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!
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No but got locked in when the lock broke.
Spare keys are hidden in various places. Only have to remember where those places are!
Got locked in once. Was in the bathroom of my Jayco 212QB and the door knob broke. Couldn’t get out. Had to yell for someone to open it from the outside.
Hysterical story. Our first motorhome in 2013 was on its maiden voyage. We get to the campground and set up. We went back outside to move the picnic table and the wind blew the door shut. Little did we know that the door locked itself. I asked my wife if she had the keys and she asked the same of me, both of us stood there open mouthed with NO words coming out. After checking with the CG manager to see if he had a master key (which he had plenty, but not our model) we had to call a locksmith (it took an hour for him to arrive). 10 seconds and $75 later we were back in. Extra keys were put in a safe place from that day forward. Moral of the story: learn how to pick locks.
We keep a spare set in the pickup (my truck keys never leave my pocket), as well as one hidden on the trailer. Since we also have a toy hauler, even if the entry door lock decides to break, we can open the ramp for access.
Yes we are still dumb founded how it locked but we went outside to enjoy drinks but when we were ready to go in the door was locked. Luckily the camper next to us was an Elkridge so we just asked to borrow their keys and it unlocked our door. They were shocked it worked!
First night away from home in our new 2023 Winnebago 32M, I was inside prepping dinner. My husband had gone outside to hook up water. When he tried to open the door, it had locked itself. Thank goodness I was inside and could let him in. So, our trip to Florida was postponed as we returned the rig to the dealer for a new lock. While waiting for repairs, we purchased a magnetic key case, had extra door and compartment keys made, and now store that key case in the propane compartment.
You only have to have this happen ONCE to learn a valuable lesson. Now we have emergency keys (stored in safety box hidden somewhere on the MH) for not only the MH main door, but bay doors, MH ignition and keys for our toad. We do not want to be left in a situation that would render us helpless should we lose our everyday main set of keys.
Once is more than enough!
I’m not answering for fear that it might jinx me which should give you a hint!! I do leave my set of keys in the toad.
We have never been locked out of our TT, but on one occasion, I managed to forget the key to the lock for the ball latch. There for a while, I thought we might have to pull the TT if we wanted to go anywhere, luckily the maintenance personnel had a pair of bolt cutters and saved us. I now keep a full set of keys in the TT along with two sets in the truck.
Sitting at our permanent site had a failure of the lock so in effect we got locked out. My dachshund happened to be inside. We had no luck getting the door open so eventually called the park maintenance man. He also failed at getting the door open. So, being a proactive guy he decided to go through the window. Big mistake!! That little weiner dog went ballistic, jumped in the recliner at the window and attacked the “intruder”. When I got on a ladder outside and he saw and heard me tell him it’s okay, he went to his bed and went back to sleep. Somewhere I travel with three wireless alarm/security guards
No and have keys located outside rather 5er or truck, so if ever needed I’m still in.
Yes, once, the cat did it!! He is a Houdini and pushed the lock over.
You bet I have. I had multiple backup systems in place if this happened and all failed. I was in the Petrified Forest and made a quick stop at a view of the Painted Desert to take a photo. I jumped out of the MH, motor running, with my camera. Very windy and the door slammed shut and it locked. Spare keys in towed but it was locked. Lockbox next to propane tank but I couldn’t remember the combination. Combination in cell phone but cell phone in MH. Could call daughter but couldn’t remember her phone number. A nice lady stopped and gave me a ride to the ranger station where they called a ranger to come, pick me up and he was able to break into my car. He said lockouts happen about three times a week. Got the keys from the car and back into the motorhome. Next day the window regulator on the door he jimmied broke. I now know the combination to that key lock box better than my birthday.
Cool story bro!!!
Snoopy
We have been “locked in” when the dead bolt broke. Let me tell you no one covers Lock Ins. What a nightmare. Had to climb out the window and finally take off door panel.
Actually I was locked out but not because I left the keys inside. It was because the lock mechanism broke and my key was useless. Had to call a locksmith who was able to get the door open.
I immediately removed the lock and replaced it. I had visions of it happening after a night of sitting around the campfire and returning to my doorway only to find I could not get inside to the potty.
No, however I do have a spare set hidden where I can get to them. I am considering getting a combo lock for the door though. The rv lock.com company seems to be really the only company I can find for Class A motorhome conversions though.
I voted no, we haven’t been locked but brother in law has been locked out when their door lock got bound up.
Locked out once, when the internal lock pin broke. Fortunately, I was INSIDE the RV when it happened, so I could crawl out through the window and back in as I was in the midst of parking my Class A at our State Park site. After I drilled the unit apart, I was able to just use the deadbolt until the replacement arrived.
We had a glitch that allowed the lock to slip closed. We had a tiny relative, 4 years old, climb through the driver’s window and open the door from the inside. We’ve also been frozen out and had to use heat to melt the ice in the lock before turning the key. I’m looking for a combination lock now.
After our day of travel, we ended up in the “Root 66” campground in AZ. We were both outside, taking care of setting up the TT for the night, when the Admiral decided she needed inside to get something. I gave her the keys, she unlocked and opened the door, and somehow in that process, relocked it. Went inside, laid the keys down, got what she needed, and came back out to finish the setup, closing the door as she exited. Setup complete, we attempted to enter the trailer…only to find it locked. “Let me have the keys,” I said, “as you apparently locked the door.” Searching in pockets ensued. “I don’t have them,” she said, a puzzled expression on her countenance. “@#$%&*!!,” I said. No other keys to the door. I did have access to tools in the back of our truck, so I get out a screwdriver, prepared to jam it into the keyhole and sacrifice the lock to get us inside, when an older gentleman in the next campsite asked me if we were having problems. [Cont.]
I explained the situation and what I was about to do, and he said, “Maybe I can help.” He was…wait for it…a retired locksmith. He went into his P/U camper and came back with a soft bag with tools, picked the lock, and opened the door. What were the chances of a locksmith being our camping neighbor?!? He wouldn’t take any payment, which of course, I offered. However, he did accept a dozen fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies later that evening.
One time. We were taking our kids to the pool and my wife thought I had my keys and I thought she had hers. As I closed the door I said, “you do have your keys right” and she said, “NO”. There was a window opened on the accordion widows so I popped the glass out and lifted my 5 yr. old nephew through the window to open the door. We had him for his first 7 years so he is like one of our own. He thought it was fun. Hid a spare in my truck afterwards. Now we have a keypad.
Knock on wood, no.
Yes once luckily is was Christmas and the kids were at the park with us. Smallest grandson had to go thru emergency window.
It’s very easy to accidentally push down the door latching button when closing the door so we have a key hidden in a water proof box screwed into sheet metal under the motorhome for just that purpose.
I always had my ignition key for my MH separate from all the other keys. At the campground I couldn’t locate my keys so I couldn’t unlock the outside storage compartments. After several hours I remembered most RV compartment locks are the same. I walked to my neighbors site and asked if he would come try his key in my outside compartments. His key unlocked all of them; I never did find my keys, I might have thrown them away with the garbage!?
Brand new trailer, lock set failed. Dealer arranged for in driveway service for lockset replacement. Fortunately we had just returned from camping and the lockset failed at home and not on the road
We have a Sprinter; it is almost impossible to lock the doors if you don’t have your key with you.