Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Have you made changes to your coach? Improvements? Remodel? New technology? Tell the story and show some pictures here.
Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by Safaritoonces »

The original cabinetry drawer guides had become severely worn on several cabinets and were causing a problem opening and closing the drawers. As well, a number of the drawers had hardware that was broken and falling apart and there was no easy way to replace the parts. So the all the original drawer guides throughout the coach were replaced with heavier metal ball bearing soft close drawer guides. This did add about 40lbs of weight over the older drawer extension guides but it was worth the cost in money, time and weight in the final analysis in my opinion. This project goes through the selection process and installation of the new guides.
https://safaritoonces.org/safari-toonce ... placement/
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
chuckster
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 4:53 pm

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by chuckster »

Nice work. I went to SafariToonces site and watched your video. Thanks for the lead on the eBay ad for the hardware. Might try this myself this winter while the coach sits in the RV bay. Did you just measure your existing hardware and order the same size?
Chuck & Mitzi
'01 Safari Zanzibar 3646 (side entry)
Cat 3126B / Allison MD3060
Magnum M-Series "Blue Max" chassis
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland toad
chuckster
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 4:53 pm

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by chuckster »

Robert,

I do have a question or two…my rails for the drawer slides are maybe a an odd size or maybe not…I am not sure. I noticed from your video that your rails stick out a bit past your cabinets (included a pic). I assume that is because they are push-in to release. I’d like to do the same type of drawer slides/rails but not too sure what lengths to order from eBay Seller “probrico-us” item

https://www.ebay.com/itm/112761695654?m ... media=COPY

My rails from back to front are 16.25” and 18.25” in total length so do I order the 18” and 20” to get that “extra” out past the cabinet frame lip/edge?

Thanks in advance!

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Chuck & Mitzi
'01 Safari Zanzibar 3646 (side entry)
Cat 3126B / Allison MD3060
Magnum M-Series "Blue Max" chassis
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland toad
Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by Safaritoonces »

Sorry, I have been occupied with changing the house roof, garage roof and walls and motor home pad and haven't kept up.

I measured the depth from the leading inside edge of the cabinet to the rear of the cabinet. I would not use the existing hardware as the reference.

I then picked the maximum slides that fitted in those measurements. I wanted the drawers to extend out as far as possible. The other factor was I tried to optimize the sizes for a few different lengths as possible because the cost was less is larger sets and I accounted for the carrier at the rear. It allows a variable length movement so the length is not that critical.

I'll check back if you have questions and I will try and look up my order and post it here. The cabinets in all Safari models are probably identical in depth, they just changed the type of wood and layout
Last edited by Safaritoonces on Wed Oct 05, 2022 8:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
astrnmrtom
Posts: 167
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:49 pm

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by astrnmrtom »

Darn, I watched the video, got all fired up to do the project, picked up a couple slides to try only to find out the drawers in the 98 are done differently. They use hidden, under drawer slides. This means there isn't a large enough opening in the cabinet faces to accept the side mounted slides. I DID find some modern soft close under drawer slides for almost $40 a pair - ouch! I may do a few drawers with the updated slides, and the rest will be replaced with the same cheaper slides or.... One thing I did try was to replace the front rollers on my most worn drawer, the silverware drawer. On a whim I picked up some replacement 3/4" rollers made for shower doors. Drilled the rivets on the old worn front rollers, and installed the new ones. I didn't realize until I started working that the old rollers had flat spots from times they seized up. Works much better now. Cost? just over $2. Not bad.

There are a couple drawers my wife wished could be pulled all the way out so those may get the pricey slides. I'll update if they work.

Anyway, thank for posting the project. It did get me out of my chair and into Home Depot a few times. Yes, they did have slides similar to what was used and the rear brackets needed for mounting at the back - $23 a pair + $3.50 for the rear brackets.
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Tom and Pris Masterson, w/ Buddy the 18 year old Siamese cat.
1998 Serengeti 3706
300hp Cat 3126, Allison 3060
900 Watts of Solar
17cf, Fisher & Paykel residential Refrigerator
Dragging four telescopes around the US seeking dark skies.
Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by Safaritoonces »

I have not seen your type of slides. I would have been caught as well. One place you might look for the expensive slides you mention, is in the link below. The first the slides I used for the home entertainment cabinet were from Home Depot but were also found on eBay which were from China and they were about 5 times as much as eBay in lot quantities. Also you can probably find them on alliba, they will send parts UPS and Fedex so you pay a lot for shipping but if you have 20+ drawers it still is a lot less than $40 a slide. You have to search for companies that will send small quantities but they do exist. Please post/send a picture of your slide. There are apps on Android and Apple for these two sites.

HTTP://www.alibaba.com
HTTP://www.aliexpress.com
Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
chuckster
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 4:53 pm

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by chuckster »

Safaritoonces wrote: Sun Sep 18, 2022 12:02 pm Sorry, I have been occupied with changing the house roof, garage roof and walls and motor home pad and haven't kept up.

I measured the depth from the leading inside edge of the cabinet to the rear of the cabinet. I would not use the existing hardware as the reference.

I then picked the maximum slides that fitted in those measurements. I wanted the drawers to extend out as far as possible. The other factor was I tried to optimize the sizes for a few different lengths as possible because the cost was less is larger sets and I accounted for the carrier at the rear. It allows a variable length movement so the length is not that critical.

I'll check back if you have questions and I will try and look up my order and post it here. The cabinets in all Safari models are probably identical in depth, they just changed the type of wood and layout
Hi Robert,

Thanks for the reply. I'd like to clarify a couple of things regarding the drawer hardware. In the picture I posted of your drawer slide with the squaring tool, it looks as if the black plastic tab in the drawer is sticking out a bit. Is that because it was slid out past the cabinet frame lip a bit in the picture? I am curious as to what you measure in your coach from the rear of cabinet to the leading inside edge at the front of the cabinet and then what size drawer slides you used for that. When you say "leading inside edge", I assume you mean example "A" in the hand-drawn picture I have attached.

Given the pictures I posted a few weeks back, the measuring tape was at the back of the cabinet on the inside edge (like I show in the hand-drawn pic) and you can see the measurements I have. Those two pictures with the tape are from two different sets of drawers in the kitchen. So, if we are looking at assumption "A", then my two inside edges would be 15.5" and 17.5" respectively (per the pics). Maybe common sense would tell me that the rails have to rest on the front of cabinet edge "B" so that the front of the rail can be mounted to wood. LOL. And since that is 16.25" and 18.25" I would "try (1 set each) of 16" and 18"?

Thanks for your further input. Hope the roof project is coming along quickly, winter is coming to BC soon!
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Chuck & Mitzi
'01 Safari Zanzibar 3646 (side entry)
Cat 3126B / Allison MD3060
Magnum M-Series "Blue Max" chassis
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland toad
astrnmrtom
Posts: 167
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2019 8:49 pm

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by astrnmrtom »

Here's my slides. Pretty light weight with the drawer part on the bottom of the drawer. I'm at the mercy of Lowes, Home Depot etc, with the possibility of Amazon because we full time and aren't in one place very long. I'm considering just biting the bullet and doing just a couple drawers that could really benefit from being able to open completely.

With the ability to replace the main rollers, I can fix the worn ones. The rollers on the silverware drawer had flat spots they were so bad. Better now with my $2.50 upgrade.

Plan B is to wait until next summer when we'll be in one place for a couple months.
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Tom and Pris Masterson, w/ Buddy the 18 year old Siamese cat.
1998 Serengeti 3706
300hp Cat 3126, Allison 3060
900 Watts of Solar
17cf, Fisher & Paykel residential Refrigerator
Dragging four telescopes around the US seeking dark skies.
chuckster
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2020 4:53 pm

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by chuckster »

I like $2.50 "fixes"! :D

I am about 4-5 years or so before I retire and hit the open road for awhile (God willing). I am really looking forward to seeing more of this magnificent country and Canada. Hoping diesel prices smooth out in the years ahead; or at least lag inflation and European demand.

I continue to plug away on the motorhome upgrades and aesthetics. Hope to get a lot done this winter in the interior. I am ripping out the original (yes, 21 years old) carpet and the ceramic tile some previous owner put in the kitchen, hall and bathroom next week. Painting cabinets, replacing the cabinet "pulls" and drawer slides might be able to do this winter as well.

Original plans were to buy this motorhome (Aug 2020) and use until we retire, then sell it and get another to use in retirement but I have grown fond of the old gal (the wife too LOL) and the "bones" are great in these Safari's. Plus, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know!
Chuck & Mitzi
'01 Safari Zanzibar 3646 (side entry)
Cat 3126B / Allison MD3060
Magnum M-Series "Blue Max" chassis
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland toad
Safaritoonces
Posts: 215
Joined: Sat Nov 02, 2019 9:51 am
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Contact:

Re: Cabinetry Drawer Guides Replacement

Post by Safaritoonces »

Hi Chuck

All my rails mount to the inside rear face of front cabinet. There is a strip of wood as per the pictures. So A is 21 3/8", therefore front
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to the slide with the rear bracket is 21 3/8". The slide itself is 19.5". This allows the entire drawer to fully extend with the back edge even to the front panel. The rail on the drawer is set back by 3/4" from the back of the drawer face. The total drawer length is 20".
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Robert and Bev Lewis
2000 Safari Continental, since 2017
3126B Cat, 330hp
MD3060 Allison
Bowen Island, BC

https://safaritoonces.org/
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