Replacement compartment latches?

[tmsnyder]

I have these all over my coach. 


outside:



Inside:



To open the compartment, I grab the little finger hook on the outside and rotate the whole thing around until it unhooks on the inside and the door opens.   Is this really how these are supposed to work? It looks like the center of the round part on the outside is a push button or something, but none of them push in or pop out or anything.  I just can't believe they are supposed to work the way I'm using them.


Is there a decent replacement for them?

[Rickf1985]

It appears to be a type of cam lock and it looks like the outer body is not turning by looking at the inside pic. As long as the outer body with the lock nut is not turning then it is working correctly. You would lock it and it would not turn. I have seen similar cam locks, not that style. You might have to go to a lock shop but they should not cost all that much. If you want security stay with the barrel type lock because the basic key type cam lock is the easiest thing in the world to pick.

[CapnDirk]

X2 with Rick.


It may be the outside part should look different the finger hold is just that.  If the whole assembly is turning, that's not right.  Take it off and soak it in some penetrating oil see if anything loosens up.  It could be that it had a special barrel key like what the service people use to open up the Coke vending machine.

[Winnebago Warrior 94]

do you have a barrel key for that ? it sounds as if you don't have the key ..the barrel key has a round post at the bottom that slips over the round middle part at the front of your lock ..sometimes you may need to adjust the locks from time to time ..there is a nut on the back of most of them that you can adjust ..if you don't have the barrel lock key you can find the codes and call trimark or the place that made your rv and you can find the key code number for those locks and im not sure if barrel lock keys may be all alike but not sure of that ..you just need your vin number from your rv and you may be able to trace a key down..sometimes the locks may have a key code on them somewhere too..if you get the key code there may be someone on ebay that makes that key or has that key for sale

[Rickf1985]

A locksmith can duplicate the key by reading the lock (I am a locksmith), But the cost for doing that is more than replacing the lock for a cam lock. The outer part is what is attached to the center post in the inside and rotates the latch. When you lock it the outer shell is locked to the frame of the lock and will not turn. At least that is the type it looks like to me. The inner mounting locknut has not broken loose and turned from the looks of it.

[tmsnyder]

Oh so there's supposed to be a round key that rotates the center portion and rotates the cam down ?   I never saw that key, the PO told me he just rotates the whole assembly to lock and unlock the doors LOL   A small round key in the center makes more sense.


Thanks for the help, each door has two, maybe I'll replace with one non-locking latch and one keyed latch. 

[Winnebago Warrior 94]

you can preobably track that key down pretty easy ..you can message people on ebay ..they probably have that same barrel key ..I believe they told me they use to key a lot of them alike ..but its pretty easy to see ..you can actually loosen the nut in the back and take one off and some rv dealers will carry the keys and you can buy the one that fits  ..my compartment locks are keyed and the person I bought it from only had one engine key and no keys to nothing else ..I took my compartment locks off and tried it at rv place and didn't get a match so I ordered a set of 6 from ebay ..I did get the key code for the front door and I ordered the keys to the front door off ebay by the key code ..thy worked .the code I have for my dead bolt lock on travel trailer trimark said they don't have it in data base but a locksmith said he can make the key for 25.00 so that cheaper than buying a new deadbolt ..they are pricey

[CapnDirk]

Something like this TM


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Southco-RV-Barrel-Tubular-Key-E3-5-15-for-Latches-Campers-Boats-Push-Locks-/262109503424?hash=item3d06f19fc0:g:8q0AAOSw5ZBWKvWU&vxp=mtr

[tmsnyder]

Actually it's exactly like that, got one off and cleaned up to read the writing, and it is a Southco product.  One key is on the way, Thanks!

[tmsnyder]

Thanks CapnDirk, that key fit and works perfect. 

[Winnebago Warrior 94]

I got my new locks in I ordered off eBay ..I had to take off the new lock compartment arm and use the old compartment  arm due to the different ways the arm set ..but I was able to switch  them out and now they all lock and all have the same key ..I changed out 5 of them  ..glad your key worked out for you

[CapnDirk]

Thanks CapnDirk, that key fit and works perfect.

Cool.  Probably a lot easier to turn now that your not rotating the whole lock to.   


Interesting side note.  That guy has sold almost 800 of them!

[Rickf1985]

I would also be interested to know what is turning and what is not now. The locks I was thinking about the whole outer shell is supposed to turn in the unlocked position and in the locked position it is locked to the inner part which is the part that is bolted to the door.

[tmsnyder]

The entire body of the lock is what was rotated by the PO to open the doors because the key stopped working.  The original key was pot metal or aluminum and from what I've read these wore out very quickly.  Mine has no indication of any sort of teeth inside to line up with the latch key hole, it's worn completely smooth, looks like 3/8" aluminum thin wall tubing on the end of the key!

When built, the manufacturer (apparently) drilled the holes round without any side flat spots on the side to prevent rotation of the latch in the hole, and just installed the latches with a sealant.  Looks sort of like this: 


http://www.hannarv.com/P/PrimeProducts18InchCompartmentDoorCamLockwithAceKeyLock/6850

Without a working key, apparently the PO thought to just grab the finger pull with a pair of channel lock pliers or something, and rotate the latch enough to break the sealant?  Now they rotate freely, the entire latch rotates in the the door hole on all the latches.


My plan is to fabricate some aluminum 1/8" plate with the flat-sided holes in them to prevent the latches from rotating, and install the plates so that they tuck into the panel alongside the edges which are 90 degrees to the face of the panel (the panels have an edge to them, about 1" thick.)  I'm not all that concerned about locking up the compartments, just don't want those latches to rotate if they are not supposed to.  This will keep all the finger pulls pointing downward too.

[1990HR]

I have the same basement door locks on my motorhome and they are not supposed to rotate unless the hole in the door is messed up.