Replace flip-up counter support strut?

[AndrewInSeattle]

The thingy that supports our flip-up countertop extension (built by SMB-West, 2017) snapped on our last trip, fortunately on our final day camping. I was convinced that it would just be some $10 commodity part I could swap in a new one, maybe even reusing the screw holes, if only I could figure out how to google for it with a word other than "thingy".

Good news, after only a couple hours of googling, I found that it is a "Southco Click MT Position Control Hinge Door Stay" (330mm version) (datasheet). Bad news, it appears to be discontinued, and I couldn't find any old ones online.

Being not very mechanically inclined, I thought I could just replace it with a folding shelf bracket, but the piano hinge connecting the leaf and the countertop gets in the way, and the closed bracket is so wide the folded down leaf doesn't sit even close to flat.

So, does anyone have a spare they're willing to sell, or can suggest an alternative piece of hardware to do the trick? If all else fails, I suppose I can drop by an RV service shop or contact SMB, but both those options make me feel icky for some reason.

Thanks a bunch!

[mgmetalworks]

Search McMasterCarr for "lid supports"???

https://www.mcmaster.com/lid-supports/

[AndrewInSeattle]

Originally Posted by mgmetalworks

Search McMasterCarr for "lid supports"???

https://www.mcmaster.com/lid-supports/

That sounds promising, thanks! Looks like there's more than one definition of "thingy" I needed to try.

[carln]

You can order one at Woodworkers Supply in New Mexico. It’s called a 12” drop leaf support. You can also order one from Rockler. They have stores.

I had to replace mine several years ago. I had to order two. I still have one. I’ll sent it to you if you you give me your mailing address. I’m in Northern California.

Carl

[Wowbagger]

The same thing happened to me. I contacted SMB Tx, and they gave me this link:

https://www.uglyfishinc.com/southco-...t-0x-xx0-x.htm
I ended up ordering one from SMB Tx.

[AndrewInSeattle]

Originally Posted by carln

You can order one at Woodworkers Supply in New Mexico. It’s called a 12” drop leaf support. You can also order one from Rockler. They have stores.

I had to replace mine several years ago. I had to order two. I still have one. I’ll sent it to you if you you give me your mailing address. I’m in Northern California.

Carl

Ooh, that's a very generous offer, much appreciated! However, I've been staring at various examples of hardware for "lid support", "drop leaf support", "drop front support", "folding bracket support", including that one, and they all seem to assume a fair amount of space to install it, either inside the "box" or a substantial overhang. Unfortunately, I have just a cabinet wall and almost no overhang, so the minimal protrusion (less than an inch) of the old Southco thingy was actually its key feature.

[AndrewInSeattle]

Originally Posted by Wowbagger

The same thing happened to me. I contacted SMB Tx, and they gave me this link:

https://www.uglyfishinc.com/southco-...t-0x-xx0-x.htm
I ended up ordering one from SMB Tx.

That's the one! Ouch, $54 + shipping, I guess this inflation news is real after all! Did SMB Texas give you a better price?

[Wowbagger]

About comparable, actually, with shipping. But SMB could handle the payment method I wanted, Uglyfish wanted me to use Paypal, which I steadfastly refuse to use.

[AndrewInSeattle]

Originally Posted by Wowbagger

About comparable, actually, with shipping. But SMB could handle the payment method I wanted, Uglyfish wanted me to use Paypal, which I steadfastly refuse to use.

Sigh... your caution was well warranted. They accept credit cards now, so I ordered the strut, but after 3 weeks of being in the final stages of "processing your order", I finally got impatient and checked their reviews. Apparently they have a long history of accepting payment for items they can't actually procure, then going radio silent about them.

I suppose I'll give them a bit more time, then call SMB, and figure out how to stop payment.

[AndrewInSeattle]

Just to wrap this up for anyone who stumbles on this thread in the future...

I never did get the part from Ugly Fish or any reply to my request to cancel the order, although as far as I can tell, they (surprisingly!) never actually charged my credit card.

However, I contacted Field Van (the successor to Sportsmobile West that built my van) and they pointed me to the exact part in their online store.
https://shop.fieldvan.com/click-arm-shelf-support/
At $35 + $9 for priority mail USPS shipping, it was fairly priced and arrived 3 days later and installed easily. Yay!