Locked out!

So, some may criticize me for providing a "how to" on breaking into a TM, but have you ever considered what to do when you've locked the keys in your TM and DW's set is hanging on the refrigerator 300 miles away?

We were camping at Wisconsin's Nelson Dewey S.P. this past weekend and were meeting friends to canoe the Grant River. Knowing that the TM keys were in the truck, I pushed the lock button when closing up to visit Cabela's in Prairie du Chien. Of course, I had taken the keys in the prior evening!

What to do? I just happened to have an electric drill along and I identified the head of the bolt that holds the little catch that holds the 2 parts of the door together as the weakest part of TM security. (It also seemed like the cheapest and easiest thing to replace.) After breaking 3 good quality bits trying to drill out that stainless steel bolt, I drove to Cassville which had neither a locksmith nor a hardware store. Next I was going to try to drill out the center of the lockset (which I hoped would allow the lock bolt to retract). I explained to a mechanic my plan but when I told him what I originally tried to do, he followed me out to the park with a little cut off wheel which allowed us to cut a slot in the bolt head which then allowed us to use a screwdriver to turn the bolt allowing the top half of the door to be opened. I went to pay the mechanic who wanted "a few bucks" for his time - I gave him $20.

So, the moral of the story is that I will keep the spare TM keys in the truck from now on. I'm wondering whether there was an easier way to break in? - Camp2Canoe

[kempert]

As I frequently travel alone, I had a couple of extra keys made and use a hide-a-key contraption (for lack of a better word). It's black with a magnet on the bottom so there are lots of good places to put the key on the bottom of the TM. I check it every now and then to make sure that it's still there. So far it's made it for a good 15,000 miles including some pretty rough roads including some interstates. I'll admit that I've had to use it more than once. I just noticed the other day that the other extra key is in my house which is 110 miles from the

This reminds me of an incident when I had my old popup. Aliners have a strange locking mechanism on the door. There is a little lever on the inside that if you accidentally move it, it will lock the door and your key will not work. Only by moving the lever on the inside will the lock once again work.
Went to Aliner rally and we were all complaining about that lever and how you would be up a creek if you moved the lever and shut the door. Well...the very next day one of the folks did exactly that. As you can see by the picture he did find a way to get into the trailer.

Mike Anderson

[countrygirl]

We have been there done that with our Outback...somebody ...dropped the keys when we were going out to eat...came home in the dark and could not find them...I had a spare key to the cargo hatch...opened it...climbed inside and lifted the queen mattress which is on air shock lift things and viola...got a flash light opened the door walked outside and found the keys next to the truck. Since then we have two sets of keys...each set has the keys to the hatches and 1 key to either the front or back door of the camper.

[Bill]

Most TMs are really easy to break into. Especially the slideout models. Think velcro ...

Bill

Originally Posted by Bill

Most TMs are really easy to break into. Especially the slideout models. Think velcro ...

Bill

Darn, that's good. Even though it has never happened to me, I was picking my brain trying to figure out a simple way.

mtnguy

[B_and_D]

That picture of the guy crawling into the hatch reminded me of how we used to be able to get into our Aloha without the key...my son was small enough to fit through the hatch(es). There was also one on the inside, under the rear bed. It makes me laugh to remember that!

When we picked up our TM from the dealer in 2003, they had locked the trailer but lost the keys (oh great, we'd only driven to Oregon to pick it up). I told my son to go under the front bed and lift up, and sure enough, they hadn't locked the front bed latches, and he climbed right in, and we were inside in less than a minute. Problem solved, thanks to this forum, and all my reading before our purchase.

Regarding Velcro, I am not sure if it matters if it is a slide-out. On my TM there is a small velcro piece immediately to the right of the door (looking from the inside). I have found it necessary on two occasions (!!) to push that flap up from the outside and then just reach up and over with my left arm and open the door--even easier if you have small hands.

In fact, it is so easy I have considered various ways to reinforce that area but then I figured the lock is -- at best -- a crime-of-opportunity deterrant. The best defense we really have is other campers looking out for one another.

[Denny_A]

Originally Posted by countrygirl

We have been there done that with our Outback...somebody ...dropped the keys when we were going out to eat...came home in the dark and could not find them...I had a spare key to the cargo hatch...opened it...climbed inside and lifted the queen mattress which is on air shock lift things and viola...got a flash lightopened the door walked outside and found the keys next to the truck. Since then we have two sets of keys...each set has the keys to the hatches and 1 key to either the front or back door of the camper.

How'd ya transform a "viola" into a flashlight?

Reminds me of a very competent lady who worked for us; had a way of massacring cliches' ; "mess of snakes ' for can of worms, etc. When she solved a problem on a spreadsheet she'd say "viola". Never had the heart to correct her. Not even when she would say it's "mute point".

Denny_A

[countrygirl]

Hmmmm...