RV Gadget Box | September/October 2017

Universal Plate Repair Kit
Compiled by Mark Nemeth #45776, Escapees Technical Advisor
Photo courtesy of Hatchlift

Let’s talk about the universal plate repair kit. No, it’s not for dinner plates, or upper dental plates, but rather for plates where gas spring door hardware attaches.

Many RVs have gas springs on their outer compartment and bay doors, and, all too often, a strong gust of wind (or a passing neighbor) can cause damage to an open cabinet door. The weak point seems to be at the spot where the gas spring attaches to the door. Over-extension will often damage or detach the door-mounted hardware, leaving you with that dreaded “Now what?” feeling.

Well, Hatchlift makes a universal plate repair kit, and it’s designed to fix this problem.

The manufacturer of this product says: “The plate repair kit includes an adhesive-backed galvanized plate, primer and screws to reinforce the back of an RV door where existing spring brackets have failed. The plates can be used to mend or patch any flat surface.”