Hobby Fridge Installation : Please Check Yours

[Robinhood]

A quick heads up for reasonably recent Hobby owners, ((I know a few have the same 'van as myself) and apologies for the detail.

 

For some time I've had problems with unlatching the fridge door in my 'van, it appearing that the door itself had dropped slightly, reducing the clearance of the latching mechanism. This has always been quickly overcome by easing the door slightly upwards, which would fix the issue for some time before it reoccurred.

 

Just after the start of our current break in France, it became apparent that this approach was no longer effective, so I broke out a mirror and torch and investigated the lower hinge bracket (the fixing of which is not at all easy to see).

 

It then became apparent that the hinge bracket was located horizontally by pushing it back into a flimsy "latched" recess, and then secured (or rather, not) in the vertical plane by the use of two, self-tapping screws into the plastic fridge carcass.

 

Not unsurprisingly, these two screws have proved insufficient to take the weight of a fully-loaded fridge door, the forward of the two had "pulled"", and the bracket, having dropped, has also taken a bit of the carcass with it!

 

In the first instance, I couldn't believe self-tapping screws should have been used, but there was no sign of any other method of securing the hinge.

 

Now, the kitchen unit on my Hobby is "radiused" with the part containing the fridge being deeper than the other end (next to the door and containing the, shallower and also radiused, oven). The plinth on which both the oven and the fridge are mounted is set at a depth (wall to front) to suit the shallowest part of the oven, and run at the same depth along and under the fridge. Accordingly, the front 4 inches or so of the bottom of the fridge carcass is totally unsupported.

 

The more I looked at the hinge bracket, the more I convinced myself that the bracket was meant to be supported from underneath, and effectively act as a foot (the latch and self tapping screws simply maintaining location, and the weight of the fridge providing a cantilever effect to carry the weight of the fridge door).

 

In my installation, however, NONE of the hinge bracket is supported, the mounting plinth terminating slightly behind the inner end of the bracket!!!

 

I have now (through the wonders of French weefee), located the installation manual for the particular fridge, which is extremely forthcoming about the mounting practice, and the minimum amount of support for the bracket which is essential. The relevant section is shown in the extract below.

 

My particular 'van is a 2010 Hobby Van Exclusive L, and the fridge is a Dometic RMS8500. The combination of furniture unit and fridge (the particular type of hinge bracket used is relevant, but may be on other fridges in the series) may well have been used in other Hobby conversions of a similar vintage. I would strongly advise owners to make a quick check to see if they have a combination that leaves an unsupported hinge!

 

I currently have a temporary wooden block supporting the bracket. My 'van is out of (Hobby) warranty but given the apparent non-adherence to [u}specific[/u] installation advice from Dometic, I'll be following this up with my dealer when I get back.

 

Frankly, it will be an interesting discussion, since the 'van does not lend itself to easy removal of the fridge, replacing the fridge is not going to resolve the overall issue, and providing any support other than something like the block I've currently got in place is going to be a major piece of furniture redesign.

 

Hobby owners, please check your fridge!

[Gwendolyn]

Thanks for that. Ours is a 2009 model, so I’ll pass this to OH for checking….

 

Most timely, as I have been packing van today ready for 2 months away. However, I am more exercised by the challenge of getting in as many books, DVDs and clothes as possible, and keyboards and music….

 

I leave the technical stuff to he who knows better.

 

Cheers & thanks,

Gwen

 

[Robinhood]

Just as a follow-up.

 

Apparently, this is not the first such installation my dealer has seen on a Hobby conversion.

 

Though it does appear to be associated with a specific range of fridges, and the shape of "kitchen unit" it is installed in, if you have a Hobby then it is probably worthwhile doing a check.

 

As removal of the fridge is not an easy option (there is insufficient space at the front to withdraw it, so it would mean dismantling the kitchen completely - possibly causing more problems than it would resolve), and in any case it is not obvious how such a removal would enable a "proper" reinstallation, we have agreed an improvement to my "bodge".

 

The "damage" to the fridge is neither visible, nor affects its function other than the security of the hinge, hence the wooden block I've used to support the hinge will be replaced with a properly veneered block, and a similar piece will be placed at the open end of the door, where there is a simple bottom guide (not hinge) which should also (to specification) be supported. From assessment of my bodge, the two blocks will be relatively unobtrusive.

 

This subject to Hobby agreeing that if further problems subsequently occur which this does not resolve, then a full replacement will be undertaken.

 

German build quality, eh?! ;-)

 

 

[andy mccord]

Many thanks for that, I have the same fridge in my Adria and it too is difficult to get it to unlatch

 

Regards

Andy

[kelly58]

My Auto-Trail has a Dometic Fridge and only after 9 days use from brand new the lifting device has fallen off which Marquis are in the process of getting a replacement , not a good design idea in my opinion.

[K9GYN]

Any developments on this I know that Hobby are very slow in responding (or that is what I'm being told by my supplier)

[Robinhood]

I'm not quite sure what development you're expecting. I've come to the arrangement outlined above with my dealer (with whom the contractual relationship is). As the most practical resolution, whilst the original issue is disappointing, it looks like it will last (and if it doesn't, then my recourse will be through the dealer).

 

TBH, I don't know whether they have "backed this off" with Hobby (though they are supplying the veneer), but ultimately, unless the dealer goes under, as I have no legal recourse to Hobby, then this is the best I can do.

 

If you have a similar problem, your recourse is legally with your dealer, not Hobby, and, whilst I would expect fhem in the first instance to contact Hobby, they can't abrogate responsibility if they get a "deaf & dumb" reponse.