Broken shelf in the refer? May 11, 2019, 12:09:41 pm Southern California highways are in notoriously poor shape. While driving south on I15 from a recent tip to the Mojave, the highway was so rough in the right-hand lane that a can in the refrigerator badly cracked the shelf in the refrigerator door. I need to repair this. It is made of some kind of clear plastic. It is broken all the way through, but all of the pieces re still attached.I would normally use JB Weld because it is strong and it works. The Admiral says that the color is wrong and it will be irritating to her. (Me: "Color? What does color have to do with anything?") I'm concerned that Capt. Tolley's Creeping Crack won't be strong enough.Any ideas?Harold
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #1 – May 11, 2019, 12:49:32 pm Quote from: Blueox25 - May 11, 2019, 12:09:41 pmSouthern California highways are in notoriously poor shape. While driving south on I15 from a recent tip to the Mojave, the highway was so rough in the right-hand lane that a can in the refrigerator badly cracked the shelf in the refrigerator door. I need to repair this. It is made of some kind of clear plastic. It is broken all the way through, but all of the pieces re still attached.Any ideasThe newer Dometics are junk with thin shelves. Over the years, we have owned four Dometics, of various vintages, and each newer model was cheaper than the one that was being replaced. It's amazing how light the new Dometics are compared to the original model in our 1983 LD.Two shelves have broken in a four year old refrigerator. I used clear tape to cover the bottom side of the broken shelf and then applied a thin bead of clear epoxy to the un-taped side. For a cleaner look, use clear tape on both sides, omitting the epoxy.Amazon.com: J-B Weld 50112 ClearWeld Quick-Setting Epoxy Syringe - Clear -...If that doesn't work for your wife, Dometic is happy to sell you replacements shelves.Larry 1 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #2 – May 11, 2019, 01:22:04 pm Thanks Larry. I'll try your method first. I was considering cutting a thin piece of aluminum to fit inside that shelf after epoxy-ing the pieces back together. It will spread the load of the bouncing cans on the crappy roads, but may be rejected by the color critic. Maybe a little white paint?Harold
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #3 – May 11, 2019, 01:40:36 pm Quote from: Blueox25 - May 11, 2019, 01:22:04 pm I was considering cutting a thin piece of aluminum to fit inside that shelf after epoxy-ing the pieces back together. It will spread the load of the bouncing cans on the crappy roads, but may be rejected by the color critic. Maybe a little white paint?That's an excellent idea. Polish the aluminum first, so it's nice and shiny .As said before, if all fails, Dometic has the same cheap shelves and drawers available.Larry
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #4 – May 11, 2019, 02:16:47 pm Harold,Perhaps a nice piece of “Transparent Aluminum” would help. https://youtu.be/DduO1fNzV4w Too expensive? Just can’t wait for the technology to catch up? Both Amazon and EBay have just what you need. Crazy how expensive a simple piece of plastic can be. Kent 1 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #5 – May 11, 2019, 02:40:04 pm Quote from: Kent Heckethorn - May 11, 2019, 02:16:47 pm. Crazy how expensive a simple piece of plastic can be. When our 2003's refrigerator died several summers ago, while on the road, we had a new one installed and I didn't pull the plastic drawers and shelves out, to keep as spares, since we didn't have the room in the LD to store them for a month.If anyone has new refrigerator installed, keeping the heavier plastic items is a good idea.Larry 1 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #6 – May 11, 2019, 02:43:56 pm I installed that 'no-slip' rubber stuff (that keeps things from sliding) on the bottom of all the plastic shelves in the door. My original fridge (19 years old) is still going strong) [knocking on wood]. 3 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #7 – May 11, 2019, 03:32:53 pm "If anyone has new refrigerator installed, keeping the heavier plastic items is a good idea."I scavenged several of the shelves from my previous fridge only to find they would not fit the new fridge. But, I managed to find good homes for them in the older fridges of some friends. 2 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #8 – May 11, 2019, 04:56:28 pm When my vegetable drawer in the LD suffered an unfortunate drop to the floor, I managed to dremel the broken handle off and buff out all the rough spots. Looks fine but without the handle.Not wanting to pay the Dometic price for a replacement, I scoured Amazon, eBay and the web for like sized drawers at a fair price. I did find a Norcold produce drawer that would take the place of both Dometic drawers. I believe the Norcold drawer would be a better utilization of the available space. Still considering it. 🧐Kent
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #9 – May 11, 2019, 05:20:08 pm Like Jerry, I use this Amazon.com: Con-Tact Brand Grip Premium, 04F-C6L86-06, Non-Adhesive Non-Slip... cut and fitted to the shelves to keep bottles and cans from sliding. I also cut pieces to put in the pull out 'crisper' drawers on the bottom. It comes in different colors; blue for our blue interior. Harold I'm sure your wife would like to choose her color. It would cover the white epoxy repair. LOCTITE Marine White Epoxy Adhesive at Lowes.com RonB 2 Likes As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #10 – May 11, 2019, 05:46:28 pm An added plus to mesh shelf liner used anywhere in the rig for any purpose is that it's washable and re-usable. This feature will be appreciated when something in a cupboard, in the refrigerator, or on wire shelving, leaks, drips, or oozes. 1 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #11 – May 11, 2019, 08:17:04 pm "An added plus to mesh shelf liner used anywhere in the rig for any purpose is that it's washable and re-usable." One caveat to that statement Joan... I once had a pair of placemats made of that material that I bought at Camping World. They did the basic job quite well. However, the inevitable crumbs went straight into those tiny openings, there to reside until the next house cleaning.
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #12 – May 12, 2019, 06:40:48 pm The solution:1. Taped back together per Larry's suggestion2. JB Weld clear epoxy3. Aluminum scrap cut to fit4. Epoxy in place and clamp5. Shelf back in the Lazy DazeTotal cost:1 piece of scrap aluminum$5.50 JB Weld EpoxyI may get do this to the remaining shelf that isn't broken and see if I can extend its useful life.Harold 2 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #13 – May 12, 2019, 10:47:09 pm Quote from: Blueox25 - May 12, 2019, 06:40:48 pmThe solution:Total cost:1 piece of scrap aluminum$5.50 JB Weld EpoxyI may get do this to the remaining shelf that isn't broken and see if I can extend its useful life.The next thing to break will be the hangers that the trays use to attach themselves to the doors.An even more interesting repair.Larry
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #14 – May 12, 2019, 10:59:14 pm Quote from: RonB - May 11, 2019, 05:20:08 pmLike Jerry, I use this Amazon.com: Con-Tact Brand Grip Premium, 04F-C6L86-06, Non-Adhesive Non-Slip... cut and fitted to the shelves to keep bottles and cans from sliding. I also cut pieces to put in the pull out 'crisper' drawers on the bottom. It comes in different colors; blue for our blue interior. Harold I'm sure your wife would like to choose her color. It would cover the white epoxy repair. LOCTITE Marine White Epoxy Adhesive at Lowes.com RonBMe too. After 19 years, I just cut new ones for the refer to replace all the stained ones. Chris As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #15 – May 14, 2019, 11:21:00 am After being forewarned of the shelf weakness, I checked the others. Sure enough, the bottom shelf has a creeping crack growing at the bottom, beneath the retaining bar attachment.More epoxy to slow the crack, retaining bar removed, and another aluminum floor piece installed. We'll see how they survive on California highways.Harold
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #16 – May 14, 2019, 05:56:21 pm Harold, our tax dollars at work, huh? 1 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #17 – May 15, 2019, 09:34:15 am DW uses duct tape. So glad is comes in different colors.As an aside the I would like to nominate the inventor of duct tape the Gutenberg Gold Award as one of the greatest inventions of the modern age. My cousin says we would be a third world country if it wasn't for duct tape. 3 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #18 – May 15, 2019, 10:03:09 am If it weren’t for junk drawers and garages piled up with “broken” stuff, life’s repairs would be very expensive. Back in my maintenance tech days I never threw broken parts away. A bit of grinding here or there and bolt in just the right place and what would have cost $500 for a replacement part was only the cost of my time and a cup of coffee. There must have been a donut in there somewhere. 😏Kent 3 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #19 – May 15, 2019, 11:10:57 am My minimalist children often comment on the "creative clutter" in my shop. Metal scraps, plexiglass, wood, fasteners, wire, tubing, various adhesives, paint... They suggest I throw it all away before I croak so they won't have to. On the other hand, whenever they break something, they drive over to see if Dad can fix it on the cheap. 4 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #20 – May 15, 2019, 11:46:55 am “On the other hand, whenever they break something, they drive over to see if Dad can fix it on the cheap“.This is when the Wizard in us really shines. 1 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #21 – May 15, 2019, 09:19:22 pm Grown children also like it when the Banker in us shines.
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #22 – May 15, 2019, 10:51:46 pm Not to mention the metal coffee can of various nuts, bolts, nails, brads, cotter pins et al.Throw in a few bobby pins, coat hangers and a couple of pair of needle nose pliers. . . . 4 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #23 – May 28, 2019, 12:50:53 pm Now I have another thing to add to my “garage” pile. One Dometic Vegetable Crisper. The other one developed another catastrophic failure and is headed to the recycle bin.In their place is the Norcold Vegetable Crisper I mentioned earlier. It’s a perfect fit and about the same cost as one Dometic Crisper. Will actually hold a bit more than the two Dometics. Nice.Here are some pics in case anyone is thinking of downsizing.Kent 1 Likes
Re: Broken shelf in the refer? Reply #24 – May 28, 2019, 01:11:05 pm Quote from: Kent Heckethorn - May 28, 2019, 12:50:53 pmNow I have another thing to add to my “garage” pile. One Dometic Vegetable Crisper. The other one developed another catastrophic failure and is headed to the recycle bin.In their place is the Norcold Vegetable Crisper I mentioned earlier. It’s a perfect fit and about the same cost as one Dometic Crisper. Will actually hold a bit more than the two Dometics. Nice.One of our crispers has a big crack that has been repaired but looks like......I will check with the keeper of the refrigerator to see is she thinks this is a good idea, seems like a good one to me.So far, we have cracks in two door trays and now a crisper, nothing but quality from Dometic.Do you have a link to the Norcold crisper?Larry
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