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Today I installed a cam-type, cabinet door lock on the upper half door of our TM. The installation of this additional lock was detailed on John Irwin's TrailManor site (before it was blanked out!). I believe it was thought up by Jack or Vivian Fox.
I've wanted to install such an additional lock on the door of our 3124KS since learning about it. Our door, like those of other TMs, I suspect, has been difficult to keep closed. This became evident during a stay at a state park in oregon when we locked up the trailer and drove to see the park's lighthouse. When we returned, we found the door wide open. Nothing was missing and it appeared that no one was responsible. The door had just swung open on its own because we just hadn't fiddled with it until the latch on the door knob caught.
On returning from that trip I built up the strike plate with a 1/4" thicker one. This made it easier to lock the door, but, the knob's lock still seemed to be an insecure way to lock the entire door - with the upper half just held by a swung-down plastic piece.
After making several expeditions to our local hardware stores, I finally found what I was looking for - a cam lock for a cabinet/small door. Our TM doors are 1-1/4" thick and the job required a cam lock with the longest barrel available, National Cabinet Lock's C8060 series. Making sure that it was square to the door's surface all the time, I drilled a 1/4" hole through the doorway. The center of the hole was located 6" above the bottom of the door and 3/4" in from its edge. While drilling through the door, it became evident that there was a wooden frame underneath the aluminum skins. I then used a 3/4" hole saw (with a 1/4" pilot drill bit) and, starting from the outside, carefully cut a 3/4" hole through the OUTER SKIN of the door and the wood framework. I stopped just before reaching the INNER SKIN - so that I would not cut a completely round, 3/4" hole through the inner aluminum skin. Then I took a 5/8" Forstner bit (a conventional, 1/2" twist bit or even a small chisel would also do) and drilled out the wooden core that was left by the hole saw. Since the cam lock requires a partly round hole with flat sides opposite each other, I used a round file to create this shape. After the barrel fitted snugly through the door, I locked it in place with the nut and installed the rest of the parts according to the directions. I did not like the small area of contact that the offset cam made with the door frame so I made a longer, straight cam for the lock.
With the second, though small, cabinet lock on our TM's upper half door, the entire door seems very secure when both locks are engaged. Sure, a determined thief could break in if he wanted to, but, the dual locking mechanism gives us more peace of mind.
For those of you who want to add this additional lock but can't find a suitable one at your local hardware store, National Cabinet Locks has an online site, at:
http://www.nclnet.com
Click on their stock cabinet locks to see their selection. They may have a listing of distributors on the site also.
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