Lock the door from the Inside

[John Colangelo]

My original circa 1982 Burro door lock works fine from the outside but It doesn't really lock well on the inside. Does anyone have any good ideas or tips for securing or locking the door from the inside (when you're inside sleeping?) There's not a lot of meat to attach to around the door.

Thanks!

John

[Darwin Maring]

On our Scamp 5r, I drilled a little hole and put a pin in it to keep the latch from working.

[John Colangelo]

Interesting, I'll try looking at that. Thank you.

[Johnny M]

You could also upgrade to a newer style lock with a dead bolt, that is what we did and it was easy to install...all joking aside security is an issue especially in today's world we live in...

[Timber Wolf]

I am working on this very issue/solution on my Scamp. The pin-under-the-handle-in-a-hole works well except for a couple of things. One, I can't hardly find the little bitty hole. And two, I can't lock the door from the outside with my daughter inside and her be able to get out. The dog and I frequently go for an early stroll when she is not up yet.

My solution, I think, is an old timey surface mount dead bolt lock. I have one I ordered from Amazon I think will work and I will make sure before I drill any holes in my Scamp. It will have to be shimed out a little, just like Scamp did the inside handle lock they put on. A nice piece of appropriately sized and located angle iron bolted through the closet wall should work for the strike-plate. I will post some pics when I get it all worked out.

Not only will this allow a more secure latching of the door for night-time and when traveling it will allow me to lock the door from the outside and anybody inside can still get out with a quick turn of the knob.

[mary and bob]

The Burro and Uhaul are similar but I know they use a different door latch. What I did find on our Uhaul that has the Bargman L300 latch, it would not lock on the inside unless the outside key cylinder was centered in it's rotational travel. This probably doesn't apply to your Burro latch John, or be what your actual question is, but may be worth trying. Or maybe it needs lubricating. Just a thought.

[John Colangelo]

I think the deadbolt is a good idea. I would caution you about using a flip knob on the inside though as anyone could reach through the window and flip it open while you're inside sleeping.

Here's another reason why I want a more secure lock. On my recent trip to Yellowstone my microwave fell off of the shelf (the strap broke that was holding it down) and it hit the door. The tiny latch must have opened and when I got to the campground I noticed the microwave was gone and the door was slightly ajar. I felt terrible as this could have caused a SERIOUS accident to a motorcyclist or a driver behind me.

I know another poster wonders why I want a lock and compares it to tent camping. I can tell you that last summer someone opened a sleeping camper's door and stole their wallets, Purse, and IPAD while they were asleep. Yes, they probably shouldn't have left them inside the camper but not EVERYONE in a campsite is honest or trustworthy. I know a lock won't stop someone who REALLY wants to get in but at least they cannot QUIETLY or EASILY get in to the camper if there is a good lock on the door.

I like the idea of a deadbolt, I'll look into this idea.
Thank you for the collaboration folks!

John

[John Colangelo]

I found this from previous posts

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...led-39669.html

[Mike Magee]

Floyd installed a single cylinder deadbolt on the Burro he sold to me, because the original door handle key had been lost. It worked very well to keep the door from coming open during travel and for nighttime security. It looked good and operated smoothly.

I never worried about having the flip handle for the interior. If it had been a double cylinder deadbolt, I would have left the key in it anyhow because I would want to get out fast if there were ever a fire or something.

[RogerDat]

Just to toss this out there, where are your hinges? How difficult is it to remove them?


I know hinges don't matter if you are looking for a way to lock up when you leave kids while out walking the dog. It does matter if you are using a deadbolt to try and make the trailer more secure. Scamp hinges can be removed in a matter of a couple of minutes at most.

[Johnny M]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

Just to toss this out there, where are your hinges? How difficult is it to remove them?


I know hinges don't matter if you are looking for a way to lock up when you leave kids while out walking the dog. It does matter if you are using a deadbolt to try and make the trailer more secure. Scamp hinges can be removed in a matter of a couple of minutes at most.

Roger I am dealing with that same issue right now. As far as the bolts that hold the door hinges to the body I am considering using elevator bolts or carriage bolts to secure them to the body so you have to loosen them from inside the trailer, as far as the bolt holding the two hinge pieces together I haven't come up with a solution...yet

[Linda Stewart]

We are going the deadbolt route and in the meantime have two cowbells hanging from the door. Also only a fool would try to get by my two dogs.

[John Colangelo]

This is an excellent point. I thought about that too. It's possible to trade the bolts/screws out with the type that cannot be removed. My primary concern is not securing the coach completely. Let's face it, they're fiberglass. A window could be ripped out in a few minutes. My point is to secure the coach door during travel and at night when the campers are INSIDE. I think it would take a lot of trouble and create a lot of noise if someone tried to take the door off of the hinges. It's just a small precaution. I know it's not fool proof but every little deterrent helps. I like the cowbell idea too! That's a good idea!

[John Colangelo]

Linda,

I like this idea too! Simple but effective!

JC

[RogerDat]

I'm not all that worried about when we are inside. Dog within 6 feet of door no matter where she sleeps in a 13 ft. But generally right on our feet. Dog goes off it wakes me up, I do not wake up cheerful. Just ask the DW she will tell you, me grumpy is not a good place for a would be thief to start our conversation from.

In storage that hinge pin bolt is always a weak point. People break into storage lockers using a battery powered 4 inch metal cut off saw to slice through hardened lock hasps. Even if the bolt was not easy to undo it would cut in a second. Trick is to not have anything that makes it look like it is worth breaking into.

The storage place my sister keeps her camper at some thieves just used battery powered drivers to unscrew/unbolt the vents or windows. Took people awhile to even find out the campers were being broken into. Rain damage clued them in that some of the break ins were awhile back since it had not rained in awhile.

[Linda Stewart]

Thanks!

[JessieJanet]

we key-lock the door at the outside when we retire for the evening, and it locks. The door is able to be opened from the inside, even though it is locked. HOWEVER, it does not unlock when it is opened from the inside, so make sure you carry you key with you if you leave the trailer!