Folding counter extension hinge fail - Escape Trailer Owners Community
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Escape Trailer Owners Community > Escape Tech > Problem Solving | Owners helping each other
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 10-21-2020, 12:59 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: washington, Washington
Trailer: Escape 21NE
Posts: 206
Folding counter extension hinge fail

After our first haul of around 150 miles, one of the two hinge pins came apart on our folding counter extension. It's a two-piece aluminum stud-and-tube unit that's press-fit into place. I managed to squeeze it back into place with channellock pliers. (sorry i didn't take pix)



Some 250 miles later it came apart again. Pretty cheap manufacturing (not Escape's fault). This time I took a length of aluminum wire, hammered it flat, and placed it into the tube before I pressed the stud back in - this should firm it up (I hope).


Has anyone found it necessary to use some hold-down method to keep the counter extension from flapping around (and thus loosening the hinge)?
felix2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2020, 06:20 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
A picture of the hinge would help, it doesn't sound like the same as I had.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2020, 07:13 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
I believe these are being used https://www.amazon.com/Parker-Foldin...368499&sr=8-87
Attached Thumbnails
41GXLSguhiL._AC_.jpg  
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2020, 07:53 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
tdf-texas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Baytown, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape - upgraded version
Posts: 2,697
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
They may be these - I bought some to add another folding shelf and they matched exactly the ones Escape installed.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Attached Thumbnails
JR Products 20735.jpg  
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
tdf-texas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2020, 08:20 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Yes, yours are the right color.....
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2020, 11:47 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
tdf-texas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Baytown, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape - upgraded version
Posts: 2,697
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpaharley2008 View Post
Yes, yours are the right color.....
But I like the price for the ones you linked better! For that much difference in price, maybe a can of brown spray paint?

The grey ones are a little bigger as well - might help with the hinge breaking.
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
tdf-texas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2020, 05:06 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: washington, Washington
Trailer: Escape 21NE
Posts: 206
That's the one - brown. I suppose a screw-and-bolt solution for a failed hinge pin would work too. Hope yours doesn't break too!
felix2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2020, 05:29 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Southwick, Massachusetts
Trailer: None, sold my 2014 5.0TA
Posts: 7,124
The hinges I had, same as those shown, never failed in 40k miles. Think I'd try a new set of the same hinges and see how they hold up.
__________________
Happy Motoring
Bob
padlin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2020, 05:39 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
I tow with them down and closed, perhaps that may be the solution....
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-23-2020, 07:28 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
I recently had to replace a folding shelf support, but only because I leaned on it with my full weight. They come as a pair and cost about $30 CAD. No biggie.
I leave it in the up position full time.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-24-2020, 07:31 PM   #11
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Port Angeles, Washington
Trailer: 2021 5.0 TA in about a year. Lol
Posts: 77
https://www.amazon.com/Folding-Brack.../dp/B08576V73K
I suppose 20 in is over kill.
But it is stainless steel.
1200bruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-25-2020, 06:52 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1200bruce View Post
https://www.amazon.com/Folding-Brack.../dp/B08576V73K
I suppose 20 in is over kill.
But it is stainless steel.
These would not work with the flip up tables. If you notice on the factory ones there is an offset on the horizontal service to allow placement of the shelf so that when open it is flush with the countertop. These do not have that offset.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2022, 05:01 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
richm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Houston, Texas
Trailer: 2022 5.0TA
Posts: 111
The pin (below) fell out of my counter extension hinge.
This is from a 2022 5.0 TA.


Does anyone know what these pins are called, and any source that might have replacement pins?

richm is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2022, 05:03 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
cpaharley2008's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
Can you reuse the original?
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
cpaharley2008 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2022, 06:02 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Iowa Dave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Benton County, Iowa
Trailer: 2013 Escape 21 Classic Number 6, pulled by 2018 Toyota Highlander
Posts: 8,234
Store bought

Quote:
Originally Posted by richm View Post
The pin (below) fell out of my counter extension hinge.
This is from a 2022 5.0 TA.


Does anyone know what these pins are called, and any source that might have replacement pins?

If you go to a good hardware store they often have racks of small boxes of specialty hardware. There are pictures on the outside of the boxes as to what is inside. That’s what I’d try first.
Iowa Dave
__________________
Ain’t no trouble jacking a double Burma Shave
Dave
Iowa Dave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-29-2022, 11:36 PM   #16
Bea
Senior Member
 
Bea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Northern California, California
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21
Posts: 759
Keeping the hinges from flapping

To keep our hinges from unnecessary wear and tear, we used a little wood and some cabinet door magnets to keep the folding table in place. - Bea
Attached Thumbnails
hinge up.jpg   hinge part way.jpg   hinge down.jpg  
Bea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2022, 11:09 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
Eggscape's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19
Posts: 2,716
Quote:
Originally Posted by richm View Post
The pin (below) fell out of my counter extension hinge.
This is from a 2022 5.0 TA.


Does anyone know what these pins are called, and any source that might have replacement pins?

I am sure you could use a bolt of the same diameter and a nylock nut or two nuts tighten together so the bolt is free to move a bit.
__________________
So many modifications...so little time.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...ape-12918.html
Eggscape is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2022, 12:20 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: washington, Washington
Trailer: Escape 21NE
Posts: 206
Here’s what I did to fix the loose press-fit hinge pin - I noticed that it wasn’t staying together (the inner pin has grooves on the shaft that should grip the inside of the outer pin), so I took a short piece of aluminum wire (aluminum being malleable), and placed it in the outer half, then used channelocks to squeeze the two halves together into place. It hasn’t come undone yet!

You can likely find these pins at any good Ace Hardware or such.
Attached Thumbnails
7EE2E406-9876-4097-A3A3-642FBFA8B56F.jpg  
felix2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2022, 01:49 PM   #19
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2021
Location: Canada's East Coast, New Brunswick
Trailer: 2022 E19
Posts: 385
So what happens here? The shelf flops around while traveling?
Fender is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-30-2022, 02:17 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
gbaglo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
I leaned on my shelf which collapsed one support. Bought a brand new pair for $25 CAD. Simple replacement.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
gbaglo is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off




» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escape Trailer Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:57 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2023 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.