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balrgn · 11-04-2006, 06:08 AM

I have long wanted to install a dead bolt in my '75 Trade Wind. Getting the nerve to drill out the aluminum was the hardest part! Well almost.

peegreen · 11-04-2006, 06:17 AM

That looks awesome - nice job!

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peegreen

That looks awesome - nice job!

Thanx, you can see more pics here
http://www.balrgn.com/Airstream/Deadbolt/Deadbolt.htm
I'll post the door later today.

**azflycaster** · 11-04-2006, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by balrgn

I have long wanted to install a dead bolt in my '75 Trade Wind. Getting the nerve to drill out the aluminum was the hardest part! Well almost.

Looks like a very clean install. No more worries about the door opening in transit.

What does the inside look like?
What did you get the lock?
How did you modify the door for the bolt?

75 Trade Wind owners want to know!

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Looks like a very clean install. No more worries about the door opening in transit.

What does the inside look like?
What did you get the lock?
How did you modify the door for the bolt?

75 Trade Wind owners want to know!

What does the inside look like?
Check out the link below (or above) nothing in there, just insulation. Man, I just missed the curtain rail! I'll post a pic of the inside when it warms up, 30 degrees out there!

Where did you get the lock?
Home Depot. Picked up one from a Camper Parts place, was not what I needed, hope to fit that into the Argosy 20, aka the Peanut. Loes did not have one that I liked...

How did you modify the door for the bolt?
Holy cow! That was tougher, I'll post pics on that later as well. Took alot of filing and de-buring out. Good thing I'm a machinist!

markdoane · 11-04-2006, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azflycaster

75 Trade Wind owners want to know!

Do you think these would work on a '59 Tradewind?

I bought my deadbolt from Vintagetrailersupply, but I haven't put it in yet. I'm thinking I may need to mount it in the door because older doors have a flange that overlaps the jamb by about an inch.

How much backset did you use?

59 Tradewinders want to know too!

wahoonc · 11-04-2006, 06:38 AM

Balgrn,
Nice looking install. Make sure you bed the lock in Vulkem! There was a leak on my 80 that actually rotted out the floor at that point. PO didn't fix it properly...I was chasing door frame leaks when I finally looked at the lock and had one of those DOH! moments

Aaron

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

Do you think these would work on a '59 Tradewind?

I bought my deadbolt from Vintagetrailersupply, but I haven't put it in yet. I'm thinking I may need to mount it in the door because older doors have a flange that overlaps the jamb by about an inch.

59 Tradewinders want to know too!

Can you post a pic of your foor area like the one I posted? If your door opens full, I think it does, it is not wise to mount it in the door. It will hit the panel when the door is open...

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Balgrn,
Nice looking install. Make sure you bed the lock in Vulkem! There was a leak on my 80 that actually rotted out the floor at that point. PO didn't fix it properly...I was chasing door frame leaks when I finally looked at the lock and had one of those DOH! moments

Aaron

Sealed with Parbond, thanks for the heads up!

markdoane · 11-04-2006, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by balrgn

Can you post a pic of your foor area like the one I posted? If your door opens full, I think it does, it is not wise to mount it in the door. It will hit the panel when the door is open...

Here's pictures. I marked the deadbolt area with 1" wide masking tape. Looking at it, I guess I don't have room on the jamb for a deadbolt.

On the other hand, the way the door curves, I think I can mount in the door and still have it clear the panel when open, Might need to mount it higher, about chest level.

Great looking installation!

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

Here's pictures. I marked the deadbolt area with 1" wide masking tape. Looking at it, I guess I don't have room on the jamb for a deadbolt.

On the other hand, the way the door curves, I think I can mount in the door and still have it clear the panel when open, Might need to mount it higher, about chest level.

Great looking installation!

I'd go with it in the door. That should put it below your handle and it looks like there is not enough room for the assebly to actuate due to the window location. Even with that your gonna have a tight squeeze,,,,,

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 07:24 AM

I wanted to add to the bracing because it came so close to the door panel, so I made it from a piece of aluminum square tubing, that made the inside corner square.

Aaron, I still owe you a pic of the inside

wahoonc · 11-04-2006, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by balrgn

I wanted to add to the bracing because it came so close to the door panel, so I made it from a piece of aluminum square tubing, that made the inside corner square.

Aaron, I still owe you a pic of the inside

Actually that was azflycaster that wanted the pics

I will have to look at mine again but I think both of mine had some type of strike plate mounted on the door frame. That angle looks alot better!

Aaron

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 07:48 AM

Oops, sorry AZ, Brain Froze while I was outside

Here ya go

tphan · 11-04-2006, 08:21 AM

I would certainly agree that this is a scary job, with the possibility of screwing up the skin, the jamb, and the door all in one afternoon! Having said that, I also think it is not rocket science, that with CAREFUL measuring and layout, and the right tools and know-how, any coach owner can do it. It IS a tight fit, with very small margin of error, and I did file one side of the bolt to thin it down to go into the door. I used the "Defiant" brand from HD, it was like $10, and has a solid bolt (not hollow) to allow for shaping. Also used parbond for the seal. I found that, in my coach, by taking off the inner trim ring from the adjacent window, you have good access to the area where the guts of the thing will go. This also allows you to drill out a wood block through which the guts go, the block being the same thickness as the inside of the wall, so that you can crank down on the screws holding the deadbolt together. I would NOT leave out this step. Best of luck!!-tim

overlander64 · 11-04-2006, 08:45 AM

Greetings markdoane!

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

Here's pictures. I marked the deadbolt area with 1" wide masking tape. Looking at it, I guess I don't have room on the jamb for a deadbolt.

On the other hand, the way the door curves, I think I can mount in the door and still have it clear the panel when open, Might need to mount it higher, about chest level.

Great looking installation!

My '64 Overlander has had a deadbolt since it was new, and I believe that your mounting logic should work with your '59 coach with the door-within-a-door configuration. The door hold-open bracket used with most of the door-within-a-door hold the door far enough from the body that the deadbolt won't contact the skin. I have a good friend with a '60 Overlander that has a more modern knob-type door handle (replacing the original "refrigerator" style handle) and his handle does not contact the skin when the door is held open with the stock bracket. In fact, his coach has a deadbolt security lock mounted only about six or eight inches above floor level and it is mounted in the wall.

The photos below are of the installation on my Overlander -- these aren't the original parts -- Ace Fogdall RV in Cedar Falls, IA sourced these as replacements for my originals that were unreliable in operation:

A close-up of the deadbolt:

Close-up of deadbolt/entrance handle pair (the visible damage -- wrinkling of skin -- was the result of the failure of the original door locks while in-transit:

The door-frame close-up of the installation:

This isntallation is about five years old at this point, and I am very happy with the results.

Good luck with your deadbolt project!

Kevin

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tphan

I would certainly agree that this is a scary job, with the possibility of screwing up the skin, the jamb, and the door all in one afternoon! Having said that, I also think it is not rocket science, that with CAREFUL measuring and layout, and the right tools and know-how, any coach owner can do it. It IS a tight fit, with very small margin of error, and I did file one side of the bolt to thin it down to go into the door. I used the "Defiant" brand from HD, it was like $10, and has a solid bolt (not hollow) to allow for shaping. Also used parbond for the seal. I found that, in my coach, by taking off the inner trim ring from the adjacent window, you have good access to the area where the guts of the thing will go. This also allows you to drill out a wood block through which the guts go, the block being the same thickness as the inside of the wall, so that you can crank down on the screws holding the deadbolt together. I would NOT leave out this step. Best of luck!!-tim

Nice job! And you didn't have the steop up I did. I lucked out, careful placement was key. No interior diassembly

Safari Tim · 11-04-2006, 09:43 AM

I like both your installs look great.

When I picked up the Ambassador in Ohio I paid AS at Jackson Center to put a deadbolt in for me. I ended up replacing it because it was binding when the new seals were put on the door. You need to find one with a solid pin in case you need to shave it down.

markdoane · 11-04-2006, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Safari Tim

. . . You need to find one with a solid pin in case you need to shave it down.

If you get the one from Kevin at VTS it's already thinner. The hardware store ones are about 5/8", the RV style is 1/2" thick.

Not much, but might be the difference between setting up the milling machine.

I think the one Kevin shows in post #16 is the RV style. It looks noticeably thinner.

balrgn · 11-04-2006, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdoane

If you get the one from Kevin at VTS it's already thinner. The hardware store ones are about 5/8", the RV style is 1/2" thick.

Not much, but might be the difference between setting up the milling machine.

I think the one Kevin shows in post #16 is the RV style. It looks noticeably thinner.

The thing with the RV one I got was the set back. It is 2 3/8" The onter is 2 1/5, made a big dif, for me I needed to get away from the seam.