Well it happened!! We got locked inside our camper. Talk about a pain in the butt along with just total anger. We walked in closed the door and then were going to let dogs out and the handle just pulled with out releasing the main latch. My wife went out the window of our 07 Damon Daybreak Class A and was able to hand me tools. I took the cover off the inside and saw the cheap pot metal bar that slides the latch across was broken in half. So for the next two hours we drilled, bent metal around inside and outside of the door and it let loose after 2hrs. I went to the dealer and he said there was nothing any different than he would have done in that situation. You cant pick it because its not locked and to slide that latch over in the middle you would need to try and bend metal to get a screw driver in from outside. Also drilling the latch didn't work very well it would not slide left at all. Warning to all replace that stupid latch and lock every few years because just lubing it is not going to keep the cheap pot metal from breaking. Will spend the week bending metal back grinding and painting the areas that got damaged by trying to get out. Just wanted to tell my story and if you have any questions or advice feel free to comment.

k9-keno wrote:Well it happened!! We got locked inside our camper. Talk about a pain in the butt along with just total anger. We walked in closed the door and then were going to let dogs out and the handle just pulled with out releasing the main latch. My wife went out the window of our 07 Damon Daybreak Class A and was able to hand me tools. I took the cover off the inside and saw the cheap pot metal bar that slides the latch across was broken in half. So for the next two hours we drilled, bent metal around inside and outside of the door and it let loose after 2hrs. I went to the dealer and he said there was nothing any different than he would have done in that situation. You cant pick it because its not locked and to slide that latch over in the middle you would need to try and bend metal to get a screw driver in from outside. Also drilling the latch didn't work very well it would not slide left at all. Warning to all replace that stupid latch and lock every few years because just lubing it is not going to keep the cheap pot metal from breaking. Will spend the week bending metal back grinding and painting the areas that got damaged by trying to get out. Just wanted to tell my story and if you have any questions or advice feel free to comment.Had the same thing happen to us in Moab last fall, TOTAL ANGER, is a bit of an understatement, luckily, after disassembling the whole thing, I got the broken slide out, reassembled, and just used the deadbolt until I got a replacement.

All you had to do was to drill a hole in the broken latch bar, then pull it back with a screwdriver and open the door. I have replaced two so far. There are a couple of other little things that you are going to run into also. Have fun!

Does anyone make a good quality, easy to fit replacement? My wife hates how sticky the regular latch is on ours.. I've sanded it smooth (both latch and strike plate), graphite lube.. still if you pull on the door while trying to unlatch it can be very difficult. And for some reason she can't get the 'push with thumb and rotate latch out with fingers' method.

Johno02 wrote:All you had to do was to drill a hole in the broken latch bar, then pull it back with a screwdriver and open the door. I have replaced two so far. There are a couple of other little things that you are going to run into also. Have fun!Not sure how that would work. I slid out the broken end of that slide bar and it was just a straight break. Unless your suggesting I drill in to the lock and try and drill in to the broken end near the center latch. Because I tried that and that's what took the most time had to clear a path drilling a few holes along the way to the left so I could get driver on it to slide left.

Yes, I had to drill several holes in a row along the tunnel that holds the latch bar. Just lucky that you were inside. We now leave at least one window unlocked for a reason. Not the same one all the time. Now, to the latch plate! Depending on your lock, it looks the same on the replacement lock, but may not be. The retainer pins and slots on the newer relacement lock are just a hair bigger than the old ones, and will not fit without replacing the latch plate. In our case, the latch plate could not be removed from the outside. If you run into this problem, let me know for the solution. Its really easy, but hard to describe.

Tri Mark Lock | Good Sam Community

Mody_n_Domy
Explorer
Aug 13, 2016
I have had to replace 2 Tri Mark lock sets. I found that when the door was closed the bolt would slam all the way out going into the striker plate. The internal spring in the lock is so strong it crushes the nylon guide plate after a while and the bolt hits metal to metal. After a while the bolt snaps. I took a pan head screw and put it in to the wood door frame inside the striker plate stopping the bolt from extending all the way out and hitting the nylon stops on the interior of the bolt. I did this about 4 months ago so I hope this works. the first lock set that I installed only lasted 1 year. Both times I was locked inside. To get out I had to bend a rod/coat hanger and push the bolt back out of the striker plate after removing the interior door trim so I could see the lock striker bolt. Its a pain in the a$$ then you have to find a new lock set at over $100
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 11, 2016
Happened to me twice. Both times I was able to depress the lock plunger (Snap bolt) from outside, Minor damage to the RV (Door trim) but very minor.

First time I replaced the entire lock assembly, over $100.00

Second time I had a fabricator carve me a new bolt, out of higher quality stuff, 20 bucks as I recall, plus a period without the snap bolt.

I do not expect this new bolt to break.

On the basement doors.. have done the same thing, same reason

I now re-bulid the old bolts for the basement. but that is not as critical as the doors.
CavemanCharlie
Explorer III
Aug 10, 2016
I don't have one of those latches. On a previous TT that I once owned the last owner had just made a couple of plates he attached to the door with screws to cover the hole. Then he drilled a round hole in those plates and used a standard house door knob and latch. The knob stuck threw the original hole in the screen door just fine. I did have to figure out a new way to attach the screen door to the outside door though as the original attaching thing would not longer work.

So what I'm trying to say is : Can you modify it and just use a regular household door knob ?
Johno02
Explorer
Aug 10, 2016
bukhrn: I understand. The first time it happened to me, I was just able to remove the inside plate, and then slide the broken latch bar back. The last time, it broke in such a way that it couldn't be reached. If I had know about the striker plate at that point, probably could have opened it with a screwdriver. But I had to learn the hard way. We were in the boonies at the time.
Johno02
Explorer
Aug 10, 2016
These are pictures of our door, hopefully yours is kinda like it.
Door edge and striker plate:

This the inside. Notice the green facing where the handle is attached. It needs to be removed, may just be stuck in place.

Hopefully, when you remove the facing, there will be a gap where you can see the striker plate. Just remove the screws holding it and slide it out. Wish you lots of luck.

And here is the new latch in place in the door
bukhrn
Explorer III
Aug 09, 2016
Y'all are confusing the heck out of me with all this drill talk, I didn't have to drill anything, (which is good, 'cause I didn't have one). :h
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Aug 09, 2016
When the Tri-Mark bolt broke on our previous coach, I was able to remove the inside plate and work the bolt back with a dental pick in about 15 minutes. Thankfully, our coach had a drivers door, so getting in and out to fetch tools to get the door open was not a problem. As mentioned, we just used the dead bolt to secure the door until the latch was repaired. I took the broken bolt pieces to a local machine shop and had them make a replacement from stainless steel. Cost about $25...
k9-keno
Explorer
Aug 09, 2016
Johno02 wrote:
Yes, I had to drill several holes in a row along the tunnel that holds the latch bar. Just lucky that you were inside. We now leave at least one window unlocked for a reason. Not the same one all the time.
Now, to the latch plate! Depending on your lock, it looks the same on the replacement lock, but may not be. The retainer pins and slots on the newer relacement lock are just a hair bigger than the old ones, and will not fit without replacing the latch plate. In our case, the latch plate could not be removed from the outside. If you run into this problem, let me know for the solution. Its really easy, but hard to describe.

Yes please tell me how to remove the latch plate I want a new one anyway. THANKS!!
IAMICHABOD
Explorer II
Aug 09, 2016
braindead0 wrote:
Does anyone make a good quality, easy to fit replacement? My wife hates how sticky the regular latch is on ours.. I've sanded it smooth (both latch and strike plate), graphite lube.. still if you pull on the door while trying to unlatch it can be very difficult. And for some reason she can't get the 'push with thumb and rotate latch out with fingers' method.

I have heard good things about This Company
Johno02
Explorer
Aug 09, 2016
Yes, I had to drill several holes in a row along the tunnel that holds the latch bar. Just lucky that you were inside. We now leave at least one window unlocked for a reason. Not the same one all the time.
Now, to the latch plate! Depending on your lock, it looks the same on the replacement lock, but may not be. The retainer pins and slots on the newer relacement lock are just a hair bigger than the old ones, and will not fit without replacing the latch plate. In our case, the latch plate could not be removed from the outside. If you run into this problem, let me know for the solution. Its really easy, but hard to describe.

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