Broken Hinges

[Geo]

Traveling on gravel roads, (wash board) is hard on the hinges to the interior doors?
I have been back to escape for replacements but still have been breaking hinges?
I think it is a poor design, there is little v in the hinge, and this is where the crack starts. Looking to replace all the hinges on my trailer.
Does any one have a solution or idea.
Thanks
Geo

[cpaharley2008]

are you talking about the overhead cabinet hinges or the bathroom door hinges? you mention doors as in plural and I thought there was only one door, the bathroom?

[gbaglo]

I've had my trailer since 2008 and drive many washboard roads ( like into the Skagit River valley ). I've not had any problems with cabinet doors. I have had the fridge come open a few times, so now I run a bungee from the cabinet handle above the fridge to the cupboard handle below.
Where are you driving these roads?

[Geo]

Both doors left and right below the sink, The left door below these doors by the floor. Also the Micro wave door. The Road I have been traveling on is about a half hour of gravel, normal in good shape but the last two times, lots of wash board? Long story short is the hinges are not holding up? If you look at the hinges there is a little v in them and this is where the crack starts. I have found another crack starting today.
I will be calling Tammy but think I'll be looking for a stronger replacement. We have driving thousand of K's highway and no problem. Year three of gravel roads and hinges are showing wear. Bathroom door is good so far?
Ideas welcome
Geo

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Geo

Year three of gravel roads and hinges are showing wear. Bathroom door is good so far?
Ideas welcome
Geo

Slow down? I have no opinion other than.. remember if the hinges are breaking because of UP and DOWN movement.... what's going on inside the refrigerator? A number of years ago, someone said to me that an all molded towable going down the road was akin to an earthquake... You can replace hinges fairly easily, the "plastic" skin or the entire refigerator... no so much.

Slow down a whole bunch when traveling on washboard roads...

[Geo]

I Drive about 30 Klm on gravel, slower on the rough spots.
Frequent stops for range cattle, 10 K's is at about 5-10 klm due to cattle.

[Dave D.]

Geo, been there and done that.

On a previous trailer I had the bathroom door (with mirror) fall off a few times due to a combination of poor design, fast speed and washboard road. On our last trip we had one hinge come off on a vertically hinged door and washboard road was the culprit. I've been on long stretches of washboard road that have been fine, on this shorter stretch it felt like you were jarring fillings loose. The moral being that not all washboard roads are equal.

As Donna says it's the up and down movement that's hard on the hinges. Some time in the future I'm going to place small blocks of oak directly under the door to stop the "down" movement and have even considered a small wood toggle to keep a problematic door shut. You could block the "up" motion as well. Although our fridge door has never opened a small block of wood could similarly support an overloaded door.

I also agree with Donna that the fiberglass skin takes a beating particularly on a hot day. On a previous trailer after traveling down some washboard a little faster than I should have there were waves/distortions in the fiberglass shell where there were none before.

Dave

[Zardoz]

During our orientation with Dave, I suggested full length piano hinges especially on the bathroom door. Might work in other spots was well.

[gbaglo]

Function over form, I guess.
I'd rather not, but then I haven't had any problems with hinges.