Cruisers Forum

Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: Pguill on October 15, 2017, 03:14:32 pm

Title: Cabinet Latches
Post by: Pguill on October 15, 2017, 03:14:32 pm
We have had several of the plastic cabinet latches break and to be honest don’t like how much you have to “tug” to get the  doors and cabinets open and the noise they make. Has anyone had problems with them and if so have you found a better alternative?
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: TomHanlon on October 15, 2017, 05:02:09 pm
Do a search on here and you will find lots of problems like breaking latches. You will also find some fixes.
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: keelhauler on October 15, 2017, 05:04:49 pm
Yes they all break. You can ask for replacements free from Carol in parts. But my opinion, not hers, is that the ones marked brdsupply suck and all break.

I buy southco latches, who brd copied from. They are more expensive, shop around, but do not break.
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: Pguill on October 15, 2017, 05:34:29 pm
Has anyone tried magnetic ones and if so what brand?
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: Barry-Sue on October 15, 2017, 05:47:47 pm
We have replaced many of our cabinet latches wth these magnetic catches from lowes. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Richelieu-Black-Cabinet-Catch/3623420

We would never use these on drawers but for the smaller doors they have performed great with over 9,000 miles on road conditions that included some very rough gravel roads. You can actually get different strengths and different colors depending on the manufacturer. 

We have never had any of these pop open while traveling and when you close the door you do not have to force them to close.  They also open much easier.  We have not put them on the large closet doors but mainly on all of the smaller doors.
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: Two Hams in a Can on October 15, 2017, 06:45:59 pm
After we bought our pre-owned PC2400 Sprinter, half to two-thirds of our latches broke or would not let the spring loaded part pop out.  I found that a small squirt of WD-40 SILICONE Spray would help the survivors and I've also used it on the replacements Carol sent.  So far, so good.  
https://www.walmart.com/ip/WD-40-Specialist-Water-Resistant-Silicone-Lubricant-11-0-OZ/21838836?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227025397237&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=59242380992&wl4=pla-122258507552&wl5=1016561&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=21838836&wl13=&veh=sem
:)(:
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: Ron Dittmer on October 16, 2017, 06:00:50 am
Yes they all break. You can ask for replacements free from Carol in parts. But my opinion, not hers, is that the ones marked brdsupply suck and all break.

I buy southco latches, who brd copied from. They are more expensive, shop around, but do not break.
I heard this before and I tend to agree with keelhauler.  The Southco latches are much better.

Our 2007 model year PC has all Southco latches.  We have had just two mechanisms break over the years.  I broke many more hook-side of the latches because my sleeve cuff or something gets hooked on them.

As Two Hams In A Can also mentioned, a quick squirt of WD-40 works well on them.  Don't use just any old spray.  I can't recall for sure, but it might have been silicone spray (the carrier liquid) that melted the plastic of the latch.
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: jfcaramagno on October 16, 2017, 04:51:26 pm
South makes those latches in two strengths: 3 lbs and 5 lbs. I used 5s on large doors with single latches, and 3s on small doors and doors with two latches.
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: HowMar on October 17, 2017, 02:45:47 pm
I have had some of the hook part of the latches break.
My cure was to place small washers under the screws to distribute the load away from the screw hole.
They are ~ 1/8 ID and 3/8 OD.
Howard
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: Ron Dittmer on October 17, 2017, 03:15:03 pm
I have had some of the hook part of the latches break.
My cure was to place small washers under the screws to distribute the load away from the screw hole.
They are ~ 1/8 ID and 3/8 OD.
Howard
That makes sense.  Nice tip!
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: Lieutenant on October 18, 2017, 09:07:16 pm
OK  go on AMAZON and look up cabinet latches...I bought 20 and always have one ready when one craps out
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: keelhauler on October 19, 2017, 08:30:34 am
Quote
OK  go on AMAZON and look up cabinet latches...I bought 20 and always have one ready when one craps out

But make sure they are Southco latches. Not Brdsupply trash.
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: TomHanlon on October 19, 2017, 12:53:55 pm
I have used “JR Products” with good luck so far. None have broken. I foun them at a dealer and on line.
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: Pguill on October 21, 2017, 11:57:37 am
Thanks for all the replies. We will be at Phoenix next week and will probably get Carol to give us enough to fix the broken ones until we can replace them with one of the above suggestions.
Title: Re: Cabinet Latches
Post by: HenryJ on October 26, 2017, 11:00:56 am
This complaint was one of our fixes at the Jul 24th appointment in Elkhart at the plant. It turned out that there was adjustments that caused a couple not to line up but others were indeed out of service and those were replaced for us. So for now we are back with ability to close things up. The alignment has to be just right or on closing there will be a break. So they dont seem to be tough closures. Nice to get the info. We need a lot of info stored so we keep things moving along. Thanks Much.