Hettich Hinges & Runners

meta_description: "Guide to using Hettich cabinet hinges and drawer runners in campervan conversions. Which models to use, how to install them, weight ratings, and where to buy in the UK." author: "Van Life UK Team" read_time: "12 min" "

The quality of hinges and drawer runners in a van build determines how your kitchen and cupboards feel two years in. Cheap hinges from B&Q seize up from vibration within six months. Drawer runners with plastic bearings break when loaded with tinned goods. The wrong cabinet hardware turns a £15,000 conversion into a creaky, sagging interior that sounds like a 1980s caravan on every corner.

Hettich is one of two manufacturers (alongside Blum) that produce the hardware used by virtually every professional van converter in the UK. This guide covers which Hettich products to use, how to install them, and where to buy them at UK prices.

Why Hettich for Vans

Hettich is a German manufacturer founded in 1888. Their hinges and drawer runners are used in kitchens, offices, and laboratories worldwide. The key features that make them suitable for van conversions:

• Vibration resistance: Hettich hinges include a friction lock that prevents the door from bouncing open on rough roads. Standard kitchen hinges do not have this.
• Adjustability: Most Hettich hinges are adjustable in three axes (height, width, depth), allowing precise door alignment after the cabinet settles.
• Soft-close mechanism: Hydraulic dampers that prevent doors and drawers from slamming shut. These cost about £3 more per hinge and are worth every penny when you are cooking in a moving vehicle.
• Weight ratings: Drawer runners are available in 30kg, 50kg, 70kg, and 100kg load capacities, suitable for anything from a cutlery drawer to a full pantry.
• UK availability: Hettich products are stocked by most UK kitchen suppliers and online hardware stores (IronmongeryDirect, Screwfix, Howdens, Hafele).

Hettich Hinges for Van Cupboards

The Best Hinge: Hettich Intermat 9953

The Intermat 9953 is a concealed hinge with integrated soft-close. It is the most commonly used hinge in professional van conversions and for good reason:

• Three-axis adjustment: ±3mm height, ±2mm width, ±2mm depth
• Soft-close mechanism built into the hinge (no separate damper needed)
• Opening angle of 110° (also available in 95° and 125°)
• Zinc die-cast body, nickel-plated for corrosion resistance
• Screw-on or press-in mounting plate options

Cost: approximately £4.50–£6.00 per hinge in the UK (depending on quantity). You need two hinges per door.

When to Use 125° Hinges

For corner cupboards or spaces where the door needs to open wider than standard, the Intermat 9933 with 125° opening angle is useful. The mechanism is the same but the hinge arm is shaped to provide the extra clearance.

These are about £1 more per hinge and only needed in specific locations. Do not buy 125° hinges for standard cabinets — the door protrudes further into the aisle and you will bump into it.

Van-Specific Installation Tips

Attaching hinges to plywood: The standard screws supplied with Hettich hinges are designed for chipboard (particle board), which has a coarser thread pattern. For van builds with 12mm or 15mm birch ply, switch to M4 machine screws with nyloc nuts, or use Spax cabinet hinge screws (part no. 388311) which have a finer thread that bites better into plywood. Without this swap, the screws will loosen from vibration within 6–12 months.

Mounting plate positioning: The mounting plate (the part that screws to the cabinet wall) needs to be positioned so the hinge arm sits square when the door is closed. For 18mm doors with a 3mm gap (standard Euro gap), the mounting plate should be 37mm from the front edge of the cabinet. Hettich supplies a drilling jig with most bulk packs — use it.

Screw pilot holes: Pre-drill all hinge screw holes with a 2mm bit. Plywood is prone to splitting near the edge, especially in 12mm material. A split screw hole in a cabinet door means either replacing the door or filling with epoxy and re-drilling.

Testing for vibration: After installing all hinges, drive the van over a rough road with the cabinets empty. Listen for doors rattling open. If a door opens, tighten the hinge friction tension screw (a small hex screw on the hinge arm). Turn clockwise until the door stays closed on an unmade road.

Hettich Drawer Runners

The Best Runner: Hettich Quadro V6 562S

The Quadro V6 is a full-extension, soft-close drawer runner. It is the standard for high-end kitchen drawers and works excellently in van builds:

• Load capacity: 30kg, 50kg, or 70kg depending on variant
• Full extension: the drawer pulls out completely, giving access to the entire contents
• Soft-close: integrated hydraulic damper slows the drawer in the last 30mm of travel
• Silent movement: nylon rollers on steel ball bearings
• Corrosion-resistant: galvanised steel body with plastic roller housings
• Side-mounted (requires 12.8mm gap on each side of the drawer)

Cost: approximately £14–£22 per pair (depending on length and capacity).

The 30kg version (Quadro V6 562S/30) is suitable for cutlery drawers and shallow storage. The 50kg version is needed for pantry drawers, pot drawers, or any drawer that will hold tinned food or cast iron cookware.

When to Use Quadro V6 560S (Push-to-Open)

The 560S variant has a push-to-open mechanism — push the drawer front and it pops open. This is useful for cabinets mounted behind tapestries, or for drawers in the footwell area where a handle would catch on clothing.

Push-to-open runners have a slight resistance when closing (the mechanism must re-cock). They are approximately £4 more per pair than standard V6 runners.

Undermount vs Side-Mount

Hettich also sells undermount runners (Arcusys) where the runner sits beneath the drawer rather than on the sides. Undermount runners are hidden when the drawer is open, creating a cleaner look. They are used in high-end kitchens.

For van conversions, side-mount Quadro V6 runners are the practical choice. They are easier to install, widely available, and less expensive. Undermount runners require a specifically sized drawer box with a special groove, which adds complexity without meaningful benefit in a van.

Installation Tips for Drawer Runners

Cabinet width calculation: For side-mount runners, the cabinet interior width must be exactly 28mm wider than the drawer box (14mm per side for the runner + 1mm clearance). Measure four times before cutting your plywood.

Level installation: Drawer runners must be level and parallel. A 1mm difference in height between the left and right runner causes the drawer to bind. Use a spacer bar (a piece of 12mm ply cut to exact width) to hold the runners at the correct spacing while screwing them in.

Drawer front adjustment: Hettich runners include a vertical and lateral adjustment screw on the back of the runner. After installing the drawer, open it fully and adjust the front panel position. This compensates for the drawer box being slightly out of square.

Weight distribution: Heavy items (tins, bottles, cast iron) should be at the bottom of deep drawers, not spread across the top. A 50kg-rated Quadro runner can handle the weight but the drawer box itself will twist if load is concentrated on one side. Use mid-height cross-bars for deep drawers.

Where to Buy Hettich in the UK

For a full van conversion (kitchen + garage + overhead cupboards), budget £80–£140 for Hettich hinges and £60–£120 for Hettich drawer runners. This is about 20–30% more than budget hardware but the difference in build quality is immediate and lasts the life of the van.

Blum vs Hettich

The perennial debate in cabinet hardware. Both are German, both produce excellent products, and both are used by professional van converters.

For a self-build van conversion, Hettich is the pragmatic choice. The hardware is easier to buy in UK quantities, the range is less confusing, and the Intermat hinge system is simpler to install.

The Bottom Line

Spend the money on Hettich hinges and runners. A full set of cabinet hardware for a van conversion costs £150–£250. The difference between this and £80 of budget hardware is not incremental — it is the difference between a conversion that feels solid after 30,000 miles and one that rattles and sags.

Focus on the Intermat 9953 hinge with soft-close and the Quadro V6 562S drawer runner in the appropriate weight rating. Install with M4 machine screws into plywood, pre-drill all holes, and check for vibration before fitting the final drawer fronts.

Related Reading

• Ford Transit Custom Review for Van Conversions
• Mercedes Sprinter MWB vs LWB: Which Wheelbase for Your Build?
• Peugeot Boxer Width Benefits for Van Conversions
• Deadlocks and Van Security: Thule vs Armaplate