AIRSTREAM INTERSTATE CABINET PULLS REPLACEMENT

Newer Airstream Interstates have flush-mounted push-button latches on their top and bottom cabinets and drawers.

Screengrabbed from a random sales listing.

They have those push buttons for good reason - because in the narrow confines of an Interstate, it's easy to hit a handle that sticks out.  This can be a real problem carrying bags and other items with straps that can get hooked unexpectedly, throwing a person off balance and/or damaging the cabinet itself.

Our 2007 Interstate came with lovely, high-quality stainless steel cabinet bar pulls, but they were particularly bad for hooking because not only did they stick out pretty far, they also had blunt end extensions rather than sitting flush with the cabinets.  I decided to replace them with versions that would be lower-profile and less likely to hook things.  Having the pull ends tight against the cabinet doors would allow items to slide over them more easily, especially for the pulls that were mounted horizontally.

Here's a typical pic of a vertical mount.  That's the original bar pull on the right, and the replacement product on the left.  The original product appeared to be designed for regular household cabinetry.  Appearance-wise, it seemed a bit too large for the Interstate's downsized cabinets.  

It was surprisingly difficult to find a suitable replacement for two reasons:

1. Our existing cabinet holes had been drilled 3 inches on center, which narrowed the choices considerably.
2. The chosen replacement had to match the contemporary style of the Interstate.

The style pictured above is this Cool Knobs and Pulls product.  I was torn between that style and the only contemporary-looking bail pull that I found on the market.  Most bail pulls are very antique-y, made in the style of Louis XIV-style frou frou or somesuch.  These were very different:

Rather than jutting out into the aisle, they would hang down on horizontal mounts, and could be pushed to the side where vertically-mounted.  Screengrabbed from this Knob Deals site.  

However, I was worried that bail pulls might rattle while on the road, so I went with the safer choice as a first measure.  Neither pull is very expensive - about two bucks apiece and I only need seven - so I may yet try that bail pull out of curiosity, or if we subsequently discover that we still have a hooking problem with the newly-installed product.

Meanwhile, here are the new ones installed, and our dog wondering forlornly why we are not taking the Interstate anywhere interesting today (Answer: because it is still freezing cold and raining, as it has been for a few weeks now).