New Ram owners; you may want to know this:

[The_Mad_Norsky]

For those that do not know, my new Ram, along with most built in the last few years, have the no key start button and key fob.

Neat feature is all one has to do to unlock the doors is put your hand (key fob in pocket) inside the front door handle and presto! Doors unlock.

Wonderful! And this scared me bad during a recent nine day trip with my truck camper.

I had been habitually leaving my key fob on the kitchen counter area of my truck camper at night when I slept in the camper.

Several nights into my trip, wandering around my truck,no key fob present (it was inside the camper) I could not recall if I locked the truck, so I tried the back door and it was indeed locked.

Walking away, I just leaned on my front door for a second, and my hand went inside the handle. The truck unlocked.

I figured out that my leaving the key fob on the kitchen counter (basically just above and behind the cab of the pickup inside the camper) was too close to the cab, so it acted as though the key fob was in my pocket and unlocked the vehicle.

After getting home a day or so back, in my driveway, I tried this again, with same results. The truck unlocked. Key fob in same position in camper. Worse yet, I jumped in and started the vehicle!

Good grief! Here we had been sleeping soundly above the cab in the truck camper and any ner-do-well could have actually gotten in our vehicle and driven off with it with us as unwilling passengers.

So keep this in mind when storing your keys for the night in the camper. I suspect this is true for all truck campers, and possibly fifth wheels too.

The fifth wheel scenario would be someone stopped for the night, keys in front bedroom, and fiver hitched to truck. I suspect the keys in this case would also be too close to the cab.

I have started storing my key fob as far back in the truck camper as I can go. This seems to work to prevent the unlocking or starting of the vehicle.

[jus2shy]

BenK wrote:
I no longer use any automatic door unlocking from my various alarms...use the
key most times and the fob when have guests

I keep my vehicles a loooong time and the fob unlock wore out all four door
locking mechanisms. Just replaced all four on my Sub last year

The Mini Van's passenger 'some' times works and the rear hatch just last week
kinda sorta 'tought' about unlocking...

If you keep your vehicle just a few years...not a problem

The novelty of what the exotics and high lux cars have will soon wear
off and nothing more than power windows, power seats, heated seats, etc

Wonder where the theives are in their process of figuring out HOW2 by-pass these
things...

Oh, they're there with some creative methods for certain vehicles: Jalopnik linky. Another reason why I don't like the idea of them.

[ib516]

proxim2020 wrote:
So basically once the fob is outside of the truck, the truck can't be driven away from a stopped position?

Correct.

[BenK]

I no longer use any automatic door unlocking from my various alarms...use the
key most times and the fob when have guests

I keep my vehicles a loooong time and the fob unlock wore out all four door
locking mechanisms. Just replaced all four on my Sub last year

The Mini Van's passenger 'some' times works and the rear hatch just last week
kinda sorta 'tought' about unlocking...

If you keep your vehicle just a few years...not a problem

The novelty of what the exotics and high lux cars have will soon wear
off and nothing more than power windows, power seats, heated seats, etc

Wonder where the theives are in their process of figuring out HOW2 by-pass these
things...

[Community Alumni]

So basically once the fob is outside of the truck, the truck can't be driven away from a stopped position?

[APT]

I personally love proximity entry systems. I find it much more convenient than remote button-based lock/unlock. I hope you find a solution. Even though no one can start the truck, you probably don't want anyone to unlock the doors either.

[The_Mad_Norsky]

deleted post. I read wrong, so no use me making a stupid comment.

[Perrysburg_Dodg]

Myth Buster, as IB pointed out the truck will not start unless the key fob is inside the cab. Also if the truck started with your wifes fob then your fob will no longer work. My wife carries here fob for my truck in her purse. If she unlocks the truck her fob now controls the truck. How did we figure it out, the mirrors, seat and radio were set to her settings not mine. If I unlock the truck with my fob everything adjusts to my settings.

Also after starting the truck if you get out with the fob you can lock the doors. Leave the fob in the truck and the doors will not lock. As long as the fob is in your pocket the truck can not be moved. Touch the brake to put it in gear and the truck shuts off. If the fob is in the truck then you will come back to no truck.

Don

[qbert10]

I have a 14 with this ignition system. I had worries about it too, but I have found that if I keep the fob in the back of the trailer, which is were the master is on mine, I don't have an issue. However if its closer than the bedroom it will open, which I imagine would allow it to start as well.

[jnharley]

We ordered a new Ram 3500 draw and elected not to get this feature. It seems to us that the more complicated an item is, the more likely it will fail.

[mpierce]

I thought of this when I first got my RAM. Laid the fob by the trailer door, and went and checked the pickup. Locked up solid. I always keep the keys in the drawer by the door, so I did not check to see if it worked if the keys were in the bedroom in the front of the 5th wheel, as that would be much closer to the pickup, like in the bed!

[The_Mad_Norsky]

Update:

Feeling somewhat silly. 😮

Found out my "testing" was somewhat flawed.

Yep, vehicle started with key fob in camper BUT I failed to know or notice that the wife was carrying the second fob in her purse when we tried this out.

So vehicle actually started from the second fob, NOT the one in the camper.

Remove the second fob and as ib516 said, no start.

Drivers door will still unlock with key fob towards front of camper, but passenger front door will not unlock. So that door appears out of range, as key fob on drivers side of the camper.

Yep, gonna have to re-watch the DVD that came with the truck again, and re-read the old owners manual. And/or get that signal blocking device as previously posted by BurbMan.

[GordonThree]

It's real easy to turn off the keyless features, read your operators manual (or watch the DVD more likely) no need for tin boxes or rfid bags.

[jus2shy]

Ever since I saw the episode of Top Gear where Richard Hammond took Jeremy Clarkson's dodge challenger with keyless fob for a drive while Clarkson was in a diner, I had concerns about vehicle security. Part of the reason why I optioned the traditional fob with an RFID chip interface to start my truck.

[ib516]

I really don't think it would start with the fob outside the vehicle, even if it is close to the cab. Mine won't.

[BurbMan]

Seems like an easy fix...just put the fob in the can and keep handy by your bed. Keeps the truck secure while keeping the fob close at hand. You might want to post similar over in the TC forum.