RV Jayco Overhead Cupboard Hinges: How To Fix or Adjust
End grains do not hold. That is the first lesson you learn in cabinet making. It seems that other pieces of wood in RVs have about the same amount of strength as end grains. They just do not hold screws for very long. A little pressure and you are looking for ways to fix the problem.
One method would be to use about 4 to 6 toothpicks and place them in the screw hole. Glue them into position and then break off the tips so the toothpicks are even with the surface of the door. Then re-screw the screw into place and the screw should hold once again.
To learn other tricks and tips about this issue, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know about so you can fix the problem without having to replace the entire door to your cabinets.
RV Overhead Cupboard Hinges 101
Are Cabinet Hinges Standard Size?
It seems to be the case. The standard size we came across during our research was 1.9 cm or just about 3 inches long approx. Other sizes are said to be rare and hard to find but you may find smaller ones.
The smaller hinges probably are not made for standard-sized cabinets and may not have the strength you want to hold the cabinet door in place. If you do not want to go with the standard hinge size or place the new hinge back into the broken hole, there is a solution.
You can go with the longer hinges that cover a large portion of the cabinet door. These longer hinges start at about 12 inches and go up from there. That might provide you with enough holding power for when you accidentally place too much pressure on the door when opening it.
How Do I Identify Cabinet Hinges?
There are about 13 different styles of cabinet hinges. Finding the replacement is not going to be that hard though. All you have to do is remove the old hinge and take it with you to the hardware store and find an exact match.
Of course, the labels on the packages will tell you what kind of purpose the hinge has and what piece of equipment it is for. That makes it easier to identify your hinge. However, sometimes packaging does not always carry the correct name and you may not remember which hinge style you have.
The key is to always bring the hinge you want to replace with you as you go shopping for a new one. Here are the 13 different types of hinges made for different cabinet styles:
1. Butt Hinge
2. Barrel Hinge
3. Face Frame Hinge
4. Flush Hinge
5. Inset Hinge
6. Half Overlay Hinge
7. Full Overlay Hinge
8. Pivot Hinge
9. Offset Hinge
10. Invisible Hinge
11. Strap Hinge
12. Wraparound Hinge
13. Frameless Hinge
They all have their own designs and some you will not see as they are sunk into the cabinet.
Jayco Overhead Cupboard Hinges
These do not come with a very good reputation nor do the screws that Jayco uses to hold those hinges in place. Then on some Jayco models, you may not get hinges at all and the door wants to close on you if you let it go.
From what we can tell, Jayco uses standard generalized hinges to secure their kitchen cupboards or cabinets. They are not specially made for the company and you should be able to find a replacement at any hardware store.
In fact, the hinges we were able to find in the Jayco World Wide parts catalog were just standard run-of-the-mill hinges that anyone can buy anywhere. There was nothing special about them.
The good news is that the catalog has a lot of different types of hinges ready for purchase. You can find an exact replacement by going to their catalog and looking for a picture that matches your old hinge.
We saw a model number under each photo but no price tag. You may have to contact the company to get a price. But do some comparison shopping as there are outlets that will have the same hinges for a cheaper price.
Keystone RV Cabinet Hinges
This company and Jayco seem to be owned by the same parent company, Thor. This means that you may be getting the same type of hinges in your Keystone RV models that you would if you bought a Jayco brand.
Unfortunately, we did not find the same catalog for Keystone that we found for Jayco. But that does not mean that the company installs special hinges no other brand has.
You can try to find specific Keystone hinges if you want but that may not be necessary. Hinges are hinges as long as they will work on your overhead cabinet and other doors.
All you have to do is match up the design and pick the option that fits your budget best. The installation will be the same as will the tips and tricks you can use to install the new hinges.
When you go to install your new hinges, make sure to have someone there to help you hold the door in place. Attach the door side of the hinge first and then the wall side second. That will be the easiest way to do this work.
Finding RV Cabinet Hinges For Sale
Not a problem. The trick is finding them at a price you can afford or want to pay. Some RV parts and accessories outlets will have higher prices than if you went to Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, or Lowes.
But in a pinch, they are better than nothing. If none of those outlets are near you or you are not in a position to accept delivery, any local hardware store will have the hinges you need. Unless they are in a very small town that does not see a lot of RV traffic.
What we are saying is, finding hinges on sale is one of the easiest searches you will make. You just need to decide which outlet has the best quality product at the best price possible.
If you can wait for Amazon delivery to arrive, then that may be your cheapest outlet to use. Also, consider picking up some spare hinges,. Since the cabinets are not made from the best materials, you may be needing some extra ones in the near future.
Best RV Cabinet Hinges
The best RV hinges you can buy may not depend on the brand name. Instead, it would depend on the style of the hinge. Some of the best options would the hinges that come with support arms or the ones designed with some stiffness.
These two options allow you to use both hands for whatever task you are doing as they will hold the cabinet door open for you. There are a lot of good brands making very good hinges for your RV and if you favor one brand over another you can find these best hinges from their stock.
The owners that we read favored the two styles that we mentioned. They did not like the fact that they had to hold any of their cabinets with one hand while searching for an item with the other.
You want hinges that will open and be strong enough to hold the door open until you close it. Those are the best ones to buy. The trick is to find them at the price you can afford. Good hinges are not going to be cheap but they will do the job that you want.
How To Fix Pulled Out Door Hinge Screws
There are a few repair options at your disposal, not many but a few. One of the options you have is to use toothpicks. This is the method we described earlier. The key to this method is to make sure to snap them off or cut them off level to the door’s surface.
If you do not have toothpicks handy, you can replace them with match sticks, the wooden kind not the paper kind. But this is not the only option you have to use. You can drill out the screw hole to begin the next option you have.
Make the drill hole large enough to fit a small-sized piece of dowel into it. You want the dowel to not be very thick, but thick enough to hold the screw. Plus, you will need to cut it to size. Then put glue around the little piece and insert it into your cabinet door hole.
Once inserted, wait for the glue to dry and when it is, just screw in the screw to hold the hinge in place. Both methods can be used on either side of the hinge. Other than these two options, there were not many methods you can use.
You can always substitute different wood items for the ones mentioned above if they are handy and you can’t find those toothpicks etc.
RV Cabinet Door Hinge Repair
There are not a lot of options for this repair. One method we have yet to mention would be to move the hinge to another location on the door and fill the old holes with some same-colored wood putty.
The only problem with this method is that you are only delaying the inevitable and you may have to replace the door because you have so many screw holes in it. The screws and the hinges used in RVs are not going to be the top-of-the-line very best options that can be used.
It would be best to spend some money and upgrade the hinges to better and strong models. The thing is, RV hinges are going to be about the same as any hinge your traditional home’s kitchen uses.
What that tells you is that these hinges are not going to be very expensive unless you decide on buying those brands that are very expensive. The repair work is simple and only takes a few minutes to get done.
You do not have to be a skilled handyman to get the repair in place. You just have to know how to use a screwdriver, glue, hammer, and a saw. That is it and you should be able to make the repair in your spare time.
How To Adjust RV Cabinet Hinges
The first step in this process is to identify the hinge type. Some models can be adjusted in several ways, side to side, up and down, or in and out. While other models may only be adjusted up and down, in and out, or side to side.
These adjustments are made by moving the screws in the proper direction. Once you have identified the hinge, you need to identify the source of the problem. This will give you the answer to how you will make your adjustment.
Then, there are different adjustments to make and the one you use will depend on what is happening when you open and close the cabinet door. For example, if the wood is warped you may have to adjust the hinge up, down or one side or another.
That little movement can place the hinge in the right spot where you have no problem opening and closing the door. Sometimes the adjustment is only tightening the screws back up again. If the screws are loose the door will hang down so you know what you should do.
Some Final Words
Too many people only consider hinges as an afterthought, too common to really take notice of until they break, come loose, or are damaged in some way. Replacing cheap RV hinges with top-quality models is one way to solve the problem and keep it gone for a long time.
The drawback to replacing and fixing the hinge in an RV is the type of wood used to make the cabinets in the first place. Sometimes you are just delaying the inevitable when you fix a hinge.
