Replacing door latch

[Susan V]

Hello,

I am interested in learning more about the change of the door latch to the Fastec lock.
I have an 1985 13' Scamp trailer in which I am interested in changing the locks.
My question to you is, is the lock fully able to latch with the striker plate enough to where the door does not pop open while traveling down the road?
Thanks

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Susan V

Hello,

I am interested in learning more about the change of the door latch to the Fastec lock.
I have an 1985 13' Scamp trailer in which I am interested in changing the locks.
My question to you is, is the lock fully able to latch with the striker plate enough to where the door does not pop open while traveling down the road?
Thanks

A old as your trailer you might want to change the latching mech. The spring gets weak over time. I had to replace mine a few years ago My trailer is a 2006 model.

[Darral T.]

With my door mod, I have NEVER had a door to open. What I DO recommend with these types of door latches/locks is, "dead bolt" it while traveling. This will give TWO contact points of two plungers engaging the striker plate.

I posted a few years back in this very topic and here it is again- my mod. I think Scamp MAY have started putting the new locks on...not sure but they SHOULD!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/503516...57643963773193

Originally Posted by Susan V

Hello,

I am interested in learning more about the change of the door latch to the Fastec lock.
I have an 1985 13' Scamp trailer in which I am interested in changing the locks.
My question to you is, is the lock fully able to latch with the striker plate enough to where the door does not pop open while traveling down the road?
Thanks

[katidesc13]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

With my door mod, I have NEVER had a door to open. What I DO recommend with these types of door latches/locks is, "dead bolt" it while traveling. This will give TWO contact points of two plungers engaging the striker plate.

I posted a few years back in this very topic and here it is again- my mod. I think Scamp MAY have started putting the new locks on...not sure but they SHOULD!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/503516...57643963773193

Hey Darral, would you interested in fabricating another striker plate like that for my 1998 Scamp 13'?!?!

[Darral T.]

I actually had a "buddy" of mine in our fab shop to "break" and "weld" it from Stainless Steel (304). I laid it out as you can see on the sketch. I did the machine work (holes/slots). Thank you for the compliments.

But I'd rather not make another one. BUT, again, you could take the sketch that's on the Flickr site and have a "friend" in a machine/fab shop make you one. But I can promise you, it wont be cheap! It doesnt have to be S/S (stainless) but mine still looks identical to that after 6 yrs of use.

There's alot simpler "striker" plates you can make in a simple "L" shape that will do the same thing. But I didnt want the unsightly screws showing so I took the extra pains for to make the end product as you see it. I've been ridiculed about putting too much work into it but couldnt care less. It suits me.

Originally Posted by katidesc13

Hey Darral, would you interested in fabricating another striker plate like that for my 1998 Scamp 13'?!?!

[Nicolas]

Stainless is not cheap but I agree, It looks the same year after year. Made a fundamental mistake when making my original door strike of using a nice piece of steel that didn’t look nice by the start of the next season.

[Darral T.]

I appreciate that Nick. It's good to have someone that can back up what you say by proof. It's also evident on my photos of the original Scamp striker plate was also made from mild steel. It just rusts over time. BUT, on the other hand, your plate will still work fine. I just happened to have access to the stainless . Just a simple thought, you could always paint it. The striker from the door latch will keep the paint off the contact area...but it's to stay shiny anyway if you use it. If not, then a tiny dab of grease would keep that area from rusting as quick.

Originally Posted by Nicolas

Stainless is not cheap but I agree, It looks the same year after year. Made a fundamental mistake when making my original door strike of using a nice piece of steel that didn’t look nice by the start of the next season.

[katidesc13]

Originally Posted by Nicolas

Stainless is not cheap but I agree, It looks the same year after year. Made a fundamental mistake when making my original door strike of using a nice piece of steel that didn’t look nice by the start of the next season.

My dad would say that's one of life's most important lessons! Ha ha! I usually find you get what you pay for when looking at materials like that. Thanks for the advice. I'm sure I can find somebody I know with a scrap piece I could use for a striker plate.

[David B.]

If I’m not mistaken, member Ian made a production kit to retrofit boler doors, and was working on a Scamp conversion kit.
Dave & Paula

[katidesc13]

Darral, I've seen in other posts that people had to cut a T-shape hole, but it looks like you cut a simple square hole. Wondering if you had any issues getting the lock into the hole?

[Darral T.]

Originally Posted by katidesc13

Darral, I've seen in other posts that people had to cut a T-shape hole, but it looks like you cut a simple square hole. Wondering if you had any issues getting the lock into the hole?

NONE! I used the pattern shown on my Flickr photos. I used the "blue" painters 3M tape to outline the hole. That was mainly to keep my jig saw from scratching the area around the lock and used the tape as my "line". No issues what so ever.



Darral

[katidesc13]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

NONE! I used the pattern shown on my Flickr photos. I used the "blue" painters 3M tape to outline the hole. That was mainly to keep my jig saw from scratching the area around the lock and used the tape as my "line". No issues what so ever.



Darral

That's what I've been thinking!! Great idea on the painter's tape! My thought is to simply measure the inside portion of the lock, make sure the outer rim where the screws join the two plates are still along the thicker section of the door, and try to cut the hole to match where the bottom screw hole of the previous latch will line up with the bottom left screw of the new latch. Does that sound about right? Did you use any fiberglass sealant or putty for extra water protection? Any other tips?

[Darral T.]

Kati...you HAVE looked at my Flickr photos right? There's a 1/2" thick UHMW (Nylon) spacer I had to make because of the Scamp's door thickness wasnt enough for the lock to tighten up. I didnt use ANY type of sealant. The Fastec comes with its own seal and That's what I used tightening the outside portion up to the door. That does two things: 1) Gives it a VERY good seal; 2) It's hidden and cannot weather!

For what it's worth, also in my Flickr photos, I show the Alternate or #2 method of making it into an "L" shape.

Doing this mod is NOT for the "faint of heart". I started at 10AM one Saturday morning and finished up at 6:30PM that afternoon. It was worth every minute AND penny! I can shut the door and it latches without having to turn the handle. THAT was a bonus I did not anticipate OR expect but it's there!

Darral

Originally Posted by katidesc13

That's what I've been thinking!! Great idea on the painter's tape! My thought is to simply measure the inside portion of the lock, make sure the outer rim where the screws join the two plates are still along the thicker section of the door, and try to cut the hole to match where the bottom screw hole of the previous latch will line up with the bottom left screw of the new latch. Does that sound about right? Did you use any fiberglass sealant or putty for extra water protection? Any other tips?

[katidesc13]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

Kati...you HAVE looked at my Flickr photos right? There's a 1/2" thick UHMW (Nylon) spacer I had to make because of the Scamp's door thickness wasnt enough for the lock to tighten up. I didnt use ANY type of sealant. The Fastec comes with its own seal and That's what I used tightening the outside portion up to the door. That does two things: 1) Gives it a VERY good seal; 2) It's hidden and cannot weather!

Yes, I've looked at your photos extensively, but without any photo descriptions or measurements, it's difficult for a newbie to understand the process exactly. I couldn't tell what that spacer was or what it was made out of just by looking at it. I'm assuming the spacer goes on the inside of the door between the latch and the fiberglass, correct? And that it's cut to fit the shape of the outside rim? This is my most extensive (and risky) mod so I want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before I approach it. Thanks for the clarification!

[Darral T.]

Katie, click on EVERY photo. There's information tied to them but you can only see it AFTER you click on the photo! To be honest, I saw the thickness of the material I used after clicking on it. It's been about 6 yrs since I did this and just dont remember some of the details w/o looking back. Try that and see if you can get more info. I even describe taping 4" of area around the opening- that's on the pic of the cutout right after I had finished it. You can see blue "Sharpie" marks still there as well. The screw hole underneath the opening you see is left over from Scamp's junk lock. The Fastec's outside portion of the lock covers it though.

Again click on the photos for more detailed info. Get back with me and let me know if that helps!

Originally Posted by katidesc13

Yes, I've looked at your photos extensively, but without any photo descriptions or measurements, it's difficult for a newbie to understand the process exactly. I couldn't tell what that spacer was or what it was made out of just by looking at it. Thanks for the clarification!