1978 Sovereign Door lock parts

[NavyCorpsman]

I have a 1978 sovereign door lock that was disassembled by the PO. Apparently the lock cylinder was drilled and removed, which I still have. The interior handles and bolt are missing as well as the inside wall mounted dead bolt handle. The exterior latch handle and cylinder opening is in great condition. Two questions: will the door lock replacement kits that require riveting a plate to cover the original opening have the needed parts, and, who sells the handles that I need for the interior?
Also I am considering adding an additional Stainless dead bolt.



Today is Tomorrows Yesterday.

[blkmagikca]

The PO had changed the lock on my 1987 Excella, and there is a riveted plate to cover the larger opening. The lock kit used comes with both the interior and exterior handles. I bought a replacement set when I was at JC for about $40. I have not as yet installed it and it is keyed differently from the current key. In my case, however, I have a dead bolt lock built into the grab handle - lock there is a Schlage - which is what I use.

[NavyCorpsman]

Thanks. I wanted to keep it all original, but it seems that the replacement set is the way to go. I found a Schlage dead bolt that will work nicely at the local hardware store. Thank you for your advice

[blkmagikca]

Keeping it original is nice, but sometimes it is better to replace with newer, better technology. A case in point is to replace all the lighting with LED's, particularly the turn/stop/signal lights. The new LED replacements draw far less current than the old incandescent bulbs. As well, they are brighter and you don't have to constantly tap them and clean their contacts to keep them working. I even put the LED strip replacements for the fluorescent lights. It doesn't change the character as the fixtures exteriors are not changed.

[NavyCorpsman]

I concur. Since I am the second owner, and the AS was in generally good shape, with some plumbing upgrades, I have decided to keep it as close to the original as possible. LED lamp technology is amazing. I am replacing everything in sets. The most dramatic bulb was the 1383,s over the front credenza. I do believe I could leave them on for a month and not drain my battery. I am amazed at the creative options we have, and the only limitation in my case is time and money. I consider my AS to be somewhat of a time machine. When you step in and have a seat its so easy to forget "when" you are. I appreciate your thoughtful replies to my questions
Clayton

[jskalet]

contact rick whiten at bigrod259@yahoo.com. he knows more about the vintage airstream locks than anyone i have ever met and has tons of parts, new and used as well as complete new and rebuilt locksets. john

[NavyCorpsman]

Originally Posted by jskalet

contact rick whiten at bigrod259@yahoo.com. he knows more about the vintage airstream locks than anyone i have ever met and has tons of parts, new and used as well as complete new and rebuilt locksets. john

thanks for the info. Does this person have a storefront or website?

[Sealrocker]

Originally Posted by jskalet

contact rick whiten at bigrod259@yahoo.com. he knows more about the vintage airstream locks than anyone i have ever met and has tons of parts, new and used as well as complete new and rebuilt locksets. john

I am looking for a replacement long latch for my 69 overlander. I tried the email address given for rick and it does not seem to be valid anymore. Anyone have new contact info or a spare latch?

[NavyCorpsman]

What type of lock do you have? I found a complete bargman lockset with key at a rural junk shop this week. It has L-100_6 on the inside door casting. I'm not sure if you need the recessed handle or this knob type. Let me know if you need it.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by NavyCorpsman

What type of lock do you have? I found a complete bargman lockset with key at a rural junk shop this week. It has L-100_6 on the inside door casting. I'm not sure if you need the recessed handle or this knob type. Let me know if you need it.

Rebuilding a lock thats almost 40 years old, is not a good idea.

Why??

It will fail when on a trip. You can bet on that.

Then...................where are you going to find a part?

Finding a part then, will be much more difficult then now.

Replacing the lock, with a current replacement type, at least assures you that should it fail, parts certainly are easily available.

Costs a few extra bucks, but that goes hand in hand with Airstreaming.

Airstreaming trips are supposed to make people happy and relaxed.

It was never intended to develope new cuss words.

Andy

[montanablue]

Well, that email is almost correct. It should be bigrod249@yahoo.com or r_whiten@hotmail.com . I do have new in the box Bargman L-100 and L-200 locks as well as new and used L-300 and L-400 locks. If you are looking just for parts, I have the original Bargman Rebuild kits for L-100/200, L-300 and L-400 models. I also have new lock cylinders with keys too.

If you need a PDF exploded view of these locks to help you take them apart or re-assemble them let me know by email and I will be glad to email it to you.

Thanks,
Rick

[Sealrocker]

Originally Posted by NavyCorpsman

What type of lock do you have? I found a complete bargman lockset with key at a rural junk shop this week. It has L-100_6 on the inside door casting. I'm not sure if you need the recessed handle or this knob type. Let me know if you need it.

I have 2 non functioning locks. The one I just removed because it locked me inside and the spare that came with the trailer (in a bag).
The one I took off has round knobs inside and outside with an extended latch (striker)bolt. One of the "90 degree extensions" off the" tuning" fork on the latch broke off.
The one in the bag has levers on the inside and outside and the extended latch bolt. THe outside lever has "airstream" cast into it. THere are a lot of moving parts in this one.

I am not sure what the nomenclature for these locks is.

[NavyCorpsman]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

Rebuilding a lock thats almost 40 years old, is not a good idea.

Why??

It will fail when on a trip. You can bet on that.

Then...................where are you going to find a part?

Finding a part then, will be much more difficult then now.

Replacing the lock, with a current replacement type, at least assures you that should it fail, parts certainly are easily available.

Costs a few extra bucks, but that goes hand in hand with Airstreaming.

Airstreaming trips are supposed to make people happy and relaxed.

It was never intended to develope new cuss words.

Andy

During my 20 Year service in the U.S. Navy, we had to routinely use equipment and materials that were in some cases older than we were. Age and serviceability are apples and oranges. How well it was maintained and the severity of its use all factor into it's longevity. Why did the part fail?.....That will determine whether it should be replaced with an upgrade. For the purist, the joy of finding the source of the malfunction and the correct replacement is a labor of research, and love. There are many people that want to do things the quick way. That's OK. I personally prefer to keep my equipment is as close to original as is feasible. I never had to surrender. That includes the door latch on my 78 Sovereign. Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock used rifles that were still in use into the 90's, 20 years after the USA pulled out of VietNam. I had the opportunity to handle and shoulder one of them. It certainly was old, and had repairs, but in the right hands, was just as lethal, and functioned flawlessly. As far as new cuss words, not going to happen. I have an OLD Airstream by choice. It's going to need more attention and care than a new AS, but therein lies the beauty of it. Its a hobby, a way of life, and its rewards are greater than the frustration. The day my heart fails to stir when I walk outside, and step inside my AS, I will sell it. Pimples , dimples and all. Thanks. I appreciate and enjoy reading your posts.
It's all good. You asked "why", there it is.

[montanablue]

Beautifully said..........


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[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by NavyCorpsman

During my 20 Year service in the U.S. Navy, we had to routinely use equipment and materials that were in some cases older than we were. Age and serviceability are apples and oranges. How well it was maintained and the severity of its use all factor into it's longevity. Why did the part fail?.....That will determine whether it should be replaced with an upgrade. For the purist, the joy of finding the source of the malfunction and the correct replacement is a labor of research, and love. There are many people that want to do things the quick way. That's OK. I personally prefer to keep my equipment is as close to original as is feasible. I never had to surrender. That includes the door latch on my 78 Sovereign. Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock used rifles that were still in use into the 90's, 20 years after the USA pulled out of VietNam. I had the opportunity to handle and shoulder one of them. It certainly was old, and had repairs, but in the right hands, was just as lethal, and functioned flawlessly. As far as new cuss words, not going to happen. I have an OLD Airstream by choice. It's going to need more attention and care than a new AS, but therein lies the beauty of it. Its a hobby, a way of life, and its rewards are greater than the frustration. The day my heart fails to stir when I walk outside, and step inside my AS, I will sell it. Pimples , dimples and all. Thanks. I appreciate and enjoy reading your posts.
It's all good. You asked "why", there it is.

You wrote a very valid point.

Military peoples minds usually work some what different than just people. It's that far out training that does it.

Thank you for willingly giving time to our military.

It's folks like you, the keeps the rest of us safe, and going.

I am also one, that appreciates to this day, what I learned in the Air Force, even though it was doing research.

Andy

[rmkrum]

I have always been amazed at what I learned to do in the Navy, the Boy Scouts, and life in general.


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[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by rmkrum

I have always been amazed at what I learned to do in the Navy, the Boy Scouts, and life in general.


Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums

There are those "poor me" people, and the there are those that got a firm grip of their butt when they were kids, and set goals for themselves that they never reached.

How can that be??

Never reach your goals.

Set them, yes.

When you start getting close to them, raise them another notch or two.

Learning, in an agressive way, makes us stay up to date, and sometimes even better, and best of all, it keeps us young, at least mentally.

One of the best parts of life, is doing things others say "you can't do that".

Bet me!!!

Andy

[rmkrum]

Yup. Always learning new stuff keeps the mind active. One of these days I need to buy you a cup of coffee.

Never been in the "poor me" mindset, nor are my kids. I'm sure I can do darn near anything, except fix the crack of dawn, when I put my mind to it. I just avoid the early morning hours.....we are all night persons.


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[NavyCorpsman]

Andy,
Thanks for the kind words. I am just a regular guy that was blessed with some skill sets that put me in the place to be a small part of the big picture. The men and women that were under my care were singularly responsible for my achievements. I trained them and let them go. They knew what the standard was and it was hard. And it wasn't until not too long ago that we were persona non grata. A word of Thanks means so much more to me. Thanksgiving isn't just a season but it should be a lifestyle. Not only for the military servants, but for each other. I sincerely thank you for your service to Our Nation. I could say something cute about Air Force Intel is an oxymoron, but I wont. We all need each other. That's what I love about this forum. There is no such thing as a dumb question. Well almost anyways. Airstreaming is an exceptional and great part of our culture that has endured the test of time. I am certain that I am not the only person that gets giddy when an airstream passes by. I do believe that Airstreams are the origin of "rubbernecking". Really.

[NavyCorpsman]

Originally Posted by Inland RV Center, In

There are those "poor me" people, and the there are those that got a firm grip of their butt when they were kids, and set goals for themselves that they never reached.

How can that be??

Never reach your goals.

Set them, yes.

When you start getting close to them, raise them another notch or two.

Learning, in an agressive way, makes us stay up to date, and sometimes even better, and best of all, it keeps us young, at least mentally.

One of the best parts of life, is doing things others say "you can't do that".

Bet me!!!

Andy

Andy,
I truly hope you had a wonderful Christmas and will have a Great New Year. As a post script to this thread, the Keeler parts that I need for my 78 Sovereign are now available through VTS. There is a beefed up casting for the outside latch, a bolt assembly that is reinforced in a way that will prevent failures as did the original. They also have NOS lock cylinders. The only remaining part is the inside handle On top of that, while looking at a junk shop I spotted a near new Bargman L-100 complete with key for 10 dollars. It works beautifully.
I would like to encourage all to never give up when you're after a dream. You never know what awaits along the way. All I need now is the inside handle, and it will be better than new.
Thanks friend.
Clayton