Signature 8291 RK - refrigerator mount broken

[Engine 62]

I have a 2020 8291 RK with the kitchen in the rear. Probably the worst place for a kitchen. I also have factory suspension. On our last trip from Spring, TX to Gatlinburg, TN and back, the framing under the fridge broke. The problem isn't the framing, it's the suspension. Has anyone had any luck with suspension mods from either Lippert of MoRryde on their rigs? A MorRyde independent suspension with disc brakes will be around $8K installed.

Thanks.

[SeaDog]

Welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions answered. What are you talking about? Did the trailer frame brake? or did something holding the refrigerator break? a picture would be nice. In either case this sounds like something for the dealer to address.

[Engine 62]

Thanks for the answer. I tried to be brief and was not clear. The refrigerator is in the rear of the camper, mounted above a drawer. The cabinet it slides into has a base that is stapled to the cabinet framework. The fridge sits on that base, above the drawer. The base broke which led to the based and fridge dropping down on top of the drawer. I'm going to pull the fridge out and rebuild the support structure.

[SeaDog]

giving this some thought I think it is really not a problem with the suspension but rather when the cabinet was Mfg it was either poorly designed or not actually put together securely . I'm sure your rebuild will be much better thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding.

[boogiejack75]

Originally Posted by Engine 62

I have a 2020 8291 RK with the kitchen in the rear. Probably the worst place for a kitchen. I also have factory suspension. On our last trip from Spring, TX to Gatlinburg, TN and back, the framing under the fridge broke. The problem isn't the framing, it's the suspension. Has anyone had any luck with suspension mods from either Lippert of MoRryde on their rigs? A MorRyde independent suspension with disc brakes will be around $8K installed.

Thanks.

I have seen multiple favorable comments on the Morryde system lately. One of the bloggers said they discount them 10% in the winter because no one wants to come to Elkhart when it's cold. Several months backlog when its warm, apparently. Elkhart and some place in Oregon are the only two installers in the US.

[Jack350]

I have had good results with the Morryde SRE 4000. Alot less than the full suspension upgrade and you can do the install yourself.

[itat]

Originally Posted by SeaDog

giving this some thought I think it is really not a problem with the suspension but rather when the cabinet was Mfg it was either poorly designed or not actually put together securely . I'm sure your rebuild will be much better thanks for clearing up my misunderstanding.

I have to agree with SeaDog that its more likely the frame under the refrigerator than the suspension. The Dexter Torflex suspension your Rockwood has is lauded for being much better than a leaf spring suspension. It was a major reason I stuck with Rockwood rather than the Keystone Cougar that was my second choice when we bought last year. I suppose its possibly a problem with the suspension, but odds are its not.

I have the previous generation of your floorplan - the 8290BS with exactly the same refrigerator setup. So far no problems with the fridge support. Rockwood has made a rear kitchen floorplan for many years and no similar problems reported that I’ve read. It should be a one-off problem and Rockwood should cover the repair through a warranty claim. You might want to look into an independent RV repair shop if you don’t repair it yourself.

[shadows4]

I agree with the others who said it's a problem with the cabinet build rather than the trailer suspension. We are on our 4th rear kitchen trailer with no problems. In fact our present 5th wheel has 2 refrigerators in the rear wall. Have a mobile repair repair it or do it yourself. I bet you won't have anymore problems. Good luck.

[Engine 62]

Thank you to everyone who offered comments and suggestions. This is our second Rockwood and we really enjoy it. I will get this figured out.