Plastic latch for top door

Heidi94596 · 07-01-2020, 11:47 PM

I have a 2015 Trailmanor travel trailer. I purchased a new latch except I can not figure out how to remive the broken old latch. Also Trailor Manor did not send the screw to attach the new latch. The old latch seems like a circle in the middle and I do not know what to put on it to remove it.

I was reading on one of the forums that someone installed a dead bolt. What are my options? I do not want the door opening and closing and possibly losing my door during travel.
When I noticed the latch was broken, I duct tape it except , I should have duct tape around the whole rig. It was hot day and I am not sure when the tape came off. However it did come off and put me and or other drivers in a position that could have created an accident .

I am not handy and will need to pay someone to fix my door.

**Bill** · 07-02-2020, 06:54 AM

Heidi -

A photo of the thing you are talking about would help. Does it look like either of the attached pictures?

Your trailer should have a dead bolt as part of the doorknob/lockset on the entry door. The deadbolt may be a separate unit, or part of the lockset, but it can be used only when the trailer is set up and the door halves are attached. You say that "you read that someone ...". Where are you getting this information? Could you ask the "someone" who posted about it?

Bill

Shane826 · 07-02-2020, 10:18 AM

Bill- That may have been on the Facebook page. Myself and another owner found a deadbolt originally for a pocket door in a house, and it worked perfectly for the upper door since the latch is recessed to leave the face of the door flat...

**Larryjb** · 07-02-2020, 11:37 AM

I remember vaguely in a post last year (or 2 years ago?) that some one thought of using one of those screw on deadbolts to keep the upper door closed when travelling. The reason the deadbolt was suggested was to get around the issue of the rotating latch turning down and releasing the door when travelling.
The idea was rejected because of the possibility of some jokester locking the door while people are inside the trailer. Mind you, some one could always do the same with that little rotary latch that TM uses.

Shane826 · 07-02-2020, 01:45 PM

Another option to keep the door from flapping around in the breeze while going down the road is to add an entry assist handle. They fold flat for travel, and would also kinda pin the door shut.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-42197-F...3719092&sr=8-6

**Kidkraz** · 07-02-2020, 03:23 PM

Heidi, if your talking about the latch in the first picture, Bill posted. Mine is held with a rivet, not a screw. Which makes sense that the factory didn’t send one. Now having said that, you say your not handy, so could you reach out to family or friends who might be handy? Installing a rivet is not hard, but if you’ve never done that it seems hard. It is not. We were all taught to do things that we didn’t know how to do. Don’t feel discouraged folks on this forum are willing to help.
As Bill says, providing a picture so folks know what your talking about helps us give our best answers.
Here's what my door latch looks like and as you can see it's riveted on. I don't know if drilling you could have the old one drilled out and replace it with a same sized rivet.

Heidi94596 · 07-03-2020, 06:15 PM

Yes. That is what I have. I could not figure out how to remove it. Trailmanor sent me the latch except no screw . I need to remove the old rivet and put a new one in. I will need to buy or borrow a drill.

How does the handle work to keep the door closed. I am going to buy the handle. I might need it to get in and out.

I can see why the dead bolt is not a good idea since it would lock on the outside.

**Larryjb** · 07-03-2020, 10:02 PM

This one will lock on the outside too. You rotate the latch so the ears come off from the door. To lock, you rotate it so that the ears overlap the door.

If I were you, I'd probably try to find some one with a drill, rivet gun, and rivets. It's probably a 5 minute job once you have the tools out.