Cabnet door panels fall off

[Kwasimotto]

I have a 2017 Fun Finder 27 ft bunkbed trailer (FF 27BH) and on 30 % of the cabinet doors the centre panels have either fallen off or have partially broken away from the cabinet door frame. Has anyone else experienced this.....if so what did you do to fix.....thanks

[profdant139]

I replaced my cabinet doors with quarter inch Baltic birch plywood -- much thinner and lighter than the original doors, which were made of MDF. If the frame of each door is still intact and you want to keep the frames, maybe just replace the center panels with Baltic ply.

By the way, welcome to the club! Where in Canada are you located?

[Kwasimotto]

Thanks for the reply. My cabinet door panels are okay, it's just that they have come loose from the door frame. The cabinet door panels are not grooved
into the door frames like well made doors, they are basically glued to the back of the door frame. I'm looking for someway to attach them stronger.

[GaryCamper]

If it's actually the doors that are loose, it's usually because the screws holding the hinges have worked loose.

Often you can just tighten the screws with a screwdriver. But sometimes the holes the screws are in get wallowed out. You'll know that's the case if the screws won't stay put when you turn them in.

That can be fixed by removing the screws, and inserting toothpicks slathered with wood glue into the holes. Cut the toothpicks so they are flush with the surface, then reinstall the screws holding the door hinges. They'll stay locked in place for years.

[Kwasimotto]

Thanks GaryCamper.......the door frames and hinges are ok....it is the center door panels that are breaking away from the door frame. The center panel are not grooved into the door frame, they are just glued to the back of the frame. I guess after a coupler of years of use, the opening and closing has jarred them loose.

[profdant139]

If the panels and the frame are all intact, and it is just a matter of gluing, then the easiest fix would be to remove the frames and put them on a horizontal surface. Glue the panels back onto the frames with Titebond III. Put something heavy onto the center panel, instead of clamping.

However, if the frame and panel are covered in vinyl, I am not sure that Titebond will work. In that case, try Gorilla Glue. Don't use a lot of it -- it tends to expand.

[Kwasimotto]

Thanks Profdant139....that's a great suggestion, I will try the Titebond III. I have used it before and it is a very strong adhesive.....thanks again

[Agnitio]

Originally Posted by profdant139

If the panels and the frame are all intact, and it is just a matter of gluing, then the easiest fix would be to remove the frames and put them on a horizontal surface. Glue the panels back onto the frames with Titebond III. Put something heavy onto the center panel, instead of clamping.

However, if the frame and panel are covered in vinyl, I am not sure that Titebond will work. In that case, try Gorilla Glue. Don't use a lot of it -- it tends to expand.

On the right track... the frames and panels are prefinished before glued so adhesion is comprised. Gorilla glue will make a hell of a mess, I’d lean towards stripping the contact area to bare wood and using tight bond or leaving the finish and use epoxy.

Fun side note: on a couple of my doors I deliberately removed the panels and replaced them with painted metal (using double sided tape) - now we have an area for small magnetic storage containers we picked up at IKEA.

[LJAZ]

I have a few doors with glass panes instead of wood panels that are fitted the same way. Over the years a few have come loose from the frames I used E6000 clear adhesive from the local big box store it worked great.