piece off, you will see that the "metal" is actually very thin and only supported via the plastic framing.  There really isn't much metal there at all.

Bill

p.s.  in wedging the material around the unit I used a small hammer to tap the wedges into place.  Small because of the working space and I didn't want to bend anything out of shape on the microwave.  However, I did want to have the wedges very snug.  Finally, when I was satisfied I drilled four holes in the front of the face plate and screwed directly through the fiberglass into the wood box.  Then I used screw covers to "hide" and dress up the screws.  No one has ever commented that the covers look out of place.

[topgun2]

p.p.s.  I can get you a picture of the bottom of the microwave and/or the back of the trim piece if that helps you - just let me know.

Bill

[Geronimo John]

A picture would be grand!  I'll be back in Texas first week of February for the Texas Rodeo Salt Grass Trail Ride.  Working as a gopher to help out.  Should have some down time during the day to work this.  So, not a huge rush.

Many thanks for taking the time to explain how you fixed this.  I can remember my first encounter with a massive Alaska corduroy road hump that likely got my microwave.  It sure got my attention, and I changed the interstate driving style to much more of an off road style... and speed as a result.  

GJ