Locked OUT!!!

[havnfun]

So last year I put a new set of keyed alike cam locks and the main door lock with deadbolt in the TT. Yesterday I went to get inside to check a few things and I can't open the dead bolt. The door lock works fine but the dead bolt just turns counterclockwise from 12 o'clock to 9 o'clock with no contact to pull the dead bolt in.
I just emailed RVLOCKS and hopefully will get some sort of an answer. But have any of you experienced this situation? I really do not want to call an expensive locksmith to come here and unlock it. HELP!

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[MikeThompson]

Have you tried pushing in on the door to take some pressure off the deadbolt?

[DanNJanice]

Can you crawl in through the passthru?

[havnfun]

Yes to this: tried pushing on the door but to no avail. I think it might be the tumblers in the dead bolt lock that are not releasing so the key cannot get a good hold on them for turning. I also considered the crawling thru method but my pass thru is closed off from the bed with no real way to raise the bed from under there.
Thanks for the suggestions, though.
Anyone else have any comments or direction to proceed? Hate to have a locksmith come here but may be my only alternative.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[mike837go]

As long as the key turns significantly, the barrel and pins are working fine.

You say you only have 90* movement in 1 direction.

That screams to me that the bolt is jammed. My action would be to keep pressure on the key in the unlock direction while alternatly pressing and pulling on the door.

Keep a feel on the key for any give. Don't put too much pressure on the key, it will shear off in the lock and that WILL mean an expensive visit from a locksmith.

Good luck!

Or bite the bullet and dig out the credit card.

[havnfun]

Thanks, Mike. I'll give it a try when the sun comes up.
Happy RVing,
Jeff

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by havnfun

Thanks, Mike. I'll give it a try when the sun comes up.
Happy RVing,
Jeff

Once you get in, double- and triple-check operation of all parts! Including how the bolt enters the reciever.

Any roughness or uneveness has to be dealt with to prevent this from happening again. Especially when you get back to the RV when camping in the middle of nowhere.

[jasum]

Are you 100% positive you are turning the key in the correct direction to unlock it??

I have seen people do this thinking something was wrong with the lock.....

[RayPayne]

I've seen someone else mange to open a locked RV by taking out the window in the door. The rubber came out pretty easily and they were able to reach in to open from the inside. Once in and the lock was fixed they re-sealed the window after. If you have no luck with the lock itself you may want to look up removal of the door window as a way to get in. This was a non-opening window that looked similar to the one on the Jayco site archive that matches the trailer in your signature of the original post.

Note that going in this way they did destroy the seal. They cut it with a utility knife, but it was the lowest cost way to get in. Replacing the seal was NOT with the one they took out.

[bansai]

Our deadbolt is pretty 'tight'. My wife often tells me ours is broken when it just needs a little more pressure, in the correct direction. Would be nice if your issue was that simple.

You may also want to soak as much of the lock as you can currently access with WD-40 (or something better ideally) and let it sit for a few minutes.

[Cosmik Debris]

And your certain it isn't the other door handle lock that is engaged?

[havnfun]

Thanks all for your help and suggestions. Still can't get in but there is a positive note. RVLOCKSANDMORE.com replied today and they are sending me a new unit even though it is out of the one year warranty. Wanted to pass this great customer service on to you and recommend them if you need any of their products. Good companies seem to be harder to find these days and this one is a keeper. Buy from RVLOCKSANDMORE.com and you won't regret it.

If I can't get the dead bolt open still, they said drill it out with a 5/8" drill bit and then maneuver the dead bolt open. That will be fun as I practice my locksmith skills to break in to my own trailer. LOL. I'll keep you posted on how this works out.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[TCNashville]

Good luck Jeff and thanks for the heads up on RVlocksandmore. Terry

[JetTech]

Make sure you have an actual deadbolt tumbler installed in that position, as it's a special tumbler. I know this because my dealer somehow broke my entry door handle on a visit, and when I showed up, they handed me back my keys with one extra on the ring. Obviously, that was going to be a PITA to remember which key went to which tumbler, so I asked them to replace the two tumblers with those that match the rest of the camper. So they order two of them, but failed to notice that the deadbolt has to be special ordered as a deadbolt. It has something to do with the security of the RV, that when it's locked up, the normal tumbler could be accessed with the normal key tool, whereas the deadbolt could not. They found that out as they tried to install the regular tumbler in the deadbolt position. While they could have forced it in, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't break something. Two weeks later, the deadbolt arrived at my home, and I've got to go see the dealer to get it installed.

You should be able to tell if its a deadbolt tumbler as it has a marking on it that the other tumblers do not. Might be a "D", but I can't recall, and I'm not near my RV.

[RogerR]

I read all the posts and did not notice you lubricating the lock. There are various spray oils out there and I can't recommend one, but maybe try one before the drill bit? If you can spray between the door and wall and coat the deadbolt in addition to inside the lock might also help.

[havnfun]

I'll try all your suggestions but if I do get that lock open, I will still replace it with the new one RVLOCKSANDMORE is sending me. Hadn't tried the lubricant but will do. Thanks.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

[clubhouse]

Originally Posted by havnfun

Thanks all for your help and suggestions. Still can't get in but there is a positive note. RVLOCKSANDMORE.com replied today and they are sending me a new unit even though it is out of the one year warranty. Wanted to pass this great customer service on to you and recommend them if you need any of their products. Good companies seem to be harder to find these days and this one is a keeper. Buy from RVLOCKSANDMORE.com and you won't regret it.

Happy RVing,
Jeff

Are they sending you a whole new set of keyed alike door, deadbolt and cam locks; or will you once again have a couple different keys?

Just curious

[Chrisbn]

My .02

I have worked on many locks and would stay away from the liquid lube (WD 40) etc. They may work fine on contact, but eventually will start to gum up and be a pain. Dry graphite shot into the lock makes any sticky (not broken) lock work much better. Most big box hardware stores have a small tubes near the re-keying machine.