Dometic RM-2554 Refrigerator Inner Door Panel Repair

[youngnretired]

It's the beginning of March, so that means Roadtrek repair season is soon coming upon us! It was too cold last year when we returned from our route 66 trip to do any repairs when we returned home in mid November, but work will soon begin once it warms up a bit.

The portion of the original old and bumpy route 66 roads in Illinois weren't too kind to our refrigerator, and coupled with likely overloading the lower door shelf at the beginning of our trip yielded a broken shelf "tab" on the inner door panel at the end of the door that's opposite the hinges. This tab both supports the shelf, and holds the lower shelf to the inner door panel. I've searched for a replacement inner door panel but have not found any, so likely we'll have to repair this tab. I assume that this is a simple JB Weld fix, but wanted to solicit other ideas from those who may have had to do this before and if they've found a better product or ways to improve this area.

Also, since our lower shelf is cracked, a replacement will be ordered soon. Does anything think that there would be any benefit to using the ends of the broken shelf and (plastic) welding these to the top of the ends of the new shelf so that the shelf would now be supported by two of the tabs (per shelf end) on the inner door panel, or would this be a waste of time and effort?

 

[GeorgeRad]

Most likely it is Polystyrene so here is AI smarts. Yo can test it with MEK if it dissolves.

AI Overview:
The best glues for High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) are solvent cements (like Weld-On), which chemically fuse the plastic, followed by Cyanoacrylate (CA/super glue) for fast bonding, and Two-Part Epoxies for high-strength, gap-filling structural joints. For hobby/model work, plastic weld solvents are ideal, while CA glue works best for attaching dissimilar materials.
Top Recommended Glues for HIPS:

• Solvent Cements (Best for Structural Fusing): Weld-On 3, 4, or 16, or Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) work by melting the surfaces together to create a permanent, welded bond.
• Cyanoacrylate (CA/Super Glue): Infinity SI CA Glue or, for a more viscous option, standard super glue works well. Surface-insensitive CA works best for raw HIPS.
• Epoxies: Two-part epoxies are excellent for filling gaps or joining uneven surfaces.
• UV Curable Adhesives: Permabond UV630/640 provide strong, flexible, and fast-curing joints.
• DIY Slurry: HIPS scraps mixed with solvent cement or acetone create a plastic paste perfect for gap filling.

Tips for Bonding HIPS:

• Cleaning: Ensure surfaces are free from dust and grease.
• Application: Solvent cements should be applied sparingly, allowing the solvent to fuse the plastic, rather than acting as a traditional adhesive coating.
• For 3D Prints: HIPS can be smoothed or joined using D-limonene.
• Caution: Avoid excessive use of super glue to prevent blooming (white fogging) around the join

If you have access from the back, you could fill this lip cavity after sealing it with a glass loaded epoxy filler or epoxy a simple metal bracket