Just back from the farm having re-attached the wardrobe door that fell off during our recent foray into Wales. Mrs Eribanut was heard to cry out "Mike" as I was setting up at Minnows Caravan Park on our return to sunny Cornwall.
Went inside van to find her hanging on to the wardrobe door with all her might. "it came off in my hand!" she exclaimed red in the face. The top hinge had jettisoned its screws into the wardrobe and bottom was flapping around like a vicars jockstrap! "Stay there and dont move" I shouted as I bounded out to the car to retrieve my utility belt.
Sprang back into the van and proceeded to remove the remaining screws to release the door. I had visions of finding that it had dropped down on top of the Truma heater which I had only last week replaced the top due to mishap with Bluetooth speaker. Luckily just some chipboard dust decorated the top. Have now repaired by using the tried and tested matchstick method, Gorilla Glue and larger screws. So that's both doors that have had to be repaired! Better check on the mirror just in case !

Eribaists start of the season To Do list:

Check all hinge screws are tight.
Washroom door
Wardrobe door
Roof locker doors
Kitchen cupboard doors
Any others you can think of

Quote: steamdrivenandy wrote in post #2

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Eribaists start of the season To Do list:

Check all hinge screws are tight.
Washroom door
Wardrobe door
Roof locker doors
Kitchen cupboard doors
Any others you can think of

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Mike, bad luck!
We’ve been through the same scenarios.
It is my opinion that all the cabinetry is strained as the chassis flexes. This is exacerbated by the washroom door ‘pin’ which seems to lock all the assemblies together transferring the flexing strains to the hinges. This is why the washroom door hinges fail and when fixed properly the strain is then transferred to the next weakest point, the wardrobe door.
TonyP

I'm not so sure it's chassis/body frame flexing as they're relatively rigid, but all the joggling about and bumps and rumbles from road surfaces are likely to be more of an issue.

Surely you remember joggling about and rumbles Mr Frantone?

😀 I think I remember!

However I am convinced about the flexing. How else could the washroom door open in transit? The whole furniture carcass could easily be moved allowing the door lock to disengage.
When new our current Troll did not have the locating pin thingy at the top of the door. It opened in transit every time we used it. I fitted an elastic strap to use to stop the door flying about every trip.
There were screw holes in the door where the locator should have been and I fitted one after a few journeys.
On first use the hinge screws were pulled out! It seemed obvious that the body flexing made the door pull on the hinges. So I removed it and fitted a brace between the furniture and the edge of the pop top to prevent the flexing.
The hinges themselves were of a really poor quality and were easily broken by the door flapping. Refitting then with better screws actually caused the hinges to snap!

So the 2013 Troll is now 5 years old and that particular example of Hymer rubbish is ‘cured’. The furniture carcass is braced at the top. The hinges have been replaced with more substantial Hafele parts and secured properly into the sawdust that pretends to be structure! The door no longer opens in transit.
I am very careful when winding down the steadies to avoid any strain on the chassis because this also had a noticeable effect on the washroom door.

This particular issue took place along with the overhead locker problem, the splitting trim, that was sorted on recall by AL.
We also had a new pop up roof fitted. Both gas compartment lock/handles failed. The habitation door lock decided to lock us out randomly. I could go on!
It has taken some time for me to bond with this particular Eriba, our fourth, but it feels sorted and solid now. I reckon it was one of the first off the new production line at Bad Waldsee and may have been rushed out. (When Jean at Jandi used our vin number to order new locks the official Hymer/Eriba parts were nothing like the broken ones). At least we didn’t have the mushrooms growing out of the door like sone owners did!


Rant mode off.

TonyP

After that little lot I think I'll definitely do back to looking for an '08 540.

Back in the day we used to run one of these https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/...e=cw39an&page=1. The toilet 'room' door was two single full height doors hinged together by piano hinges for their full height. So little risk of coming adrift from the fixed cabinetry 'wall'. However all it was held closed by was a small vertical sliding bolt at the top of the door's opening edge. Unfortunately the bolt had no sideways 'snicket' to hold it in place when shut. Of course the motion of the van meant that occasionally the bolt would gradually slide down until it no longer secured the door edge. As the door was hinged at the front edge, you can imagine that once free of the bolt, the door swung around in the aisle and 6ft plus of two hinged together doors whanging about in your rear view mirror is a rather fearsome and distracting sight, as is the sound they made as they whacked each other and anything else in range.

I think a better means of securing the doors was found for later production models.

I think the more recent builds are better than ours but I think if I was buying now or even when we come to change I would like an older one. Having said that we had a 2008 Triton from new that was a very poor example. So I would be checking very very carefully.
TonyP

Colin. I still think that pin is there to stabilise the cabinetry by fixing it to the door. The result is transference of the forces elsewhere. It may be that allowing it all to flex is a better option than fixing it. Pete’s restraint might be the simplest and safest method.

Quick tip for anybody with the narrow 2 seater front dinette in their van - when travelling wedge one of the seat backrest cushions on the floor between the washroom and undersink cabinet doors - this will prevent the washroom door from flapping about if it becomes unlatched.....

I have mushrooms growing in the gas locker door lining, whats that all about. Can not shift them. First noticed it in England in December. Now in Portugal its still there. I have scraped and sqiurted with bleach. Can not get rid

Quote: andrew Greenfield wrote in post #14

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I have mushrooms growing in the gas locker door lining, whats that all about. Can not shift them. First noticed it in England in December. Now in Portugal its still there. I have scraped and sqiurted with bleach. Can not get rid

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