Cupboard latch broken after 9 months..

Dizzy

Dizzy

VIP Member
Messages
85
Location
Beds
Vehicle
T6.1 Ocean 204
Help !

Currently away and the left hand cupboard latch appears to have cracked..

Where can I get a replacement? Is this a warranty item, they don't seem particularly robust.

D

20250709_091311.jpg
 
This might help.
:thumb
vwcaliforniaclub.com

Broken cupboard door latch

The left hand retaining plastic clip has broken off inside my cupboard (assisted by an over zealous 5 year old). Is this what I need to order from the shop?
vwcaliforniaclub.com vwcaliforniaclub.com
 
Judging from the German forum this happens a lot. You can buy it at VW or the club shop or Campervantastic. 17 pounds. Partnr is 704359.
 
Seen many a reference to this problem on the forum... I accepted the inevitable and used a stopper (Blu tack) although I quite like the use of velcro as mentioned above :)
 
Dizzy said:
Help !

Currently away and the left hand cupboard latch appears to have cracked..

Where can I get a replacement? Is this a warranty item, they don't seem particularly robust.

D

View attachment 138337
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I had one replaced under warranty, but you can also buy them from the club shop
 
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Ta , struggling with reception where I am at the moment.

Will print up a reinforcement bracket and see how that pans out.

D
 
Dizzy said:
Ta , struggling with reception where I am at the moment.

Will print up a reinforcement bracket and see how that pans out.

D
Click to expand...
Saw the reinforcement bracket online. Too bad there's no model for the latch itself.
 
ThomasHJ said:
Saw the reinforcement bracket online. Too bad there's no model for the latch itself.
Click to expand...
I don’t understand your point @ThomasHJ.

If someone has a broken latch on the LH kitchen door (which is a common problem), they might do two things: buy a new handle for around £20 and, when fixing it, add the reinforcing bracket as per my linked post above. Alternatively they can go to the ordeal of dealing with VW either under warranty or not.

If someone has a broken keep on the LH kitchen door frame, there are several fixes here going up to full replacement removing the fridge etc. I have not had to do this so have no experience, but, being fearful of that possibility/risk, I have at least reinforced my tongue: again as per my linked post above.

Having worked these two fixes out it occurs that anyone with the same kitchen (I don’t know if that is just T6.1 or also earlier models) might think similar precautions prudent.
 
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Viktorgeorge said:
I don’t understand your point @ThomasHJ.

If someone has a broken latch on the LH kitchen door (which is a common problem), they might do two things: buy a new handle for around £20 and, when fixing it, add the reinforcing bracket as per my linked post above. Alternatively they can go to the ordeal of dealing with VW either under warranty or not.

If someone has a broken keep on the LH kitchen door frame, there are several fixes here going up to full replacement removing the fridge etc. I have not had to do this so have no experience, but, being fearful of that possibility/risk, I have at least reinforced my tongue: again as per my linked post above.

Having worked these two fixes out it occurs that anyone with the same kitchen (I don’t know if that is just T6.1 or also earlier models) might think similar precautions prudent.
Click to expand...
hi @Viktorgeorge,

I understand that you don't.

I mistakenly responded to your post while I meant to respond to @Dizzy (the OP). So, my apologies for the confusion.

@Dizzy mentioned he'd 3D-print a support bracket for the latch. I too, like @Dizzy (I assume) had done a search to see if there might be a 3D-print model for the latch, to replace the latch with and found only the model for the support latch. That's how my comment was meant. So, my apologies for the confusion.
 
ThomasHJ said:
hi @Viktorgeorge,

I understand that you don't.

I mistakenly responded to your post while I meant to respond to @Dizzy (the OP). So, my apologies for the confusion.

@Dizzy mentioned he'd 3D-print a support bracket for the latch. I too, like @Dizzy (I assume) had done a search to see if there might be a 3D-print model for the latch, to replace the latch with and found only the model for the support latch. That's how my comment was meant. So, my apologies for the confusion.
Click to expand...
Hello @ThomasHJ, no mistake, you correctly replied to Dizzy. I was just puzzled by your post and what you were looking for.

As I see this, in a latch and keep mechanism, the latch is the 'male' part and the keep 'female'.

The LH kitchen door has a latch in the door, that easily breaks but can be replaced for about £20 and a keep that is in the frame which is more complicated to replace if broken.

My post related mainly to reinforcing the latch (which coincidentally acts as a stop for the RH door and therein lines the weakness) with a 3D brace so that it resists breakage. It also referred to improving the strength of the tongue that forms part of the keep.

What puzzled me is why you would want a "3D-print model for the latch" when you can buy the VW OEM for £20, which though it breaks would still be stronger than a 3-print: the latter being almost inevitable weaker given its layered construction.
 
Viktorgeorge said:
Hello @ThomasHJ, no mistake, you correctly replied to Dizzy. I was just puzzled by your post and what you were looking for.

As I see this, in a latch and keep mechanism, the latch is the 'male' part and the keep 'female'.

The LH kitchen door has a latch in the door, that easily breaks but can be replaced for about £20 and a keep that is in the frame which is more complicated to replace if broken.

My post related mainly to reinforcing the latch (which coincidentally acts as a stop for the RH door and therein lines the weakness) with a 3D brace so that it resists breakage. It also referred to improving the strength of the tongue that forms part of the keep.

What puzzled me is why you would want a "3D-print model for the latch" when you can buy the VW OEM for £20, which though it breaks would still be stronger than a 3-print: the latter being almost inevitable weaker given its layered construction.
Click to expand...
Well, that depends on the base material used for 3D-printing and the build quality of the original. I was looking for the model to print because I like the idea of being able to make your own replacement parts by 3D-printing. In this case, you are correct, that a replacement part is not very expensive, but often that is not the case when it comes to VW camper parts. More times then not the replacement parts cost crazy money for what it actually is. Consider the brackets that hold the shelves or a new cabinet sliding door (350 pounds or thereabouts). Absurd amounts in my opinion. It all depends on whether or not your cali is under warranty and if replacement parts are readily available and on the size of your budget of course. Personally I own a 3D-printer and I like DIY. For others a phone call to the VW dealers solves it.
 
ours broke too. can be bothered with VW, and actually quite like the extra purchase we get (a hole!) after removing it completely. Might do the same to the other side :cool:
 
ThomasHJ said:
Well, that depends on the base material used for 3D-printing and the build quality of the original. I was looking for the model to print because I like the idea of being able to make your own replacement parts by 3D-printing. In this case, you are correct, that a replacement part is not very expensive, but often that is not the case when it comes to VW camper parts. More times then not the replacement parts cost crazy money for what it actually is. Consider the brackets that hold the shelves or a new cabinet sliding door (350 pounds or thereabouts). Absurd amounts in my opinion. It all depends on whether or not your cali is under warranty and if replacement parts are readily available and on the size of your budget of course. Personally I own a 3D-printer and I like DIY. For others a phone call to the VW dealers solves it.
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That is clearer now, thanks.
 
myvanrodney said:
ours broke too. can be bothered with VW, and actually quite like the extra purchase we get (a hole!) after removing it completely. Might do the same to the other side :cool:
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We are all different - that makes us interesting - personally I would be bothered every time I looked at the hole or holes which you quite like!
 
Viktorgeorge said:
We are all different - that makes us interesting - personally I would be bothered every time I looked at the hole or holes which you quite like!
Click to expand...
totally agree. ... I am torn too, I dont really like the look of the hole either.
 
myvanrodney said:
totally agree. ... I am torn too, I dont really like the look of the hole either.
Click to expand...
Well now that @ThomasHJ has admitted his 3-D printing skills, I would be happy to pass on my thoughts for the perfect T6.1 brace design with him, mine - which @Bigted kindly made for me - is close but needed a little fine tuning afterwards with glass paper. Even better would be to add a 3-D back brace to epoxy behind the tongue (by the keep) on the door frame as well (my solution is effective but a little crude).

I recognise that @ThomasHJ is T5, and don’t know if that kitchen door set up is the same or different.
 
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Viktorgeorge said:
Well now that @ThomasHJ has admitted his 3-D printing skills, I would be happy to pass on my thoughts for the perfect T6.1 brace design with him, mine - which @Bigted kindly made for me - is close but needed a little fine tuning afterwards with glass paper. Even better would be to add a 3-D back brace to epoxy behind the tongue (by the keep) on the door frame as well (my solution is effective but a little crude).

I recognise that @ThomasHJ is T5, and don’t know if that kitchen door set up is the same or different.
Click to expand...
In the T5.1 the cupboard handles are quite different I am sad to say. Ornot, as theydon't seem to break easily. There is however a 3d-model for it. So if anyone has problems with the T5 / T5.1 there's a 3D-print solution available.

I'm just getting into 3D-printing. Sorightnowi'm mostly printing other people's designs but I hope to progress to doing some 3d-designing myself in the near future.
 
ThomasHJ said:
In the T5.1 the cupboard handles are quite different I am sad to say. Ornot, as theydon't seem to break easily. There is however a 3d-model for it. So if anyone has problems with the T5 / T5.1 there's a 3D-print solution available.

I'm just getting into 3D-printing. Sorightnowi'm mostly printing other people's designs but I hope to progress to doing some 3d-designing myself in the near future.
Click to expand...
All noted and that explains further your #10 post @ThomasHJ, where you sought the whole handle as a 3-D print.

@Bigted is perhaps the best call for anyone wanting to brace their T6.1 LH kitchen door latch as I have done (see #8) to avoid the #1 problem; he also 3-D prints several other really useful 3-D California accessories and made me useful key tags with my email embossed.
 
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pluc99 said:
Mine was replaced under warranty, with the statement that it happens a lot.
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Part of the problem, for our California anyway, is the uneven resistance of the RH door when it slides to the left so that it strikes (and apparently eventually breaks) the back of the latch/handle. This is due to the brush seal behind and probably also the curved rail. I have tried to lubricate the slides and brush so that the sliding resistance is even, without success. It is still early days but I am hopeful the brace fix may protect the latch/handle other than in the case of excessive force.
 
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