Cabinet bumpers

DennisB · 03-24-2021, 12:44 AM

I have a 2020 trailmanor that I really like but I have noticed some finish problems that I find annoying and I wonder if anyone else has had similar problems-
The round cabinet type cushions that are used thruout the trailer for cushioning
when the trailer is folded up keep falling off. It seems like the screws used to fasten them are barely long enough to secure the cushion to the surface it is mounted to. I am now going thru the trailer and remounting them with longer screws, so it is not a big issue, but I just paid a lot of money for this trailer and it seems like I should not have this issue.

Regarding the same bumpers, two are attached to the bottom edge of the vanity where it comes close to the floor when the vanity is folded down-while cleaning the floor at the base of the bed, my wife found two dents in the flooring that have been made by the bumpers-while the dents are small now, what will they look like in 2-3 years?

Also, at the end of a tow, when we open up the trailer, I find the fridge has slid out of its enclosure about 1/2-3/4 of an inch-it is easy to push back into place, but I can see that the screws installed to hold the fridge in place are too short-I am also replacing them with longer screws so it should no longer be a problem-but just wondering if these are common problems.

Regarding the bumpers that are causing dents on the floor, I wonder if I should just remove them-it seems to me there would be less damage caused if they weren’t there—
Any thoughts?
Dennis

**Bill** · 03-24-2021, 09:42 AM

The bumpers in general have always been a (minor) problem for me. For example, the bumper that pads the entry door's doorknob seems to get crushed easily, and needs to be replaced every once in a while. And the bumpers that surround the microwave box are too thick, and the box doesn't fit well between the wardrobe and the counter. In a hardware store, the bumpers seem to come in two thicknesses, thin and thick, for want of better words. I bought some thin ones, but have yet to install them. They should help.

When you use the word "vanity", I think you are referring to what is often called the "wardrobe", right? I would not remove the bumpers from its base. They support the weight of the wardrobe when it is folded down. If you remove the bumpers, that end of the wardrobe will hang from the plastic hinge, which may break under repeated road shocks. You don't want to go there. Maybe install thin bumpers? Maybe install a couple more of them, in line with the existing ones?

If I can make a suggestion, when you take photos, back away a little bit. Close-ups are good, but when they are too close, it is hard for the viewer (me) to figure out exactly what was photographed - especially when the pictures post sideways or upside down.

Thanks

Bill

DennisB · 03-24-2021, 10:15 AM

Hey Bill, thanks for the reply-I will work on my photography.
Yes, I was talking about the wardrobe and the dents at the foot of the bed are very minor-I will take your advice about not removing the bumpers on the wardrobe-just wanted to prevent unnecessary problems.
When I am closing up and put the wardrobe in the down position, it doesn't immediately settle on the floor-after I set it down, it slowly settles the last inch or so on its own-does yours do the same?

Thanks for your help and patience-
Dennis

**Bill** · 03-24-2021, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DennisB

When I am closing up and put the wardrobe in the down position, it doesn't immediately settle on the floor-after I set it down, it slowly settles the last inch or so on its own-does yours do the same?

No, it doesn't, and I never heard of this. If anyone else has experienced it, please let us know. Meanwhile, I don't think I like that situation. Since there are no hydraulic/pneumatic struts anywhere, it sounds like something is binding and/or stretching as the wardrobe comes down. Assuming the cabinet doesn't drag on anything, it should drop into place immediately. My suggestion is that you get up on the bed and watch the hinge really closely as the cabinet comes down. If you see any deformation at all, figure out why and fix it.

Based on your previous comment, it is possible that the bumpers (the ones causing the dents in the floor) are contacting the floor before the cabinet is fully down. Then the bumpers may be sliding across the floor into their final position, or more likely they may be compressing under the very high load of the still-canted cabinet. Either one will not be good for the floor, and will be REALLY bad for the hinge. Again, think thick-vs-thin bumpers.

Experiment. Take the bumpers off the cabinet temporarily, then lower it. Does it settle right away?

Or there may be some other cause. You need to look for it.

Bill

DennisB · 03-24-2021, 02:01 PM

That was my thought too-that the installed bumpers are too thick and that is causing the wardrobe to slow down at the end of lowering-while they compress and the floor below them compresses—if I take the bumper off and the wardrobe settles properly, then a I can assume it is bumpers being too thick—correct assumption?

Thanks,
Dennis

**Bill** · 03-24-2021, 03:26 PM

That would be my assumption unless you find something else that is slowing the settling. And I cannot imagine what that would be. Find some thinner bumpers. If they are hard to find, cut some thick bumpers down and glue them on until you can find the proper ones.

Bill

**commodor47** · 03-24-2021, 04:52 PM

Strange, my wardrobe does not have any bumpers anywhere on that face. I wonder why the newer models have them.

Dick

**Kidkraz** · 03-24-2021, 05:22 PM

I have a rug from the bed to the end of the cabinets on the door side. I'll admit that I have not looked to see if there's wear on the floor. My wardrobe didn't have the rubber bumpers. I do get some wear on the bathroom door, mainly cause I keep a pillow wedged in between the door and wardrobe.

DennisB · 03-24-2021, 08:10 PM

Ok-so I removed the bumpers and lowered the wardrobe into the down position.
It went down smoothly with no resistance at all.
I determined there was slightly less than 1/4 inch of space between the cabinet and the floor.

We are on the road so I went to the closest hardware store I could find in Camp Verde, Az. and got some self sticking 1/4 inch furniture felt.

I placed the felt all along the area where the bumpers had been.
I lowered the wardrobe down and it went into place easily with no resistance and no discernible pressure on the hinge.

The bumpers that had been there were about 1/2 inch thick so I think they were just too thick for that application.

So for now, the problem seems to be solved-time will tell.

Thanks to all of you for your insights and opinions-

Dennis

DennisB · 03-24-2021, 08:12 PM

Hey Bill, regarding the photograph in my last post, I see that it posted sideways-it is right side up in my iPad, so I don’t know how or why it flipped.