Door Lock??? Help

Jamey · 07-20-2008, 08:15 AM

Hello All
Hopefuly someone can help me out with this?
My 5 year old son tried to unlock the dead bolt on the rear door (toy door) of our trailer with a small stick and yes you have all guessed correctly it broke off deep inside. Why? I'm sure all of you are asking, he wanted his water wings.
I can not get it it out, the handle to open the dead bolt from the inside does not turn it's jammed and I have tried taking the lock apart from the inside, which does not help (to fully remove the lock the door needs to be open and you need to remove two screws on the inside of the door jam, one just above the dead bolt and one just below it).
Anyone ever had something like this come up?
Anyone ever tried this? The 3 hinges are located on the outside of the door, if I remove the pin that holds the two the two parts of each hinge together (with hammer and small punch knocking the pin up through the two hinges) will I be able to remove the door and reinstall the bolts with out any issues? The pin looks like a very tight fit.

I have very little time with this issue as we leave in two days to camp for a week and I'm traveling on business those two days before we leave!!
Love the little guy, and I'm sure this is pay back for a few of the things I did to my Dad when I was younger, but...AHAHAHAHAH!

Jamey · 07-20-2008, 09:49 AM

Now I'm not so sure my son put anything in it. He's now telling me he did not, and I did a little research and found another post here where a lock had jammed while left in a horizontal position (which yours is).
The post clams to tap the key in with a hammer until it goes all the way in and then it should work (which I'm a little nervous about doing) and then always leave the key in a vertical position.
Anyone had to do this? How much "tapping" with a hammer is too much before damage is done to the cylinder?

08flagvlite · 07-20-2008, 10:10 AM

I don't see any problem with removing the hinge pins- with the exception of possibly scratching up the side of the camper, from the close proximity of the hinge pin to the body. Sounds like the easiest way to remove the lock. Randy

rockwood06 · 07-20-2008, 07:56 PM

There is a tool called a KEY EXTRACTOR, this is something you may be able to buy at a locksmith shop, you can also check Low's in the lock department. I tried to take a pic of mine so you could see what it look's like but it did not come out. They are not hard to use, but may take some time to extract depending on the condition of the key and the Disc Tumblers. The chance of you having Pin Tumblers are slim. RV manufactures use the cheapest locks possible. Good luck!

TacBear · 07-20-2008, 08:55 PM

I feel that I will be severely criticized for even suggesting this as a solution, but here goes...

I don't know if there is any plastic in the lock, but if there is not, apply intense heat from a small blowtorch. If you don't burn the trailer down, you might char the wood enough to cause it to "give".

Please don't tell your insurance person I made this suggestion...

TacBear

rockwood06 · 07-20-2008, 09:31 PM

There is no plastic just thin brass disc with metal springs enclosed in a metal cylinder. If you look in side the key way you can see them, well the one in the front anyway. If you count the key cuts on the key, that will tell you how many tumblers there are.

powerboatr · 07-20-2008, 09:53 PM

my door locka has four screws on the inside plate, can you unscrew the plate and fidget teh wood out of it??????

rockwood06 · 07-20-2008, 10:05 PM

I have not removed the door locks from a camper at this time, so I am not sure how they are set up, but it seems to me that the wood you are talking about should stay in place when the screws are removed. The screws hold the inside and the out side plate together.

rockwood06 · 07-20-2008, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamey

Now I'm not so sure my son put anything in it. He's now telling me he did not, and I did a little research and found another post here where a lock had jammed while left in a horizontal position (which yours is).
The post clams to tap the key in with a hammer until it goes all the way in and then it should work (which I'm a little nervous about doing) and then always leave the key in a vertical position.
Anyone had to do this? How much "tapping" with a hammer is too much before damage is done to the cylinder?

If the key has always and now you have to force the key in, then there is somthing wrong " DO NOT FORCE THE KEY IN " This means the key way is dirty. Spray a little WD-40 on the key only not in the key way and then slide the key in and out until it go's in easy. This will clean the key way, the key and the springs and the pins/disc tumblers. As far as a hammer, If the lock has Disc tumblers, they could bend. If this happens you are done, change the lock.

Jamey · 07-22-2008, 08:27 PM

Thanks for all the advice, Turns out there was nothing in it, it was the lock it self. I asked at my local RV dealer and he said to use the hammer. He's heard of this happening a few times over the last few years (become more and more frequent). These locks are very cheep and you must always return the key way to a vertical position every time! When I locked my dead bolt (turning the lock to the left) I could remove the key and always left it horizontal that way I would know by looking and the key way if the door was locked or not, this is not a good thing to do. Not sure if this is accurate or not as I do not know a lot about locks but apparently the tumblers can "fall" if left in a horizontal position!
Make sure you always return the key way to the vertical position every time to remove the key.
If this happens to you and the tumblers "fall" the hammer trick does work, I sprayed a lot of wd-40 and used the hammer to hit the key pushing the tumblers back into the correct position (force used was a little bit more than a tap, but did not definitely did not try to drive the key through the door).
Thanks again for the suggestions

rockwood06 · 07-23-2008, 04:31 AM

With good locks the key should not come out of the cylinder when it is between the lock or unlock position, it needs to be either or. As far as dead bolt locks that is the best secured lock you have on your camper, But if it is not fully engaged it can be worked open. Make sure that when you lock your dead bolt it is engaged completely. This how you can tell, as you turn the key to the lock position just before the key stops you will fell or hear a change in the movement before the key stops, It could be a click sound or you can fell a change just as it stops. If the key stops before it should, then the hole in the door frame for the dead bolt needs to be deeper. This applies to all dead bolt applications......The difference between good locks and cheep locks is the material that they are made of and how tight the tolerances are with added security devices in the lock that only specific keys can open. Do not use your door handle lock as a main locking devise to keep you camper secure always use the dead bolt.

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