By Cheri Sicard
Have you ever considered RV keyless entry options? In the video below, Joshua from Gander Flight compares the two most popular brands, RV Lock and Latch.it.
Personally, I found this incredibly helpful. My keyed lock is flimsy and in constant need of tinkering to make it function. All the other locks on the market I have seen don’t look much better. Would RV keyless entry be better? Let’s explore.
Josh and his family bought, installed, and used both brands. Their experiences might just help you find the perfect RV keyless door lock for your needs too.
The more people you have RVing with you, the more appealing RV keyless entry will be. No more keeping track of keys, no more misplaced keys, and everyone in the family can always gain easy entrance to the rig.
Josh says that both brands are easy to install. A few screws and your old lock comes out and the new one pops right in.
He also says that when it comes down to functionality, there are a not a whole lot of differences between the two brands. Both have fobs that allow you to remotely unlock the door and, of course, both have keypads for you to key in the code. And both have the option of keying all your doors alike.
Both brands need four AA batteries to work. When the batteries are getting low, they will beep much a like a smoke detector. No worries if batteries go dead, you can always optionally open your door with a key.
So what’s different?
- The fobs are slightly different. RV Lock comes with one fob that has two different options for doors. Latch.it comes with two fobs but each can only open one door.
- Prices are different, with RV Lock being about $30 less.
- RV Lock is waterproof while Latch.it is IP67-rated waterproof.
- RV Lock has a refurbished page where you can get refurbished locks at big discounts, Latch.it offers no such option.
- RV Locks are available in black; Latch.it locks come in black or white.
- The visual handle designs are slightly different.
- Latch.it includes a multi-tool screwdriver with their lock to make installation even easier.
- RV Lock can accommodate up to 10 key fobs, Latch.it only accommodates four. However, this is usually not an issue as you hardly ever use the fobs, as you use the keypad.
So which lock did Joshua ultimately end up choosing? The Latch.it. However, that was the best choice for him. It may or may not be for you.
Be sure to watch the video below as Joshua covers lots of factors and will give you a lot of valuable information when comparing these two popular brands of RV keyless entry locks.
##RVDT2036
The IP67 waterproof latch.it rating is a lie. I’ve tested it out. It means that you can fully submerge that handle in 1 meter of water. DID NOT WORK. I think latch.it should be sued for this claim as mine (not the tested one) stopped working within a day after a rain storm. Switching back to RVLock.
We used the RV lock option on our Horizon and it was great. A little pricey but it was our first rig and we were so newbie!!!
We now own a Air Stream and unfortunately because the curve in their unique doors that they make in their factory, there are currently no options for electronic locks. Hopefully some day, they are great and not having to carry keys is a big plus and relief!!!
Looks like these are for trailers, not motorhomes. Would be nice if your links went to the actual makers website and not Amazon.
I wish I could remember the name of the one I bought a few years ago. I do remember that it was pricy and only worked for about a year. Never have considered another since then. Carrying a key is not that big a deal and my latest RV has all locks keyed alike.. Surprised that it took the RV industry so long to figure that out.
I would suggest that you put new batteries in the lock and key fobs. The batteries that were included in my package were almost dead. One of my fobs batteries was dead to begin with, so I replaced it with the spare battery from the package. A short time later, the other fob required a new battery, then the lock needed new batteries.
You misprinted the cost in your summary. Latch.It is $30 less than RVLock.
I saw your summary and had to confirm since the price when we bought our Latch.It was much lower than RVLock – not only was the price point lower, but we had a discount code that brought it down considerably more.
The price was one thing we liked, also that it came with 2 fobs.
It also has a lifetime warranty which we used to replace a fob with a broken wire connection and got a new key pad on the door after the original one began cracking from being in the sun (unfortunately that’s the side in the sun while parked at our house so it gets more exposure). Any functional part that is damaged is replaced and shipped out fast, from our experience.
oh and they have excellent customer service!!
Another thing that attracted us is that Latch.It has all metal moving parts, and seems more sturdy and functions better.
We have had ours over 2 years and have been very pleased.
Our 5th wheel came with an RV Lock. We live in our RV full time and so use the lock daily. Unfortunately, it lasted only 6 months. When we had some warranty work done on the RV, we informed the service department. I was told that this was pretty typical and he suggested that we purchase a lock from Latch.it. It worked well for 3 years. Last month it quit working. I notified Latch.it and they explained how to reset it. It fixed the problem.
One thing to know is that the shape of the locks are different on the exterior face of the door. Our RV was painted after the lock was installed, so when I changed the lock, I was left with a large unpainted area around a good portion of the lock.
We use RV Lock as they came already installed in our Lance travel trailer. But, we seldom lock the trailer unless we’re away for the day – and even then, not always.