What would you do?

[Kidkraz]

So, I was camping at MacKerricher State park along the northern CA coast. It was really fun, but I got myself locked out of the camper.
My question is what is the best option to get into the camper?

[rich2468]

Originally Posted by Kidkraz

So, I was camping at MacKerricher State park along the northern CA coast. It was really fun, but I got myself locked out of the camper.

My question is what is the best option to get into the camper?

I see you have a 2013 2619....

That killed all of my ideas which would work easily with a later model TM with a pass through exterior storage or the new pull handle.

[jagizzi]

I have an extra set of TM keys in my truck and have used them more than once but if for some reason those were not available try and go through one of the beds.

If I were in a campground I would ask the office for a couple of paperclips and would rake the doorknob lock. It would take 5 minutes or so but I've done it in the past with success. Youtube "raking a door lock", it will have you rethinking your locks.

[Bill]

You said "I was camping" rather than "I am camping", so I gather you have found a solution, and are now just gathering knowledge for next time. Can you tell us what you did?

Right away, it depends partly on whether you locked the door using the deadbolt or just the snap lock. If the deadbolt is locked, you won't get anywhere with the door. If not, the credit card trick is the next thing to try.

When you slide out the front bed, is there anything to prevent you from sliding it back in, from the outside? All of our 2720SL's came with pin-latches that are supposed to be engaged as soon as the rear bed and front slide are pulled out. I immediately removed and discarded those latches. You would need to push up any velcro flaps, which is a pain - but hey, this isn't supposed to be fun.

The next best bet is probably to make the rounds of the windows. You may find that one of the door windows is slid closed but not latched. Rip out the screen, slide the window open, and stick your arm through. If not, check the big windows either near the door or across from the door. Again, you may find one that is closed but not latched. Once you get it open, you may be able to manipulate the lock with a long stick of some kind. Or slip a small child through the window, and tell him how to open the door. (When I was 10, my Dad did this when a builder locked us out of our new house to which he didn't yet have keys. I was hailed as a hero!)

If nothing else works, either call a locksmith, or break a window in or beside the door. It will cost about the same either way.

BTW, I searched YouTube for "raking a door lock", but didn't come up with much. I've seen it done - you need a couple special tools called a rake and a tensioner. These don't do you any good if they are stored inside the TM, of course, so you need to keep them somewhere outside the TM - perhaps right next to your spare keys.

Bill

[Shane826]

Bill said “All of our 2720SL's came with pin-latches that are supposed to be engaged as soon as the rear bed and front slide are pulled out. I immediately removed and discarded those latches.”

I’m surprised you’ve never been dumped out of the bed onto the ground. I’ve been able to teeter the bed intentionally as an experiment and I’ve heard of several others who’ve been evacuated when there was no emergency.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Shane826

I’m surprised you’ve never been dumped out of the bed onto the ground. I’ve been able to teeter the bed intentionally as an experiment and I’ve heard of several others who’ve been evacuated when there was no emergency.

I've heard the same stories, and I don't doubt them. It would be hard to be wrong about being dumped on the ground. But I've tried to do it on our 2720SLs, and I was unable to make it happen. And I don't understand how it can happen, given that the bed supports swing out to within a foot of the rear edge of the bed tray, while several feet of the tray remain inside the supports. The leverage just doesn't work for me.

I'm not a small guy, and I have climbed out on the bed as close to the rear wall as I can get. Nothing. I've gone outside the TM, hooked my fingers over the rear edge of the bed tray, and actually hung from it. Again, nothing. I've gone inside the TM and tried to lift the front edge of the bed tray - I can do it, but barely. It is really heavy.

So there may be some construction difference among the models, 2619 vs 2720 vs 3324, etc. Maybe thicker plywood or MDF? In earlier days, tilting the rear bed was the emergency exit from the TM, so clearly it could be done at that time. But a number of years ago, TM switched to the rear window as an emergency exit, so maybe that was part of a construction change.

Perhaps this technique for getting into the TM should be added to the Locked Myself Out idea list - wadya think?

Bill

[Kidkraz]

I was camping with friends, who I trust with a spare house key, but they didn't have it with them. Years back I modified my camper door to take a standard house door lock. So, my home key opens and locks the TM door.
Bill, I still have those latches and do use them when camping. So there was no way to slide the front bed back and climb in, those velcro flaps will push up and allows a too small space to get an arm in; so that idea was moot.
All the windows were locked. I'd only latched the door handle lock. My sad solution was to break the sliding door window. I taped the window as much as possible to minimise the amount of crumbled glass; I didn't want the next campers kids/animals walking barefoot and end up with cuts. Bad Karma.
I used my little car glass breaking tool and it shattered nicely, cleaned up the big taped chunks and cleaned the sill enough for a friend to reach in and unlock the top door from the bottom door. Our arms were a bit too short to reach the door handle, but we unlatched the upper door half and could unlock the bottom portion. The keys were sitting on the sink counter.
Thing Learned: have a spare where you can get to it.
DO NOT lift the front of the bed too high, you'll pop the support arms out of both tracks; which is how I broke one plastic slide piece. I was able to close the front bed, but I still need to get both supports into the tracks correctly and replace the one damaged slide track.

I did contact AAA, but once they find out you have a house type door, they tell ya to get a locksmith. Once I learned that, it's what pushed me to break the sliding part of the door window. I'm hoping the replacement glass will be easier than the non-sliding side.

Shane, I don't see how you can get dumped out of bed if the latches are not engaged. If the front support arms are positioned properly you might get some movement, but if yer kinda bouncing those arms could shift back towards the stowed position and then I can see getting dumped out.

This was my first outing in 2 years and I needed it, but not the extra headaches. I learned good lessons and that I have great friends who were happy to take me in if needed. I got a good shake out of the camper and I need to fix a few items, and restock on old expire things.

[Shane826]

I got one of those electric combination locks for the door this past year for Christmas. That will eliminate this problem. Although I’m still paranoid enough that I’ll probably still hide a key somewhere in case the battery dies. Note these locks won’t work if you have a house style lock set. Newer TMs have the common RV paddle latch assemblies, this is an almost direct replacement. The lock is designed to work with a 1-1/2” thick door, TMs are 1”. I called and they said 1-1/4” is that absolute minimum allowable thickness. They have a 1/4” spacer that they sent me for free to make it work.

https://a.co/d/hslCmDV

[wbmiller3]

We found out that my wife (very petite) could push the flap out of the way (the one behind the stove), reach in, and unlock the door. Our 2001 doesn't have a deadbolt. Don't tell the bad guys.

[Kidkraz]

Bill, I hadn’t thought of those flaps. I tried the bed ones, but couldn't reach the latches. I’ll have to see if thats possible next time I open it.