Getting locked out of your RV isn’t fun, especially if it’s cold or rainy out, or the person with the other key is out doing errands! No, thank you!
Have you ever been accidentally locked out of your RV? Once? More than once? If yes, please tell us about what happened in the comments below. Do you keep a spare key somewhere just in case?
Read about Tony Barthel’s experience getting locked out of his RV – he broke into his own RV in minutes!
Fortunately we had left one of the front windows open so we were able to slide the screen over and hoist our daughter up and through the window. Turned out it wasn’t locked but broken. Now, though we have the keys so can get to the step stool so I can hoist myself into the motorhome, take the lock apart and get the door opened. Used a bungee cord to keep the door closed while driving back home.
It was many years ago. We had decided to go to the pool with the kids. When we returned, we realized that neither my wife or I had our keys. I had tools in the truck that I had the keys for so I pulled the glass out of a window and boosted our nephew in to open the door. He was about 5 years old then. To give an idea how long ago that was, he will be 40 this year. Spare key was in the truck from then on. We now have keypad locks.
brand new camper had a latch defect, fortunately, we had just returned from camping, emptied the camper and it was in the driveway. Called roadside assistance and they sent a thug who said “never done one of these before”. He ruined the lockset and then was about to break the window. Sent him away quickly. Dealer sent a tech who broke in through the emergency exit. Dealer billed roadside assistance for the cost of the new lock set
Locked out due to a faulty deadbolt.
Fortunately I was parked in my driveway at home.
Had to call a locksmith to get the door open.
Not really ‘locked out’, because I was INDISE the RV when the actuator pin for the door broke. I couldn’t get out and no one could get in. I had to crawl out a window of my Class A, and then go home in my Jeep, get a stepladder, climb back into my RV, pull it into my site, and go online and order a replacement door latch. LONG weekend!
Once. We we picked up our rig, the dealer noted that the deadbolt didn’t work properly, they had ordered a replacement and would fix the door in a week. First trip out, after a stop for groceries, my spouse locked the door and engaged the deadbolt. An hour and $130 later we were able to get back into the rig. When the new lock set was installed the dealer got 5 copies of the keys for us. Now one is hidden, one is in the truck, one was given to our daughter and each of us has a key.
I answered no but we did get locked out of our toad and a gracious lady offered to take my wife out to the motorhome 8 miles away to get her key. We both check to make sure we have our keys before leaving now.
Actually afraid to answer this one….you say no then tomorrow it happens!
As in, I have not been locked out of my RV. Yet !! I agree.
The cat did it. Thankfully, there was a doggy door to reach the deadbolt. Now we keep extra key in truck (Ford with keyless entry pad) and put a combination keypad on 5th wheel.
To prevent that tragedy, I switched to a combination keypad door lock (battery operated). It can also be opened and closed by a key, such as dropping off for repairs.
Yes; it was a nightmare. We were at Whispering Elms RV Park (the best and most helpful owners of any park during traveling 12 years of RVing) in Baker, NV, just outside of Great Basin NP. This is not near any large cities. I called two different road services that Sunday and got the same results: they could only find a locksmith about 180 miles away and would not come until the next day. The Park owners were fixing a place to stay for the night when the camper next to us found a locksmith about seventy miles away that agreed to come now for an $100 fee. The nice camper fix food for us and within a minute of his arrival we were in our RV. I was happy to give the locksmith the hundred and a big Thank you.
I was locked out twice, fortunately at home both times.! The problem was a broken lock at the entry door (Trimark) which locked by itself. A locksmith opened it. The second time was a lesson learned about the drivers door lock. The door can be opened from inside with the lock button down (locked) – when you exit and close the door – it is Locked! I double check the lock button when refueling and using the driver door. I had and have spare keys.
This is when a driver’s door has it’s advantage.
I hope I don’t now that I answered your poll question
No. To guard against forgetfulness I keep a set of keys in our truck and converted to a keypad for the main door. Of course that does not guard against mechanical failure.
I’ve got a feeling that the ‘No’ answer should be ‘Not yet”
First time was when full-timing while our house was being built. We took my wife’s parents to see the progress on the house and I carelessly drug my hand over the door lock while leaving the RV. We returned to find that I had locked us out. Thankfulky my parents had our spare keys at that time, so I walked the quarter mile to their house and retrieved the second set.
The next (and last) time we were hurriedly leaving the RV for a graduation party. I realized as I pulled the locked door shut that I had left the keys on the dinette table. I went to the office to inquire about a local locksmith and was surprised to learn that the owners of the campground had acquired several keys (master keys?) over the years. One of the many unlocked our door. Our next RV has buttons on the door handle that unlock the door after pressing the correct numbers in the correct order, so perhaps I will never lock us out again. We’ll see.
Early on, one of our neighbors got locked out with her husband gone for the day. Ever since I keep my keys on a carbiner on a belt loop or in my pocket. I never step outside without them.
Lock broke, key wouldn’t even go in to turn it, my wife got in thru a side compartment, lock wouldn’t turn, took a fire escape window out, I got in, with me on the inside and my buddy on the outside we took it apart to get it out! This was a replacement, put the original back in! Have the replacement sent to replace the bad one with me, just in case!!!
Our first Class A was a Flair. That rig had it in for us! Among the many things “it” did to us was lock us out. On our way to dog shows in Colorado, we could lock the door, but not unlock it! We had to leave the driver’s window unlocked so that we could crawl in and open up the door again. Never so glad to see the backside of an RV as I was when we traded that Flair for a Bounder one year later.
Dead Bolt failed in the locked position. Since I am Class-C I could still get in and out. Was able to fix by dismantling the door lock from the inside and rebuilding the cheap potmetal lock
I put no on the survey, however we weren’t locked out because of a lack of a key but our lock broke. I managed to get my drivers window unlatched crawled inside took the door panel off to get to the lock. With the screen door in place and the lack of room it was a job next to none. All is fixed and life is good.
Same here, only I answered yes.
Our Class B is built on a MB Sprinter chassis which is designed so that it would be very difficult to lock yourself out.
My entry door latch broke internally. Then I didn’t get the new latch adjusted quite right, and was locked out again. Both times I got my arm inside via a small window beside the door.
Locked out twice in the same day! Our motorhome has a Trimark front door lock. After research, this particular lock needs adjustments and not replacement to avoid lock outs. There is an adjustment screw along the edge of the door, behind a piece of tape. No hidden key would have helped in this failure. All’s ok now.
I understand the door locks on Aliner popups can be troublesome, so I use a master padlock and a latch kit.
I like Bob S comment about the lock box hidden on-in the rv.
The first thing I do is hide a key in a lock box with a key pad. I did have to drill the lock on my son’s 5th wheel because the key was so flimsy that the tip broke off in the lock.
Locked out four times. Locked in twice. The three was because someone kept locking their keys inside! Other failed lock (two different locks also).
Oh yes. Years ago our Arctic Fox TT’s door lock mechanism had been getting a bit harder to close. Doing a bit of research my husband read that those particular locks were prone to fail. We bought a replacement in St. George, Utah, but didn’t get around to installing it – until after an outing in Las Vegas we found ourselves locked out. Luckily, we had made the additional error of not locking one of the windows so I was able to climb through and disassemble the lock so we could get in. Lesson learned. Stay on top of maintenance issues.
that is one of my biggest fears (we have a Class C.) not only do I insist the DW have her set of keys, I have the hide-a-key in a hard to access (but accessible) location. When I got the RV (used) we only had a single set of keys. the dealer found the second set and sent them to me.
Our inside lock dropped down while we were outside the motorhome, with our dog inside. We called a locksmith who came and opened the door. He didn’t charge us anything because the locksmith code is that if a child or dog is inside then the service is free!
Our motorhome was in storage two hours from home. Twice in two years I made the drive to run the generator and didn’t realize until I arrived that I forgot the RV keys. Now we keep the RV key on every keyring we have, and I installed a lock box in the propane bay, just in case.
Lock broke
Same thing on my in-laws motor home.
Nope – but I have a set of keys stashed in a magnetic “key safe” hidden in the engine compartment, just in case.
Both my wife and I carry a set of keys for our trailer. Mine is in my pocket and hers in her purse. Plus an extra set in the truck.
I never got locked out but because of a faulty lock I got locked in.
We had this happen to us also. Fortunately we were with friends who could get to a key that we kept in the truck.
We were taking a morning walk when my husband heard a faint “help help”. It took us a few minutes to locate where the sound was coming from. An elderly woman by herself while hubby in the hospital was locked inside her RV. I called a locksmith while my husband tried to get her out. Her lock was jammed. My husband was able to get her out and we wanted to drive her to the hospital but she wouldn’t let us. When the locksmith arrived he did fix the lock but we were all traumatized.. It just never occurred to me this could be a problem. Another addition was made to our safety/trip prep check list
I locked myself out, called Good Sam and they couldn’t help that night. I slept on my neighbours couch , the next morning I called the dealer and they sent out a guy and got in immediately with a master key. I since figure out how I did it and I’m very careful now when I open the door not to touch the opener in doing so.
i think it’s a poor design because the lever is just below the doors opening lever.