Southco MP-05-312-11 Round Push-to-Close Latch, Chrome on Chrome (Pack of 2)

Southco MP Push-to-Close Latch Review: A Positive Latch for Van Cabinets and Drawers

Magnetic catches and push-to-open touch latches are the reason so many van cabinets fly open on the first rough road. Both release under pressure on the door, and a pan sliding into the door in a corner provides exactly that. The fix is a positive-locking latch: one that engages a keeper when you shut the door and stays engaged until you operate it by hand.

The Southco MP Point Push-to-Close Latch is one of the most common examples in boats and RVs. The listing this page links to is the Southco MP-05-312-11, round, chrome-plated flange and knob, pack of 2. Southco's part-number key decodes it: MP-05, housing style 31 (round), flange finish 1 (chrome plated), knob finish 1 (chrome plated).

This review is research-based. VanLifeKitchens doesn't test products hands-on. What follows comes from Southco's MP data sheet, a marine retailer's product page for this part number, and the Amazon listing.

Choose this if:

• Cabinet doors or drawers in your van pop open or tap against the frame while driving.
• You want a latch that stays shut until you pull a knob, with no handle sticking out.
• Your doors or drawer fronts are between about 4 mm and 25 mm thick and you can drill a 1-inch hole.

Skip this if:

• You can't cut into your cabinetry, for example in a rented or leased conversion.
• You want a latch that opens with a bump of the hip or a push; this one opens only by pulling the knob.
• You need a published load rating. Southco's MP data sheet doesn't give one.

What it is and how it works

The MP latch mounts through a single round hole in the door or drawer front. On the outside you see a round chrome flange with a knob that sits flush. Southco describes a "flush pop out knob": press it and it pops out, giving you something to grip. Pull the knob and it releases the latch's cam from the keeper, and the door opens.

Closing is the "push-to-close" part. Push the door shut and the cam rides over the keeper and engages it automatically. The door is then held until someone pulls the knob again. That's what makes it a positive latch: pressure on the door from inside, from contents shifting in a turn or a bump that flexes the cabinet, doesn't release it.

The naming matters, because it's easy to buy the wrong thing:

• Push-to-close, pull-to-open (this latch): latches itself when you shut the door; opens only when you pull the knob.
• Push-to-open (touch latches): pressing the door releases it. Convenient in a house, and a poor match for a moving vehicle.

Specifications and sources

The cutout. Southco's drawing shows a 25.4 mm (1.0 in) round hole with two flats 23.25 mm (0.915 in) apart, which stop the latch body turning. A 1-inch hole saw or Forstner bit cuts the round part; the flats are filed in by hand. Check the drawing on Southco's data sheet before you cut, and test the fit in scrap wood of the same thickness first.

Door thickness. The 4 to 25.4 mm range covers typical van cabinet plywood: 1/2-inch (about 12 mm) and 3/4-inch (about 18 to 19 mm) panels are both inside it. Southco gives the maximum tightening torque on the mounting nut as 4.5 N·m (40 in·lbf); over-tightening a nylon housing is how latches get cracked during install.

The keeper is not included

Southco's data sheet says it plainly: "Latch only, keepers sold separately." The latch's cam needs something on the cabinet frame to hook behind. Southco lists two options for the MP:

• M1-519-4 fixed keeper: stainless steel, a small angled plate screwed to the frame.
• MP-510-16-4 hooded keeper: black nylon, with a hood around the cam.

Southco says both mount with M5 or No. 10 screws, which are also not supplied. So for each door you need a latch, a keeper and two screws. Budget for the keepers when you work out how many doors you're latching, and make sure the keeper is fixed into solid wood, not the edge of thin veneer.

Some cabinet face frames have room for the cam to hook behind the frame edge itself. Southco's drawings assume a keeper, and so should you; it gives the cam a hard steel or nylon edge to bear on instead of wood that wears.

Where it fits in a van

Upper cabinets. The cabinets where an opened door matters most, because anything inside falls further. The site's storage guide recommends positive latches over magnetic catches for any cabinet holding heavy or breakable items.

Drawers. Mounted on the drawer front with the keeper on the cabinet frame, the latch stops the drawer creeping or sliding open under braking. It's an alternative to drawer slides with a built-in lock. Either way, the drawer box and slides have to be up to the load.

Lower cabinet doors. Worth doing on any door where contents can lean on it: a pantry with cans, the cabinet holding the cookware stack.

Not for a fridge or water tank. A cabinet latch holds a door shut against normal driving forces and contents shifting. It isn't a restraint for a heavy object. A fridge needs its manufacturer's mount or a slide such as the Dometic CFX Series Slide 35/45, and a water jug needs a strap to an anchor.

What it can't do

• No published load rating. Southco's MP data sheet lists dimensions, materials and installation notes, but no strength figure. Treat it as a latch that keeps a door closed in ordinary driving, not a rated restraint.
• Not crash-rated. Like every cabinet latch the site has looked at, it has no crash-test rating. In a hard stop, a heavy object thrown at a door can break the door, the hinges or the frame, whatever latch is fitted. Keep heavy items low, and secure them mechanically.
• Only as strong as the cabinet. A latch screwed through thin veneer or a keeper in particle board will pull out before the latch fails.
• Doesn't stop rattle inside the cabinet. It stops the door tapping and opening; the pans inside still need padding and liner. See how to stop pots, plates and drawers rattling.

For vehicle-level restraint of cabinets and heavy items, follow the product manufacturers' instructions and consult a qualified van upfitter.

Finish and materials

The flange and knob are plated zinc alloy, the housing glass-filled nylon, and the cam zinc alloy; the fixed keeper is stainless steel. Southco describes the MP as using "corrosion-resistant materials", which suits the condensation of a van kitchen. Chrome is the finish on this listing. Southco's part-number key lists other finishes (satin chrome, brushed nickel, black powder coat and more) and other housing shapes (oval and square) under different part numbers; this page covers only the round chrome MP-05-312-11.

Installation notes

1. Decide which way the cam faces. It has to hook behind the keeper on the frame. Mark the latch centre so the keeper sits where Southco's drawing puts it relative to the latch centreline.
2. Cut the hole. A 1-inch round hole, then file the two flats to Southco's 23.25 mm width. Try the fit in scrap first.
3. Fit the latch. Insert from the front, add the lockwasher and nut on the back, and tighten to no more than Southco's 4.5 N·m.
4. Fit the keeper. Close the door gently and adjust the keeper until the cam engages cleanly and the door sits tight to the frame without play. Screw it into solid wood.
5. Check it. With the door closed, push on it from inside. It should stay shut until you pull the knob.

Alternatives

• Drawer slides with a lock-in feature. For drawers, a slide that locks closed and releases with a lever does the same job without a hole in the front.
• Other Southco MP styles. The same latch comes in oval and square housings and other finishes under different part numbers, per Southco's part-number key.
• Strap or bar across an opening. For open shelves and cubbies, a hook-and-loop strap or a removable bar is the low-tech positive restraint.

Which guides it fits

• How to stop pots, plates and drawers rattling: the latch types section explains push-to-open versus positive-locking latches.
• Storage complete guide: "use positive mechanical latches, not magnetic catches".
• Van kitchen layouts: plan door and drawer positions before you build.

Verdict

The Southco MP-05-312-11 is a well-documented positive latch for van cabinet doors and drawers. Southco publishes its cutout, door-thickness range and materials, it latches itself when you close the door, and it opens only when you pull the flush knob, so contents leaning on the door don't open it. Plan for the keeper and screws, which aren't included, a 1-inch cutout with filed flats, and solid wood to fix into. It has no published load or crash rating, so it keeps doors shut in ordinary driving; it isn't what holds heavy items in place.

FAQ

Does the Southco MP latch come with a keeper? No. Southco's data sheet says "Latch only, keepers sold separately." Southco lists the M1-519-4 stainless fixed keeper and the MP-510-16-4 nylon hooded keeper for it, and the mounting screws aren't supplied either.

What size hole does it need? Southco's drawing shows a 25.4 mm (1.0 in) round hole with two flats 23.25 mm (0.915 in) apart. Check the drawing before cutting.

How thick can the door be? Southco gives a door thickness range of 4 to 25.4 mm (0.16 to 1.0 in), which covers 1/2-inch and 3/4-inch plywood.

Is this a push-to-open latch? No. It's push-to-close and pull-to-open. Shutting the door latches it; it opens only when you pull the knob. A push-to-open latch releases when you press the door, which is why those can open on rough roads.

Is it strong enough to hold a heavy cabinet in a crash? Southco doesn't publish a load rating or crash rating for the MP. It keeps a door shut in normal driving. Heavy items need mechanical securing, and for anchoring cabinets and heavy items to the vehicle, follow the manufacturer's instructions and consult a qualified upfitter.

Will it stop my cabinet rattling? It stops the door tapping and opening. Contents inside still need padding, liner and dividers.

Sources and verification

• Southco, MP Point Push-to-Close Latch data sheet (mp-pl.en.pdf, catalog page 228): operation, cutout drawing, door thickness, materials, keeper options, mounting nut torque, part-number key. Opened via the copy at fisheriessupply.com/product-resources/southco/mp-pl-en-pdf (checked 2026-10-09)
• Fisheries Supply, Southco MP-05-312-11 product page: round chrome style, pull-to-open, keeper sold separately. fisheriessupply.com/southco-point-push-to-close-latch-mp/mp-05-312-11 (checked 2026-10-09)
• Amazon product listing for ASIN B076FR4S1J, the listing this review links to: title "Southco MP-05-312-11x2 … Round Push to Close Latch Chrome on Chrome (Pack of 2)", brand, availability (checked 2026-10-09)