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Old 08-08-2020, 11:05 AM   #1
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Keeping the refrigerator closed during travel

In our many miles of Escape travel, the refrigerator door has popped open on the road a few times. But we are trying a minimalist solution to prevent it from happening ever again. We want no strap or bungee across the door.

We installed a new 1/2-inch wide metal plate immediately under the original metal bracket that holds the refrigerator into its cavity. This is at the top of the refrigerator on the latch side. The new metal plate has two holes, one for screwing both through it and the original metal bracket, and another an open hole to receive a cotter pin, a pin that will be inserted only during travel. We believe the cotter pin will prevent the door from flying open if the latch fails.

The cotter pin hangs from picture hanging wire, and will be unobtrusively tucked in next to our microwave when not in use.

Maybe this idea will inspire other similar solutions for your own refrigerator conditions. Our system will be tested on an upcoming trip.
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Old 08-08-2020, 11:56 AM   #2
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Originally Posted by Rhubarb View Post
We want no strap or bungee across the door.

Why?
I have bungees running from cupboard handle to cupboard handle during travel, and only during travel. Nothing permanent and no holes.
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Old 08-08-2020, 12:07 PM   #3
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We use the bungee method in our 19. Seems to work well.
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Old 08-08-2020, 12:28 PM   #4
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We speculate that a bungee might not really keep the refrigerator closed at all times. By "closed" we mean that the refrigerator door stays continuously tight against the seal. If the latch gives way, maybe the refrigerator door would be bouncing open and closed within the range of the bungee stretch?
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Old 08-08-2020, 01:20 PM   #5
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We haven't had any problems but it is tight enough to prevent any thing from spilling out. In the 19 it we have it stretch from the upper cabinet (we have no microwave) down to the lower cabinet. We use a remote thermometer which we keep the receiver in the car. We have it set so we would be alerted if there was a temperature change.
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Old 08-08-2020, 04:35 PM   #6
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Once yearly, I travel over washboard dirt road (about 10 miles) and it's connected to quite a few paved dips beforehand. I worry that fridge will pop open, too. Maybe I'll try the bungees before I figure out how to install a strap (as mentioned in posts here some time ago). The bungees will forestall trying to figure out how thick the walls are without drilling through the fridge itself.

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Old 08-08-2020, 04:59 PM   #7
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Make sure the hooks are plastic and not metal coils.
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Old 08-09-2020, 06:20 AM   #8
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Yes, thank you Plastic hooks would be best.

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Old 08-19-2020, 12:43 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhubarb View Post
In our many miles of Escape travel, the refrigerator door has popped open on the road a few times. But we are trying a minimalist solution to prevent it from happening ever again. We want no strap or bungee across the door.

We installed a new 1/2-inch wide metal plate immediately under the original metal bracket that holds the refrigerator into its cavity. This is at the top of the refrigerator on the latch side. The new metal plate has two holes, one for screwing both through it and the original metal bracket, and another an open hole to receive a cotter pin, a pin that will be inserted only during travel. We believe the cotter pin will prevent the door from flying open if the latch fails.

The cotter pin hangs from picture hanging wire, and will be unobtrusively tucked in next to our microwave when not in use.

Maybe this idea will inspire other similar solutions for your own refrigerator conditions. Our system will be tested on an upcoming trip.

Brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing this.

I didn’t even know the fridge may open during travel.
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Old 08-23-2020, 06:11 PM   #10
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I used a 4” strip of Velcro to ensure our frig door stayed closed. Works great.
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Old 08-23-2020, 06:26 PM   #11
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Where did you put the Velcro Strips? We did some rough roads with our newly purchased 2015 21C. The fridge definitely opened during travel! We then did the bungee trick but something like Velcro appeals to me. We now need to get missing door shelves and a few other things that did not come with our Escape to keep the fridge more organised. Also used bungee cords inside to keep food from flying around while travelling!
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Old 08-23-2020, 06:39 PM   #12
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Where did you put the Velcro Strips? We did some rough roads with our newly purchased 2015 21C. The fridge definitely opened during travel! We then did the bungee trick but something like Velcro appeals to me. We now need to get missing door shelves and a few other things that did not come with our Escape to keep the fridge more organised. Also used bungee cords inside to keep food from flying around while travelling!
We ran it vertically, just inside of the handle latch. Put a 1” piece on the top of the frig and a 2-3” piece on the face of the door. Seems to do the job. We just drove from Kansas to Northern California without any door issues.
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Old 08-23-2020, 06:48 PM   #13
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Brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing this.

I didn’t even know the fridge may open during travel.
I was wondering about this myself, we never had it happen in our old trailer. It had a positive latch. I do know that some newer fridges, you can switch between a positive latch and magnetic close. I wonder if people don't know there is a switch or if the newer positive latches aren't as positive as they used to be.
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Old 08-24-2020, 11:23 AM   #14
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Just to add to the discussion, earlier this year the spring inside our original refrigerator latch broke while parked in our driveway, presumably due to age. We ordered an entirely new, identical replacement latch on Amazon and installed it. The most recent case of the door popping open during travel occurred with the brand new replacement latch.
People might like to know that even if their fridge door seems secure and has never yet popped open, the possibility exists.
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Old 08-24-2020, 01:00 PM   #15
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Our 2007 17B had a Velcro strip on the bottom, I never had it open and it was one of the older ones that the hinges fail on.
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