Dometic Refrig Shelf - weak point / replacement

[endorice]

Escapers - throwing this out there in case anyone else had a similar problem and found a good solution.

2 of 3 of my Dometic plastic door shelfs have broken in the same location (see picture, red outline). Looking at the parts list, the replacement shelf is part number 2932576016, but I'm not excited about buying a replacement if it's just going to break again.

Any creative solutions?

Yes, I know not to overload shelves or go down rough roads. I might have been guilty of both ;-)

Thanks!

 

[HABBERDABBER]

Try patching it

You are correct that a replacement is also likely to fail in the future.

I've had success in repairs with JB Weld epoxy. I'd use the steel reinforced version. The tray is molded from ABS plastic. Scratch up the surface pretty roughly with 60 grit sandpaper, clean with rubbing alcohol, attach & position the busted portion with some super glue and let that cure. Then apply the epoxy over the glue joint and if possible, a layer adjacent to the busted part to add adhesion and distribute the stress.

Your photo doesn't show clearly the break, or broken part, so this hack is what comes to mind.

 

[SRS]

Escapers - throwing this out there in case anyone else had a similar problem and found a good solution.

2 of 3 of my Dometic plastic door shelfs have broken in the same location (see picture, red outline). Looking at the parts list, the replacement shelf is part number 2932576016, but I'm not excited about buying a replacement if it's just going to break again.

Any creative solutions?

Yes, I know not to overload shelves or go down rough roads. I might have been guilty of both ;-)

Thanks!

The side tab on mine broke and I found a DAP product, I believe that's the brand, specifically for plastic including ABS and glued the broken tab back on. I keep cold beverage in that try so it's gets heavy. after gluing the tab, I found the tray had a lot of wiggle. I figured a loaded tray with lots of wiggle being jarred on a dirt road could be the main issue. I took one of those thick felt floor protectors you put on the feet of chair and table legs and stuck it on the back. See picture. That insures the tray is firmly seated so it doesn't wiggle or move up and down. I've been on a several dirt roads since and so far it's holding very up very well.

 

[HABBERDABBER]

Miracle duct tape

After any and all of your repair/replacement activities, a strip of high quality duct tape over the breakage prone area may help. Couldn't hurt, eh?

 

[endorice]

You are correct that a replacement is also likely to fail in the future.

I've had success in repairs with JB Weld epoxy. I'd use the steel reinforced version. The tray is molded from ABS plastic. Scratch up the surface pretty roughly with 60 grit sandpaper, clean with rubbing alcohol, attach & position the busted portion with some super glue and let that cure. Then apply the epoxy over the glue joint and if possible, a layer adjacent to the busted part to add adhesion and distribute the stress.

Your photo doesn't show clearly the break, or broken part, so this hack is what comes to mind.

Great minds think alike! I no longer have the broken plastic pieces, and doubt that gluing it together would hold anyway. However - if I order replacement shelves, I was already thinking about cutting a small piece of plastic or metal to JB weld on top of the weak area. That might provide a little additional strength to a poor design.

Thank you for your reply!

 

[endorice]

The side tab on mine broke and I found a DAP product, I believe that's the brand, specifically for plastic including ABS and glued the broken tab back on. I keep cold beverage in that try so it's gets heavy. after gluing the tab, I found the tray had a lot of wiggle. I figured a loaded tray with lots of wiggle being jarred on a dirt road could be the main issue. I took one of those thick felt floor protectors you put on the feet of chair and table legs and stuck it on the back. See picture. That insures the tray is firmly seated so it doesn't wiggle or move up and down. I've been on a several dirt roads since and so far it's holding very up very well.

Brilliant! I had not thought about shimming it like you did. I have the same problem with flexing, and I do use one of those shelves for cans of beverages.

Thank you for this great idea!

 

[endorice]

After any and all of your repair/replacement activities, a strip of high quality duct tape over the breakage prone area may help. Couldn't hurt, eh?

I've "redneck engineered" a lot of repairs with duct tape. Good idea! Thanks!

 

[rcsb]

Escapers - throwing this out there in case anyone else had a similar problem and found a good solution.

2 of 3 of my Dometic plastic door shelfs have broken in the same location (see picture, red outline). Looking at the parts list, the replacement shelf is part number 2932576016, but I'm not excited about buying a replacement if it's just going to break again.

Any creative solutions?

Yes, I know not to overload shelves or go down rough roads. I might have been guilty of both ;-)

Thanks!

FYI...There is a lot of other remedies to the broken/cracked dometic fridge shelves on the Casita Travel Trailer forum website http://www.casitaforum.com

I had cracks on my shelves too in my 2007 Casita SD. Many Casitas also use the Dometic RM2454 fridges. I hope this helps others.

 

[iamunique127]

The hinge on the armrest lid in my wife's car wore out and the lid became sloppy. Movement of the lid resulted in broken and cracked places in the ABS plastic box below the lid. It's an older car and the part was no longer available so I had to figure out a fix. The armrest sat on my bench for a year or more until I came across a suitable idea.

I bought this plastic welder kit from Amazon. It actually comes with fairly good instructions.

It comes with a bunch of stuff to repair all kinds problems with different plastics. I found the light duty metal staples handy for reattaching the broken-off pieces and welding together the cracks. You can bend the staples to whatever shape suits your purposes. I snipped off the protruding ends of the staples then melted an ABS plastic rod along the seams to smooth the surfaces. I was able to do the repairs on the inside of the armrest box so the exterior looks like new. On the inside I gave it a few passes with a matching colour of Krylon plastic paint. It is not perfect on the inside but you do have to look closely to see the repairs.

A similar method may work for either repairing the broken shelf or reenforcing the tabs on a new shelf prior to use. Personally, I would practice on the old one first to figure out a suitable method before tackling the new one.

We actually have an automotive hinge shop here so I was able to remake a hinge for the lid of the armrest, too. The car is 26 years old this year and the armrest should last for the rest of it's life now.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Not sure if this is the same shelf style or not, but this is info on 3D printing a part that can be bonded onto the existing shelf to repair and reinforce it.

Hmmm, cannot attach a DocX file, follow the link below, and it will take you to a web site where people upload 3D printer files and this specific file and pic and other info. If you have a 3D printer or know someone who does.

Dometic fridge door shelves reinforcement/repair parts
Dudley1001
January 15, 2020

Summary
These are repair clips for a Dometic RM2453 shelves on the door. These shelves break over time and new ones are crazy expensive. Hope these help out someone. I did them in PLA with 100% fill but they may be stronger in PETG.
There was a problem with the original file which has been corrected in the Dometic3.stl so if you downloaded the other file, dump it and grab the new one.
License
CC BY

Dometic fridge door shelves reinforcement/repair parts
by Dudley1001 is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.

Charles

 

[endorice]

The hinge on the armrest lid in my wife's car wore out and the lid became sloppy. Movement of the lid resulted in broken and cracked places in the ABS plastic box below the lid. It's an older car and the part was no longer available so I had to figure out a fix. The armrest sat on my bench for a year or more until I came across a suitable idea.

I bought this plastic welder kit from Amazon. It actually comes with fairly good instructions.

It comes with a bunch of stuff to repair all kinds problems with different plastics. I found the light duty metal staples handy for reattaching the broken-off pieces and welding together the cracks. You can bend the staples to whatever shape suits your purposes. I snipped off the protruding ends of the staples then melted an ABS plastic rod along the seams to smooth the surfaces. I was able to do the repairs on the inside of the armrest box so the exterior looks like new. On the inside I gave it a few passes with a matching colour of Krylon plastic paint. It is not perfect on the inside but you do have to look closely to see the repairs.

A similar method may work for either repairing the broken shelf or reenforcing the tabs on a new shelf prior to use. Personally, I would practice on the old one first to figure out a suitable method before tackling the new one.

We actually have an automotive hinge shop here so I was able to remake a hinge for the lid of the armrest, too. The car is 26 years old this year and the armrest should last for the rest of it's life now.

Thank you - I didn't even know this tool existed. Now I have an excuse to buy another tool!

 

[endorice]

Not sure if this is the same shelf style or not, but this is info on 3D printing a part that can be bonded onto the existing shelf to repair and reinforce it.

Hmmm, cannot attach a DocX file, follow the link below, and it will take you to a web site where people upload 3D printer files and this specific file and pic and other info. If you have a 3D printer or know someone who does.

Dometic fridge door shelves reinforcement/repair parts
Dudley1001
January 15, 2020

Summary
These are repair clips for a Dometic RM2453 shelves on the door. These shelves break over time and new ones are crazy expensive. Hope these help out someone. I did them in PLA with 100% fill but they may be stronger in PETG.
There was a problem with the original file which has been corrected in the Dometic3.stl so if you downloaded the other file, dump it and grab the new one.
License
CC BY

Dometic fridge door shelves reinforcement/repair parts
by Dudley1001 is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.

Charles

Looks like the same style shelf, and this recommendation is excellent. Thank you! I need to get into 3D printing, so the "barrier to entry" is a little high for me, but others in the future will benefit from your guidance.

I appreciate your help!

 

[iamunique127]

Not sure if this is the same shelf style or not, but this is info on 3D printing a part that can be bonded onto the existing shelf to repair and reinforce it.

Hmmm, cannot attach a DocX file, follow the link below, and it will take you to a web site where people upload 3D printer files and this specific file and pic and other info. If you have a 3D printer or know someone who does.

Dometic fridge door shelves reinforcement/repair parts
Dudley1001
January 15, 2020

Summary
These are repair clips for a Dometic RM2453 shelves on the door. These shelves break over time and new ones are crazy expensive. Hope these help out someone. I did them in PLA with 100% fill but they may be stronger in PETG.
There was a problem with the original file which has been corrected in the Dometic3.stl so if you downloaded the other file, dump it and grab the new one.
License
CC BY

Dometic fridge door shelves reinforcement/repair parts
by Dudley1001 is licensed under the Creative Commons - Attribution license.

Charles

Looks like the same style shelf, and this recommendation is excellent. Thank you! I need to get into 3D printing, so the "barrier to entry" is a little high for me, but others in the future will benefit from your guidance.

I appreciate your help!

This seems like an excellent idea. Simple and only requires bonding the new part to the broken shelf. Determine the proper glue and you are all set.

3-D printing services exist in a lot of places and with a bit of asking around you could likely find someone to print this quite easily.

 

[SRS]

The side tab on mine broke and I found a DAP product, I believe that's the brand, specifically for plastic including ABS and glued the broken tab back on. I keep cold beverage in that try so it's gets heavy. after gluing the tab, I found the tray had a lot of wiggle. I figured a loaded tray with lots of wiggle being jarred on a dirt road could be the main issue. I took one of those thick felt floor protectors you put on the feet of chair and table legs and stuck it on the back. See picture. That insures the tray is firmly seated so it doesn't wiggle or move up and down. I've been on a several dirt roads since and so far it's holding very up very well.

My original repair didn't hold up during a recent trip so here is the latest fix.

Those of use who take our trailers on less than smooth, or washboard dirt roads are more likely to see damage than those that mostly travel on paved roads. In my case it is the tab that rests on the door edge that breaks, resulting in reduced support for the tray.

Bruce Johnson of RVMODMASTERS.COM printed the repair pieces for me from a file that I found posted on another thread on the FORUM. My refrigerator is Dometic RM2454 (4 cu ft 3-way), but I believe these will work for a number of different models having the same shelf locking mechanism design. I used J-B Weld, Plastic Bonder to glue the pieces in place and it appears to be very strong.

As you can see from the photo, I put sodas and other beverages in the shelf so it carries the heaviest load of the three. Unpaved roads such as BLM and Forest Service roads seams to be what causes the plastic tab-stop that the shelf rests on to break. The repair pieces are much thicker, providing better support. Time will tell how effective the fix is. I also cut strips of felt furniture sliders to fill and pad the space between the piece that slides into the grove and the refrigerator door. The connection is very loose, which may add to stress on both the shelf and the tab-stop.

The 3D printer file I used is attached and if you don’t have a 3D printer, I’m sure Bruce would be happy to print them for you.