Keystone Cougar HC design flaw with rear cabinets.

[kbooky]

I have a 2014 Keystone High Country 321 RES Travel Trailer.

There is a design flaw in the rear cabinets. Should one of the cabinet doors open while the slides are in and you open the slide, it can catch the open cabinet door and tear the door and its frame apart. I found out the hard way.

I heard a crunch and did not know where it was coming from. The door survived, but I had to rebuild the cabinet frame. It took a few hours of time.

The easiest solution is to tie the doors together so they wont open much.

[wnjj]

Lantley wrote:

rhagfo wrote:
I ALWAYS make it a habit of checking around slides before opening or closing to be sure they are not going to catch on something. Really simple concept! :S

Sounds simple but when you have a multi slide unit in a multi room RV the slides are not always visible to ensure nothing will be damaged

Then there are truck campers with slides that aren't as easy to climb up into and look before deploying plus some models require you to open a slide to even enter. If they came equipped with poorly-latching interference fit cabinets they would have to be dealt with properly. Making a latch that works is pretty simple too. When multiple users suffer the same fate and it's avoidable with a design change why shouldn't the design be changed?

[Lantley]

rhagfo wrote:

wnjj wrote:

lewisr wrote:
What about flipping the door over so it opens in the opposite direction?

Or doors that lift up (if they’re small cabinets). Or sliders instead of hinges.

I ALWAYS make it a habit of checking around slides before opening or closing to be sure they are not going to catch on something. Really simple concept! :S

Sounds simple but when you have a multi slide unit in a multi room RV the slides are not always visible to ensure nothing will be damaged

[kbooky]

if the doors latched (e.g.like the refrigerator door), that would solve the problem. right now I am using bungie cords, but I see many good suggestions here.

[rhagfo]

wnjj wrote:

lewisr wrote:
What about flipping the door over so it opens in the opposite direction?

Or doors that lift up (if they’re small cabinets). Or sliders instead of hinges.

I ALWAYS make it a habit of checking around slides before opening or closing to be sure they are not going to catch on something. Really simple concept! :S

[wnjj]

lewisr wrote:
What about flipping the door over so it opens in the opposite direction?

Or doors that lift up (if they’re small cabinets). Or sliders instead of hinges.

[kbooky]

I think if the door swung open in the closed position, the slide would catch the door handle.

[lewisr]

What about flipping the door over so it opens in the opposite direction?

[Boband4]

I had the same concern with a pantry door that is hidden behind the slide when closed - slide could catch the door and rip it off while opening. I installed a screen door lock. The lock stays open while we are camping, it doesnt change the door operation at all. Engaging the lock is part of my closing checklist before pulling the slide in so it is latched while traveling and when I am operating the slide. It is on a Keystone Cougar TT. Here is the lock, they are available in different sizes so you could span to the frame.

https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Line-9847-Sliding-Hardened-Diecast/dp/B004AHVA5S/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1518363597&sr=1-6&keywords=screen+door+lock

Lots of different solutions, this worked for me.

[wnjj]

All of the cabinets in our TC use positive latches like these:

http://www.rvpartscountry.com/Hidden-RV-Door-Catch.html

The part that looks like a dozer blade is along the edge the door, out of sight and presses in within a routered part of the door frame. They will not open by road vibration.

I’m in the camp that is something is supposed to keep a door shut, and doesn’t that is at a minimum a poor design. Further evidence is the number of people who have had this happen to them. If positive latches are more expensive or a bit more difficult to operate (which is why I suspect they don’t use them), then at least use them on the cabinets that interfere with slides.

[GrandpaKip]

I put thumb latches on the pantry doors after the camper tried to make a sketti dinner all over the floor. Amazing how spread out a small bottle of olive oil will go.

[ktmrfs]

here is a latch I used in my home built cargo toy hauler that has worked extremely well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07115R9C8/ref=pd_luc_rh_sspa_dk_huc_pt_sub_1?psc=1

It's a push to lock/push to unlock. once pushed in it locks the door in place and it is easy to see if everything is locked.

[ktmrfs]

ideally, nothing would interfere with the slides
ideally, trailers would have the maximum amount of storage space available.

pick one. mfg pick the 2nd, which I agree with.

[mooky_stinks]

I didn't read this whole thread but assuming a cabinet door should stay closed not matter what is not realistic imo. I cleaned off an open cabinet door with the slide one day only to find my wife stacked seven 2 litre soda bottles on their sides. I can tell you, I didn't blame the manufacturer!Lol

[rhagfo]

kbooky wrote:
Thanks for the replies.

Personally, I consider it a design flaw. The latches should be such that they need to be unlatched. Driving down the road caused them to open. The manufacturer does not make any mention of tying them closed, opening the slide only part way and checking for clearance.

Having said that, it is only an annoyance, not a reason to bad mouth the Cougar High Country.

I have had to repair other things on the unit to to my inexperience and errors.

We enjoy the unit and have done some interesting and useful things to it. I look forward to seeing what others are doing to customize.

I think there is a bit of common since here, we have three cabinet doors that our big side can catch if open. Before we run out the slides we check the doors and for anything else that may have fallen in the way. We don’t tie cabinets shut too much trouble. We have drawers open once in a while but not doors.