Sliding Table Hinge, Is yours cracked?

[OConnors]

We are a hire company and currently have 5 T6 Californias. On all of them the sliding table leg hinge has broken. Even on the most recent 2018 van already. If we bring this up with VW they say it is customer abuse. What we think is happening is that when the chrome "spike" locates against the van cupboards and locks in place it lifts the table slightly. This means it then takes the entire weight of the table on the spike/hinge fitting. All it then takes is for the rear seat passenger to rest their left arm on it and it cracks. I would be very interested to know if you have a cracked hinge. Presumably you don't abuse the vans like VW allege our customers do. Also if anybody has a fix that would be great. Ideally one which doesn't mean drilling through the table.

 

[Meoncoast]

No, Having used our t5 from 2012 to 2016 then on to our t6 - not been an issue.

On all of them the sliding table leg hinge has broken. Even on the most recent 2018 van

seems a bit odd they have all broken, only seen it posted as an issue on a rare occasion

 

[MattBW]

Mine are all ok too, could customers be using the table for a leg up to the roof?

 

[stevieb]

We are a hire company and currently have 5 T6 Californias. On all of them the sliding table leg hinge has broken. Even on the most recent 2018 van already. If we bring this up with VW they say it is customer abuse. What we think is happening is that when the chrome "spike" locates against the van cupboards and locks in place it lifts the table slightly. This means it then takes the entire weight of the table on the spike/hinge fitting. All it then takes is for the rear seat passenger to rest their left arm on it and it cracks. I would be very interested to know if you have a cracked hinge. Presumably you don't abuse the vans like VW allege our customers do. Also if anybody has a fix that would be great. Ideally one which doesn't mean drilling through the table.

View attachment 33920

Hello

We have exactly the same problem hope someone comes up with a fix.....watching this thread with interest.

Steve

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Given your post mentioned a 2018 van and that I have had a lot of the typically discussed issues, I thought I'd nip out and check mine.
Fortunately there are currently no signs of cracking like this. But with some knowledge of engineering and mechanical sympathy looks like leverage and it's pretty easy to see why VW have put this down to 'customer abuse'.
I know thats not what you want to hear and I suppose you have no proof it's the case but it's a hefty enough piece of kit that should easily withstand the use it's designed for.
However if someone did stand on it to access the top bed, fall against it, tie an over active dog to it, overload it with heavy stuff and then drag it back or forth thats a different matter and the leverage would easily stress on the plastic and could make it fail as shown in your photo.


How's the bottom half of the leg? any signs of stress on that?

 

[OConnors]

Would somebody with a leg that isn’t cracked please try something. If you push the table chrome pin into the hole on the bracket does
Your table rise 4-5 mm immediately before it clicks locked into the locked travel position. As I said all the weight of the table appears to be on the silver spike thing as it goes in to the hole.

 

[OConnors]

Given your post mentioned a 2018 van and that I have had a lot of the typically discussed issues, I thought I'd nip out and check mine.
Fortunately there are currently no signs of cracking like this. But with some knowledge of engineering and mechanical sympathy looks like leverage and it's pretty easy to see why VW have put this down to 'customer abuse'.
I know thats not what you want to hear and I suppose you have no proof it's the case but it's a hefty enough piece of kit that should easily withstand the use it's designed for.
However if someone did stand on it to access the top bed, fall against it, tie an over active dog to it, overload it with heavy stuff and then drag it back or forth thats a different matter and the leverage would easily stress on the plastic and could make it fail as shown in your photo.


How's the bottom half of the leg? any signs of stress on that?

Hi thanks for the reply. Yes it is a stress crack always from the left as you look at it because as the silver spike/pin goes in to the socket hole on the unit the weight of the table gets taken up by it. Worse than that as the plastic hole appears to be 4-5mm higher than the spike initially there is a lot of stress on it. Is yours the same. Does locating the pin lift the table 4-5mm off its runners?

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Worse than that as the plastic hole appears to be 4-5mm higher than the spike initially there is a lot of stress on it. Is yours the same. Does locating the pin lift the table 4-5mm off its runners?

I can't say I've noticed that at all. I will check it and reply if nobody has by the time I get the chance but I'm sure I would have noticed.
Because I watch the whole step as I slide the table back into the receiver and all I have noticed is that when I push it, its easy to miss the locating hole if I push it too close to the cupboard face which means I have to ease off the pressure slightly to allow the leading chamfer of the pin to engage in the hole.

 

[EddieEagle]

Hi, been and checked mine and agree that the pin/spike does cause the top edge and hinge to raise slightly when stowing for travel.
This could indeed then put a strain on the pictured bracket if passenger leans a bit heavily on that top edge by fridge. Luckily for me, so far and touching wood, there is no cracking of my bracket.
I notice you do have some felt or such like wrapped around the top of the leg? Assume this is to stop the table rattling when in motion but could this be a possible strain on bracket when folded? Also, maybe, pulling on the table when folded without pressing that release lever first may strain that bracket.
I shove a thin piece of sponge between table leg and fridge cabinet which cures the rattle. It is an interesting mechanism to deploy and stow the table which until I had got used to and understood how it works can see what a faff it could be for a new user. I didn’t find the hole for the pin at all for weeks!
Just my observations on this. Having just read this back I obviously still don’t understand how it works, but....
Sorry you are having grief with them, all the best for the rest of the season.

 

[Taff7996]

Just checked mine, all ok

 

[Skewif]

Mine is cracked. Spotted it after warranty ended so just fixed it myself. All the faults I ever found when under warranty were fixed without question even if they had been somewhat user caused. The sign of good service is how they deal with things when they go wrong and so far I’m impressed. Everything should be fit for purpose so if every novice user breaks it then it’s not. Take them back and see what they say, it’s clearly a design weakness from my POV. Perhaps just give it a few weeks between each one so you don’t give VW a ground hog day experience.

 

[motacyclist]

Mine is OK at the moment.

I’m thinking it’s possibly caused by pushing/pulling the table while the leg is down, particularly if you have a carpet fitted. If I slide the table when in use I always lift it slightly to raise the leg, but missus doesn’t and I’m always on at her not to!

Difficult to see how a neat repair can be made. Maybe build it up with epoxy resin, being careful not to bond the pin to it. Thinking caps needed!

Sorry to hear about your problem, but grateful you have alerted the rest of us.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

I have checked mine for the lift and yes it does lift a few mm's upward as the pin engages the housing on the front of the kitchen. Something I hadn't noticed due to being pre-occupied with the engagement itself.
I don't know what to say about the broken examples really except...If handled with moderate care, I can't see it breaking unless it's faulty.
With a clumsy hand time after time after time, I'd say it may be possible to accumulate enough damage to eventually lead to a crack.
If you don't care and slam the the table into place, it's probably likely to break in the end.
The latter 2 examples aren't VW's fault really.
My iPhone is 4 years old, never had a screen protector and (tempting fate) still looks brand new. My other half's iphone is 16 months old and would never survive without a screen protector....go figure.

As for the stress on the hinge in the stored position ? I still think it would need more of a helping hand to break it.

 

[Meoncoast]

I notice you do have some felt or such like wrapped around the top of the leg? Assume this is to stop the table rattling when in motion but could this be a possible strain on bracket when folded?

Eddie - This is on our T6 - VW factory fitted, although it was not on our T5.

 

[Deskman]

Since the crack is perpendicular to the force put on the table when it is pinned to the cupboard I think you should look for the cause elsewhere. I think it can be caused when sliding the table without lifting it - probably with the full breakfast still on it. The leg does not slide over the carpet and is straining the hinge in the right way to cause this kind of injury.

Fixing is only possible with a replacement hinge - if they exist.

Best solution for future cars is to put a kind of Teflon™ slider to the leg?

This is the kind of 'lightweight' that makes the car wonderful as well as vulnerable for abuse.

 

[Deskman]

Eddie - This is on our T6 - VW factory fitted, although it was not on our T5.

I too have a piece of felt on the leg. That certainly does not put enough strain on the parts to crack it.

 

[OConnors]

Since the crack is perpendicular to the force put on the table when it is pinned to the cupboard I think you should look for the cause elsewhere. I think it can be caused when sliding the table without lifting it - probably with the full breakfast still on it. The leg does not slide over the carpet and is straining the hinge in the right way to cause this kind of injury.

Fixing is only possible with a replacement hinge - if they exist.

Best solution for future cars is to put a kind of Teflon™ slider to the leg?

This is the kind of 'lightweight' that makes the car wonderful as well as vulnerable for abuse.

The crack is exactly where you would expect it if when located in the lug with the weight on the metal spike you pushed down on the table. I don’t understand what you mean. As you locate the spike it initially “bends” upwards until it is located enough to lift the table. It is at this point it is most vulnerable. The crack is exactly where you would expect it.

 

[Deskman]

The unfolded 60-somewhat-cm leg has so much more leverage than the 5cm pin. Otherwise: just try it... You will see instantly what I mean.

 

[sbmcd]

We are a hire company and currently have 5 T6 Californias. On all of them the sliding table leg hinge has broken. Even on the most recent 2018 van already. If we bring this up with VW they say it is customer abuse. What we think is happening is that when the chrome "spike" locates against the van cupboards and locks in place it lifts the table slightly. This means it then takes the entire weight of the table on the spike/hinge fitting. All it then takes is for the rear seat passenger to rest their left arm on it and it cracks. I would be very interested to know if you have a cracked hinge. Presumably you don't abuse the vans like VW allege our customers do. Also if anybody has a fix that would be great. Ideally one which doesn't mean drilling through the table.

View attachment 33920

I had a small crack same place in my 2014 California, repaired it with Araldite, been ok since. Put it down to moving the table with the leg down, now careful to lift the end of the table before sliding it backwards or forwards. If you consider the length of the extending table leg there is a lot of torque on that little plastic bracket if the leg is dragging on the floor.

 

[OConnors]

The best VW would do is offer us £150 contribution towards each of 4 tables as they put it down to customer abuse. We eventually agreed on £600 contribution towards 2 tables. I can't see the point in putting the new ones in as they will be broken within 3-4 weeks so are looking for a good repair for the broken ones.We can afford to play around a little now we have some spares. Obviously if you have a sliding table people will slide it even when it is loaded. This is a really poor part, weak and badly designed. One try before you buy customer was put off the entire California concerned that this was representative of the whole build and she though it outrageous such a weak part could be built in to a £60k van.
We even thought about taking the sliding table out entirely and using the one in the door or taking the hinged leg off and gluing a socket and pop in leg to the table instead?

 

[Deskman]

Parts are extremely expensive. Not only with VW.
The best option for VW is probably to have two legs instead of one - that will make sliding without lifting mucht harder to do. But less comfort.

I disagree on your opinion that it is too weak. It is all lightweight material and lightweight by design - if they put a more sturdy connection for the hinge you will definitely break it apart on the next weakest link or bend the table.

 

[ArunAlec]

The best VW would do is offer us £150 contribution towards each of 4 tables as they put it down to customer abuse. We eventually agreed on £600 contribution towards 2 tables. I can't see the point in putting the new ones in as they will be broken within 3-4 weeks so are looking for a good repair for the broken ones.We can afford to play around a little now we have some spares. Obviously if you have a sliding table people will slide it even when it is loaded. This is a really poor part, weak and badly designed. One try before you buy customer was put off the entire California concerned that this was representative of the whole build and she though it outrageous such a weak part could be built in to a £60k van.
We even thought about taking the sliding table out entirely and using the one in the door or taking the hinged leg off and gluing a socket and pop in leg to the table instead?

Sadly I think the design features that make the California SE such an appealing proposition are also it's Achilles heal. In the hands of careful owners it's great but not for anyone whose heavy handed.

 

[OConnors]

Nothing else really causes a problem on the hire California’s. The odd cupboard door. But always the table leg. It is much too weak for a family campervan. If you slide the table whilst the leg is down it will probably crack the hinge, the leverage on the hinge is so great . If it were down to customer abuse then I would expect to see that abuse demonstrated elsewhere too. You only have to look on this forum to see it is a regular problem.

 

[Pete Wilkins]

It takes very little to break it I saw may wife just push the table forward away from her without lifting and the damage is done. You must lift the table and leg before moving, if the leg digs in it takes very little due to the leaver principal to break.

 

[Days out]

I had my California for nearly two years and had noticed my table hinge cracking exactly as the photos above. I believe it’s a poor design as any leaning on the table by my kids means the leg is under stress and over time this can build up and cause the table to become weaker and eventually fail.



I called my VW dealer in Liverpool to book a service and at the same time repair the table under warranty. To be sure they understood the part that was broken I emailed the service department photos explaining the part so when I arrived for my appointment they would have ordered the right parts.

The day before my service I called to check they had the table bracket and as you can imagine they knew nothing about the problem nor had they ordered any parts. They told me not to worry as they would order the parts and would be able to fix my table the next day whilst it was being serviced.

Of course when I got there and dropped the van off I was told that they had ordered the wrong part and they couldn’t fix it that day. I was livid with them. It beggars belief how these companies survive. I couldn’t have helped them more than sending photos of the part and then checking before hand they had ordered them.

Of course the story ends well because as they had totally messed up they offered to fix it FOC.

But even then they make a simple job difficult. Believe it or not they didn’t know how to unclip the table so they asked my to bring my van all the way back to have it repaired. I refused this offer and instead told them to send me a new table unit and I would fit it myself. It took me less than 5 mins to work out how to unclip it (2x tiny Allen screws) and I even emailed the service department the photos so they would know for future reference!

So when they sent me a new table I had it fitted myself and so far it’s been ok. But I’m aware to be careful the kids don’t lean all over it when it’s out....