Has Anyone had the Fridge Door Hinge Break?

[camper rich]

Last year we had the door hinge break on the fridge in our Casita trailer due to travel on washboard roads. It cost $250 to replace the door before I found a fix on the Casita forum that I could have done to keep it from breaking in the first place. That was on a 4 cu ft Dometic fridge and the fix was a stainless steel plate screwed into the top of the door that takes all of the force on the top plastic hinge.

Since we just ordered a new Grandby with the Isotherm 130 fridge, the thought crossed my mind that maybe I ought to take some preventative steps to make sure the door will stay on it while we are driving the washboard in Baja. Maybe it's designed better than the Dometic, but when you put heavy items in the door and drive on washboard it definitly stresses the hinges unless the latch somehow carries some of that weight.

Any comments? Anyone have a door break off?

 

[camelracer]

I have the TF130 which I believe is the same as the Isotherm. The hinge seems to be strong enough but the top pivot point has worn causing a slight door sag when open. This is not a noticeable sag until you close the door. You need to lift the door slightly when closing to get it to close and latch properly.

 

[cdbrow1]

The dometic in my FWC (2015 model) is a marine model which seems a bit tougher than the general RV models. When closed the door latches in at the top and bottom and I believe that takes the weight of the hinges.