Chinook RV

When I bought my 1999 Concourse, none of the overhead cabinet doors would stay open. They all "drooped" due to aged original struts. This is common with this type of strut (on other RV's as well). The original struts on my rig were SPD brand (blue labels). The five smaller cabinet doors had 20# struts, and the larger forward door had a 30# strut.

(For those who have different Chinook models, the cabinet doors on the Concourse of my era and later have overhead cabinet doors that are hinged on the top, open "up," and are held open by gas struts, something like a car hatchback.)
I replaced them with similar struts of a different brand (I can't remember why exactly - I think it was because someone had recommended them, and I'm not sure I even knew the SPD were still available). Here is one of the ones I replaced the originals with:
Replacement was an easy, five-minute job. If I remember correctly, you do something with a screwdriver to open one end cap and then the other just pulls off, then the new ones pop on, following the orientation shown on the strut itself (for which end goes down).

I went with 20# struts for the small doors and a 30# for the larger door, but then the larger door strut didn't really work all that well at holding the door open. It seemed defective. However, the place I bought them from recommended I go to a 40# strut, and said they thought perhaps Chinook had done the same thing in later years (not sure if that is correct or not). So instead of sending me a new 30# strut, they sent a 40# version. It works fine, and is certainly "snappy." Thus, I'm not sure if a different 30# strut would have worked well. The folks were friendly, but it took a bit of time and a number of communications to get the replacement strut. I don't have the information to hand about where I sourced them, but I see they have them on eBay, and the name of the store matches the URL on the strut (although the URL itself, http://www.strut-your-stuff-here.com, doesn't lead to a functioning website for me).

http://stores.ebay.com/strut-your-stuff ... 34.c0.m322

It looks like the SPD are also available, with an "improved" shaft material. They are the ones right near the top of the list:

http://www.spdhardware.com/catalog/GSNI ... s%20Spring

No photos of the finished project, but just imagine doors opening and shutting agreeably and.... staying open! They also open a lot "higher" than the sagging originals did. A nice, easy, improvement to the rig (now if I could just stop leaving the doors open, which leaves the interior lights on! -- going to replace those with LED to "solve" that problem).

. . . now if I could just stop leaving the doors open, which leaves the interior lights on! . . .

To leave the hatch doors open for winter ventilation or when the sun heats up the over-cab hatch, I depress the light switch with a several inch long piece of thin metal or hard plastic that is then slid up between the hatch door and cabinet face to hold it in place. So the door can stay open and the light stays off. Better yet is if it has a hole in it to tether it to the inside of the cabinet so it does not fall on the floor when you move the door and the pressure is released. Really simple, takes longer to describe than to do it.

jeanie19 wrote:. . . now if I could just stop leaving the doors open, which leaves the interior lights on!

Ha, isn't that the truth!

I'm thinking of replacing those lights with LED -- not because I use them enough to really matter, but because I so often leave one of the cupboard doors open by accident during the day! Thing is, for such a "little/silly" thing, I really do like them, so have no desire to disable then (in normal use, I mean, not like what you are doing for storage, Jeanie) or rig "normal" switches. But If I change them over to LED, then the occasional leaving a door open won't be a big deal. I might do the valance lights at the same time, because I do like to use them of an evening.

Funny but I just "concocted" a switch holder-downer for the closet door today because I wanted to leave it open for awhile but not have the light on. After trying a few clips and clamps, I used a small Gear Tie. Your idea is really clever!

Regarding the cabinet lights, you could either put a master switch in that circuit off the distribution panel or pull the fuse if leaving the coach for days/weeks.

I really like the in-cabinet lights, and how they are "automatic" when I open the cabinet doors (thought it sounded like a goofy feature until I got a Concourse and now I really like it).

If I leave the rig for an extended period of time the power is off, so then it's not an issue. When it "gets" me is when I'm using the rig and accidentally leave a cupboard door open for a number of hours (groan).

What I'm going to do is change them to LED so that I can leave them open with impunity No, not really, because even LEDs draw power -- but at least that will cover me for the occasional "leave open." Also, some of the ropes have become a bit "sticky" with age due to plasticizer migration, so another benefit to replacing them.

Whatever I come up with for those I'll probably also do to the valance lights - I like to use those in the evening and not only are they not LED but they are just a bit dimmer than I would like.

Looking to replace all the struts on the interior cabinets. Would this work: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gas-Spring-SPD- ... 1456681919

Going by the part numbers, it looks like those should work for all of the "smaller" doors (i.e. all but the center front door). That looks like the same part number as the originals, plus the "NI" which looks like it's a coating that they probably started applying after Chinooks were made (just guessing).

Those are 20# struts (hence the part number ends in 20). That's what was used (and what I replaced with) on all of my side doors and they work perfectly.

The front door originally had a 30# strut, and I replaced it with a 30# strut. The replacement didn't work very well and I tried to get another 30# strut as a replacement, but although the company was "nice," each communique took forever to go back and forth. Thus, when they suggested the 30# was probably too small, I went with what they offered to send, which was a 40# strut. That works fine, although I suspect the 30# would work fine too and the one I got was just a dud. But at that point I just wanted to get it over with (months later.... )

I did see where another Chinooker put a 50# strut on the front cabinet door - because he mounted a flat screen TV on the door so needed extra lift. I wouldn't go over 40# with nothing on the door - just seems like too much force, and would probably still try a 30# if I ordered anew.

If you type in "chinook strut" ... or "trail wagons strut"... on eBay, it comes back with a list of them.

Never thought to put in the Chinook name as a search for these struts. Thanks! Found quite a few and will be ordering tonight. Tried checking online for other sites but everyone else is charging more. So Ebay is the way to go at the moment.

A little off topic, but... has anyone tried rigging one of these gas struts for the outside storage/battery compartment door? Anything to hold that door open would help. I'm reluctant to install a typical plastic "baggage door holder/clip" that requires drilling into the exterior shell.