Deadbolt Installation???

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by jjustice

Andy Rogozinski
Thanks for posting this. I posted on the forum today a question about the replacement lock I purchased from AS that was to replace the original lock assembly in my '78 Argosy. But when my RV guy attempted to replace the old lock he realized that the replacement lock would not work w/o major reconstruction of the door. Do you have any thoughts and suggestions on this problem? Thanks,
jjusticeairstream@gmail.com

I just located your previous post and a photo of your Argosy.

Part of the problem is that you "do not" have a 1978 Argosy.

When i enlarged your trailer photo by 400 percent, the entrance door lock is a "KT" lock, which was last used in "1977".

Owners often state the wrong year, which in turn leads to making UPS richer, when parts have to be returned, exchanged and then the correct parts shipped out. That triples the shipping costs.

Please post your trailer serial number, and then we can better help you.

There is also a kit for a 1977 entrance door lock, which is very different than a kit for a 1978 entrance door lock.

Andy

[JFerguson]

My wife brought home a shiny new residential deadbolt lock from Home Depot tonight. Then I read this thread and showed it to her. At least we kept the receipt! We will be going with only recommended hardware for our 64 Overlander. I figure it's easier to beef up the security on the individual valuables inside the camper anyway. A good audible alarm might be a pretty good deterrent as well.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by JFerguson

My wife brought home a shiny new residential deadbolt lock from Home Depot tonight. Then I read this thread and showed it to her. At least we kept the receipt! We will be going with only recommended hardware for our 64 Overlander. I figure it's easier to beef up the security on the individual valuables inside the camper anyway. A good audible alarm might be a pretty good deterrent as well.

A sign near the door that says;

Explosive charge activates when door is forced open!!!!!

But, that is assuming the thief knows how to read.

Andy

[1989excella]

We have had our 1989 25 foot Excella for 6 years and have wanted to add an outside deadbolt from day one! Now, our camping routine has changed. We will be permanently parking our AS on a small lot that also has a cabin on it, but not many people around. Its at a lake and I would feel much better if the deadbolt was there to keep people honest. I searched the forum to get ideas and even made a trip to the AS factory for them to look at the trailer, for their input. Unfortunately, due to the trailer's construction characteristics, vertical rib location, and lack of space, there just wasn't any way of making the installation without greatly weakening the trailer. Of course I didn't want to do that. I almost gave up on the idea, but during one of my sleepless nights thinking about a way to do this, I figured it out! The trailer already had an inside factory deadbolt, so all I had to do was figure out away to utilize that same mechanism and hook an outside deadbolt to it. I have attached two pictures that illustrate what I came up with. I am happy to report that it works better than I thought! I had a machine shop make an "adapter plate" to hold the deadbolts assembly, drilled a very small hole through the trailer's skin to connect the deadbolt's link to the inside deadbolt, so the lock could be operated from the inside and outside. Notice the ring of rivets around the adapter plate, these mirror the rivets construction around the window frames. Simple!