Trailer Door Locks

[facory]

I have read a lot about how many keys will fit the standard trailer door lock. 2 questions: (1) Can the door locks be re-keyed like they do with padlocks? (2) If I buy a new lock will there be fewer keys that will fit?

[CavemanCharlie]

Huntindog wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:


At the park I still don't lock it. There are enough people around that if someone starts taking TV's out of campers it is going to get noticed and the police called quickly.

Boondocking as we do, there are no neighbors around....And a call for police (IF there is cell coverage) will take hours not minutes.... One must be self reliant and able to handle the situation.

A lock on the door that does a reasonable job is the first thing.. If one is sleeping inside, and a bad guy tries to get in... It SHOULD slow him down and make some noise... We had a incident by Flagstaff some years back, where an elderly couple was killed by a couple of prison escapees that entered their TT... It CAN happen.

Yes, I should have added that I camp in areas where there are people around and the police are only a few minutes away.

[Kennedycamper]

We have the $159 lock from rvlock.com. It works well, but mount the remote keypad in a dry place. They don't like a bunch of water. Really nice not to carry keys when at the beach or water park.

[n0arp]

facory wrote:
Would like to hear from anyone who has converted their lock set to the keyless version shown on rvlock.com

We have it. It's one of our favorite mods to date. We have a key fob and key combo, and rarely use the actual key.

It seems well built. I wish the inside handle was metal instead of plastic, but don't think it will be an issue in the long run. We had to modify our screen door for it to work, because the screen door interfered with the handle on the inside. Used an angle grinder to grind down the metal a bit and covered the raw edge in gloss black automotive acrylic paint to match the OEM finish.

We also like that we can give the code to someone and change it afterwards. Gives them temporary access to the RV but doesn't require giving out a key. Useful for having people in our group check on the dogs, or having family visiting let themselves in if we happen to be at the store when they arrive.

[hohenwald48]

JPG77373 wrote:
The only time I lock our TT doors is when we are in it.

I used to lock my Jeep, because it had a nice stereo. This taught me two lessons after I had to replace the Jeep top ($800) and the stereo ($400)...

Don't leave valuables, don't lock doors, or you will be replacing both.

Or don't go to that neighborhood. 🙂

[JPG77373]

The only time I lock our TT doors is when we are in it.

I used to lock my Jeep, because it had a nice stereo. This taught me two lessons after I had to replace the Jeep top ($800) and the stereo ($400)...

Don't leave valuables, don't lock doors, or you will be replacing both.

[Community Alumni]

Trimark, FIC, and Global use a generic key for their paddle handles and a specific cut key for the deadbolt. The deadbolt keys aren't all that unique since typically there aren't a ton of variations produced. These are mass produced locks after all. Chances are that you'll run into someone one day that has a key that will turn your deadbolt.

It doesn't matter how unique the key or how fancy the lock is anyway, most lock can easily be defeated with a screwdriver. As with their residential cousins, the door frame is the weakest part of the system. The doors in trailers come mounted on some pretty thin and weak frames. Some you can flex with your hand alone. If someone wanted to get in then they could easily use a screwdriver or small pry bar to separate the door from the frame to open it. Even with the deadbolt engaged it's relatively easy to do and can be done in silence.

There's a few locks that can help lessen the likelihood of this happening. A lock like the Trimark 060-1650 has a couple of pins that slide into a heavier duty striker plate. The pins help keep the door and the frame locked together and it's a lot more difficult to separate the two. The other is an automotive style door lock that uses a strike bolt and claw mechanism similar to what's found on vehicle doors. Both of these types of door locks are more common to motorhomes, but they can be adapted to a trailer.

Most of your thieves out there are pretty lazy. Just locking up the trailer would be good enough to get a pass. But if they really want in, they're not going to fool with keys or jimmying locks. They'll just take the easy way out and just bypass the lock entirely by prying the trailer open. Even if you did shore up your door, you'd then have to worry about all those windows and skylights. If they want in, they'll get in.

[facory]

Would like to hear from anyone who has converted their lock set to the keyless version shown on rvlock.com

[DaveInPickering]

deltabravo wrote:
Someone keeps posting that you can buy locks and stuff at http://www.rvlocks.com/

http://www.rvlocks.com/ is not a valid website.

It is rvlock.com

[bid_time]

myredracer wrote:
A few years ago we bought some tubular cam locks from Industrial Lock & Hardware. Excellent service. They seem to have changed their name to CH751.com

We have two exterior doors and they each have their own key. I just hate that. Then we have keys for the outdoor shower, exterior compartment doors, coupler lock and the receiver lock. In comparison, our house works on just one key (sigh).

All you have to do is buy the cylinders and all your locks (even the compartment locks) can be on the same key. I changed all mine. Any good dealer could fix you up, call around. All you need is a dealer with a "change" key. Talk to the parts department.

[myredracer]

A few years ago we bought some tubular cam locks from Industrial Lock & Hardware. Excellent service. They seem to have changed their name to CH751.com

We have two exterior doors and they each have their own key. I just hate that. Then we have keys for the outdoor shower, exterior compartment doors, coupler lock and the receiver lock. In comparison, our house works on just one key (sigh).

[Huntindog]

CavemanCharlie wrote:


At the park I still don't lock it. There are enough people around that if someone starts taking TV's out of campers it is going to get noticed and the police called quickly.

Boondocking as we do, there are no neighbors around....And a call for police (IF there is cell coverage) will take hours not minutes.... One must be self reliant and able to handle the situation.

A lock on the door that does a reasonable job is the first thing.. If one is sleeping inside, and a bad guy tries to get in... It SHOULD slow him down and make some noise... We had a incident by Flagstaff some years back, where an elderly couple was killed by a couple of prison escapees that entered their TT... It CAN happen.

[Bumpyroad]

deltabravo wrote:


A well equipped dealer might have a re-key kit. I asked my dealer about getting locks rekeyed and they gave me a "deer in the headlights' look, then claimed it wasn't possible.

Fastec had a big recall a while back and lots of people rekeyed their door locks. all it took was to use the "master" key to remove old "guts" and insert new. your dealer is woefully misinformed.
bumpy

[facory]

We do the same thing. We always leave the trailer unlocked when we are away and the dog is inside. We hope that in an emergency someone will notice the "Pet Inside" decal and get her out.

[gmw_photos]

Huntindog wrote:
....snip...

I would like it to slow the bad guys down, and make some noise so that whoever is in the TT can prepare a warm welcome for them.

Exactly. THAT, is when I lock my camper door, when I am inside. "Never give up a strategic advantage".

When I am away from the camper, I leave it unlocked, with a sign outside "Pet Inside, Please Rescue in Case of Emergency".

I would hope someone would open the door so my dog could get out if need be.