Fridge door opening in transit

[Misstonz]

We have just landed at our first destination in our 2010 jayco Hawk and found the fridge door had opened and food fell out! This was on sealed roads only.
It is the factory RM2350 which works brilliantly i might add, however only has a thumb tab lock/release when opening the fridge. Clearly this isnt sufficient lock to travel with. I have tried pushing down the tab but it springs back. It does not lock for travel like the 30year old Jayco Dove fridge did i recently upgraded from.
Suggestions for keeping the door locked in travel are most welcome

 

[NoWorries]

Duct tape, just a small amount and peel off when you get there

 

[Drover]

Ours usually opened when not closed properly especially when something is pushing the door from inside, found the freezer door to be the culprit for stopping the main door shutting correctly at lot of the time..........Duct tape is a winner though.

 

[Misstonz]

Unfortunately duct tape wasn’t a winner
I have never known duct tape to peel any surface away and i have used it extensively for years - however it took away the surface of my fridge door with only an hours travel
I have been given a suggestion to use a cupboard child lock. The type that stretch over two points to stop kids opening them. Might try it as the stick-ons will be permenant
Anyone resurfaced these before? Just a door card?

 

[mikerezny]

Hi,
we have an RM2350 and the door latches securely. So, I suspect there is actually something wrong around the door latch area. Rather than trying to find an alternative, it might be worth having a look at your catch and comparing it with one that works.

If you post some pictures of your door and latch (open and closed) I would be happy to compare it to our fridge to see what is going wrong.

cheers
Mike

 

[Drover]

Suppose we should have mentioned don't stick it on the fake wood grain as its only paper......

Replacement door catch $16 at caravansplus.

 

[Prydey]

We have the same problem on our 2009 Swan. First trip we did, we arrived to find the contents of the bottom shelf dispersed about the van. We thought we must've not had it shut properly, so made extra sure it was sealed properly and latched on the return journey, but it still opened. Since then, we've just wedged a sleeping bag between the fridge and the cupboard opposite each time we travel.
Mrs bought one of these to try on our next trip
https://www.bunnings.com.au/delf-stoppy-universal-door-window-stopper_p3962438

 

[Misstonz]

@mikerezny - see how these compare.
I tried to rattle it ipen and didnt open it but i guess vibration etc is what contributes.... doesnt seem overly worn but a closer look showed if i press down on the tab against the spring it goes about 1mm more- this will come up with vibration though
See how pics compare. Thanks

 

[mikerezny]

Hi @Misstonz,
thanks for the pictures. Something seems to be not quite right. It is already dark down here in Melbourne, so I will have to wait until tomorrow morning to take similar pictures of our fridge.

cheers
Mike

 

[Boots in Action]

@mikerezny - see how these compare.
I tried to rattle it ipen and didnt open it but i guess vibration etc is what contributes.... doesnt seem overly worn but a closer look showed if i press down on the tab against the spring it goes about 1mm more- this will come up with vibration though
See how pics compare. Thanks

Hi @Misstonz , make sure that the fridge frame is rigid and not able to move at all, as this can cause the latch position to move. Just a thought! You will probably find that the catch and or locking section has a worn edge/s caused by frequent movement of catch against lock whilst closing, or being forced down when not properly closed enough to engage into lock.

 

[mikerezny]

Hi @Misstonz,
here are some pictures of my fridge to compare with yours.
Does it seem that your door is lower than mine? The catch on the door seems to be higher up on my second photo.
If so, I believe you can adjust the hinges to align the door.

Another thought. Are the door hinges loose allowing the door to move up and down and disengage the door latch when traveling?

cheers
Mike

 

[Misstonz]

Thanks@ mikerezny. I will take a closer a look at the height. I wan not able to disengage the door by manually lifting door up and down while closed and empty
Inread on a nother forum that a few have had this issue and no real solution other than taping or installing a lock of some sort, ornpacking up with washers.
Possibly the door adjustment or washer packing will do the trick as the latch and catch both seem to be in good condition when looking at new units.

 

[Boots in Action]

Thanks@ mikerezny. I will take a closer a look at the height. I wan not able to disengage the door by manually lifting door up and down while closed and empty
Inread on a nother forum that a few have had this issue and no real solution other than taping or installing a lock of some sort, ornpacking up with washers.
Possibly the door adjustment or washer packing will do the trick as the latch and catch both seem to be in good condition when looking at new units.

Hi Mike @mikerezny and @Misstonz I think you are on the ball about door adjustment. It the bottom hinge has adjustment available to raise it, that should do the trick. If no more adjustment available, then the nylon washer that sits over the pin may be worn and all that needs to be done is to put in thicker washer or build it up so that although hinge has not changed position, the door "sits" or pivots at a higher position and reduces the gap at the top. This will allow the catch on door frame to engage the locking mech more closely.