# seized cupboard catches



## Medallionman (Nov 26, 2005)

I went to pack our Berkshire ready for starting our next trip on Wednesday. EVERY cupboard catch had seized and had to be forced to open. I could understand the odd one seizing, but the whole lot??? The buttons were very difficult to push in and and then they stuck in. 
I had to use a silicone spray on every one and work them in and out repeatedly to get them free. Some I had to unscrew and squirt inside.
Any ideas why this should happen? It has not been a problem before.
Cheers,
Brian


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Yes Brian.

Can't stop to explain now, but it's not too difficult to fix.

If nobody else can help I'll tell you how to fix it tomorrow. Don't bother getting new catches, the same will happen to them.

Dave


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## rogerblack (May 1, 2005)

Damp?


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## goldi (Feb 4, 2009)

Morning all,


I had the same with one catch a couple of weeks, ago so went round with wd 40 on all of them because I reckoned the others must be similar.



norm


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

rogerblack said:


> Damp?


Close Roger - but it's cold that does it! :wink:

The holes shrink more than the catches that slide in them. It happened to almost all of mine so I got replacements for the lot from AutoSleepers - who were very helpful.

Unfortunately the same happened again, and having tried WD 40 (like Norm) and silicone grease - with only temporary improvements, I decided to get brutal.

I removed and dismantled the catches (_which is very easy_) and set about the sliding latch parts with the belt sander. I was a bit careful of course, but I still gave them some welly since it doesn't matter if they are a very loose fit . . . and after the irritation of repeated sticking problems I wanted a lasting fix. _(If you don't have a belt sander it's easy enough, though tedious, to sand a bit off entirely by hand.)_

I took at least a millimetre off two adjacent sides and smoothed the surfaces down as much as I could by hand on a sheet of 240 grit. Then I reassembled and replaced the little swine without lubrication, in case it collected grit and caused the same problem again. :roll:

That was two years ago, and there are two which still stick a bit - but that's because they were the first two to get the treatment and I had not yet lost my rag with the bu&&ers! _(Shall get around to savaging them a bit more aggressively sometime.)_

Hope this helps. It's the only permanent solution that I can think of.

Dave


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

surely if it is because you had not used the van it would be prudent to leave all interior doors and lockers open.That is of course assuming that you can do this without the contents falling out.

cabby


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Doesn't stop them sticking Cabby - and you have to close them when you drive off, then you can't open them on arrival!

Stronger over-centre springs on the hinges would be the answer. No catches needed then! 

Dave


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I follow your reasoning, but if the van has been warmed up to air it before use, then the catches would not be cold, so they should not stick again. maybe. :wink: :wink: 

cabby


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

cabby said:


> I follow your reasoning, but if the van has been warmed up to air it before use, then the catches would not be cold, so they should not stick again. maybe. :wink: :wink:
> cabby


Sound logic Cabby, but the van needs to be warmed up quite a lot and for much longer than you would think before they ease up.

I reckon I thought of, and tried just about everthing before losing patience and taking the belt sander to them.

It didn't take very long, and now they work. :roll:

Dave


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## Medallionman (Nov 26, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> cabby said:
> 
> 
> > I follow your reasoning, but if the van has been warmed up to air it before use, then the catches would not be cold, so they should not stick again. maybe. :wink: :wink:
> ...


Thank you Dave.
I dismantled all the catches and lubricated them with silicone and they did improve slightly, enough for me to open them without the threat of them breaking or sticking open. 
Now that I have arrived in Spain they have loosened off considerably so you are correct about temperature. It was very cold at home before we left.
I will certainly have a go with the sander when I get home. 
There must also be an 'age factor' involved because I have not encountered this before and I have used the van in cold winter conditions. But why??
Anyway thanks for the advice about not buying replacements. It could have been costly.
Cheers,
Brian


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Glad I could help Brian, and thanks for the feedback. Saved you a good few quid as well, 'cos they won't be cheap. 8O

Absolutely no need to buy new ones. Even if you do make a somewhat scruffy job of sanding them (_like the first one I did_!  ) it doesn't matter at all because the catches themselves are completely hidden from view. Once they are reduced in size a bit they work just as well, even if they are a bit lop-sided! :roll:

Dave


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Monkey metal we used to call it years ago, it needs silicone grease where you don't touch it, is mendid innit mate.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Monkey metal we used to call it years ago, it needs silicone grease where you don't touch it, is mendid innit mate.


No it doesn't Kev, in the long term. They are plastic!

As I said already, the silicone grease worked for a while, but then they stuck even worse than before. When I asked our dealer's workshop manager for advice he told me he had tried the same, but was advised my the distributors that any sort of lubrication was counter productive. (_Not an uncommon problem, obviously! _ :roll: )

That's when I attacked them with the belt sander, and it has fixed them permanently now.

Dave


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Zebedee said:


> Kev_n_Liz said:
> 
> 
> > Monkey metal we used to call it years ago, it needs silicone grease where you don't touch it, is mendid innit mate.
> ...


That's odd Dave I thought they were all the same as the one we had in the Laika which were definitely made of metal as I had to file a couple of ours as the casting snots hadn't been removed properly, and they came up shiny, there must be more than one type then.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Metal casting snots are a minor problem Kev - easily remedied as you say!

These catches are very nicely made I have to say, but the working parts are all plastic and obviously not linearly stable. (_Poor description, but you know what I mean_. :roll: )

I think the plastic absorbs the silicone grease or WD40 and swells very slightly. This with the inherent instability and the effects of thermal contraction meant that Mrs Zeb couldn't get at her clean knickers!! 8O 8O 8O

I know when drastic action is required, so off to the belt sander pretty damn quick!!

Dave


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Zebedee said:


> Metal casting snots are a minor problem Kev - easily remedied as you say!
> 
> These catches are very nicely made I have to say, but the working parts are all plastic and obviously not linearly stable. (_Poor description, but you know what I mean_. :roll: )
> 
> ...


Ooh get you with all the techno speak, Tell Mrs Zeb she can borrow mine, it's only day 3 on these so there's a day left that'll give you time to sort her drawers out :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Medallionman (Nov 26, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> Metal casting snots are a minor problem Kev - easily remedied as you say!
> 
> These catches are very nicely made I have to say, but the working parts are all plastic and obviously not linearly stable. (_Poor description, but you know what I mean_. :roll: )
> 
> ...


I was wondering why this gets worse over time? 
A couple of winters ago it was -14C and the catches were not a problem then. This year the temperature was nowhere near as low and the problem has affected every one of the 15(!) catches in the van. 
Is it a combination of low temperature and humidity, perhaps?
Cheers,
Brian


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## njr001 (Jan 26, 2009)

I've also found the catches on my 2009 Symbol sticking in cold weather despite applying silicon grease etc. However replacements were only £1 each excluding carriage & VAT from Auto-Sleepers which has solved the problem.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Medallionman said:


> Is it a combination of low temperature and humidity, perhaps? Brian


Probably that Brian, plus the effect of ageing plastic.

Lubrication only gives a temporary solution, and it seems pointless to keep buying new ones even if they are cheap. Hence the belt sander treatment. Brutal, but none of ours have stuck since.

Dave


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