Baggage door locks - Big Improvement - Montana Owners Club

MrRobinGrimes · 02-14-2014, 05:04 AM

We don't store bags of cash or bars of gold in the baggage compartments of our RVs because the doors and locks are not even remotely secure. However there is stuff we would like to keep from walking off. Personally I was tired of keeping a key ring for the RV. A thief with a screw driver could open the cheap baggage door locks easier than I could get the dang key to turn in the lock. So here was my solution. I bought 5 padlock ready cam locks from taylorsecurity.com and installed them on all the compartment doors. Then I added 5 combo padlocks all set to the same code. I also added a hasp and larger combo padlock to the RV Door. All with the same combo. Now I don't have to keep track of keys at all and my compartments are, at least a tiny bit, more secure.

Alwims · 02-14-2014, 05:36 AM

I like that. What I like most about it, now everybody with an RV doesn't have a key to it. Most people don't realize that most baggage door keys are all the same from one rig to the next. All use the same key.

jimcol · 02-14-2014, 05:51 AM

Just curious, where do you store your bags of cash and bars of gold? Oh, nice locks. Jim

BB_TX · 02-14-2014, 05:59 AM

Those at least look a little more intimidating. Hopefully the locking tab is stronger than the originals.

My basement was broken into about 3 yrs ago. They used a screwdriver (or something) to slip in the space between the door and frame and just pry the door open. Did not damage the lock. Did not damage the door. Did not damage the frame. Just bent the locking tab to about a 45 degree angle. Just a very small barely noticable black mark where the pry device was used. Apparently they knew what they were doing. I just used my thumb to bend the tab back straight. Shows how strong that OEM latch is.

Alwims · 02-14-2014, 06:04 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by BB_TX

Those at least look a little more intimidating. Hopefully the locking tab is stronger than the originals.

My basement was broken into about 3 yrs ago. They used a screwdriver (or something) to slip in the space between the door and frame and just pry the door open. Did not damage the lock. Did not damage the door. Did not damage the frame. Just bent the locking tab to about a 45 degree angle. Just a very small barely noticable black mark where the pry device was used. Apparently they knew what they were doing. I just used my thumb to bend the tab back straight. Shows how strong that OEM latch is.

Like my 'ol Daddy used to say, "all a lock is good for is to keep an honest man honest".

Overlord · 02-14-2014, 07:07 AM

Don't mean to rain on your parade, but with those, a thief doesn't even need a pry bar or screwdriver to defeat them.

The security problem with any baggage door lock that uses a hole with a flat(D-Hole)to orient the tumbler and tab locking position, is that the entire locking mechanism can simply be spun in its hole to align the tab to the "unlocked" position. The door is made of a thin skin on both sides which is foam filled. The D-hole offers very little resistance to being forced into being a round hole.

All a thief would have to do is grab hold of your pad lock, using it as a handle, and reef it 90 degrees in either direction to instantly be in the storage bay. It would take under a second to do, and make about zero amount of noise.

I chose cylinder key locks over the standard key locks for two reasons , first, everybody and their brother has a CH751 key that straight up unlocks the the locks that come standard on just about every trailer made, and second, you can't stick a screwdriver in the cylinder to spin the whole assembly in the D-hole like you can with a regular key slot.

Now, with all that said, a thief with a pry bar will be able to defeat any locking system on a baggage door in a few seconds by simply prying the entire door, but he will be making a lot of noise while doing so.

Perhaps the imposing look of padlocks will dissuade a would-be rookie thief, but as everybody here knows, if someone really wants in, there is no stopping them if they have the time alone to do so.

They do look like a quality made product though, and the convenience of being able to "unlock" them without carrying around a janitor's collection of keys 24/7, is a plus.

MrRobinGrimes · 02-14-2014, 07:27 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Overlord

Don't mean to rain on your parade, but with those, a thief doesn't even need a pry bar or screwdriver to defeat them.

The security problem with any baggage door lock that uses a hole with a flat(D-Hole)to orient the tumbler and tab locking position, is that the entire locking mechanism can simply be spun in its hole to align the tab to the "unlocked" position. The door is made of a thin skin on both sides which is foam filled. The D-hole offers very little resistance to being forced into being a round hole.

All a thief would have to do is grab hold of your pad lock, using it as a handle, and reef it 90 degrees in either direction to instantly be in the storage bay. It would take under a second to do, and make about zero amount of noise.....

There is a hole for a set screw that holds the orentation, see photo,, and prevents the twisting. Still all the doors are very easy to break into, regardless of lock.

Alwims · 02-14-2014, 08:15 AM

Like my 'ol Daddy used to say, "all a lock is good for is to keep an honest man honest".

Geez, did I not post this in English for everybody to read??? Guess not.

Didn't mean to offend anyone, sorry.

Overlord · 02-14-2014, 08:27 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by MrRobinGrimes

There is a hole for a set screw that holds the orentation, see photo,, and prevents the twisting. Still all the doors are very easy to break into, regardless of lock.

Ah-ha! I see that now. .....well, that is an improvement, and shows that the designer put some thought into the D-hole's inherent problem of becoming a round hole via rotational force.

Can't tell if your locks are rubberized or not, but another thing that I thought about is, you might want to have some kind of padding on the lock itself to prevent damage to the side of the RV from the locks rattling and moving around during transit. Maybe a neoprene or pliable rubber tube to cover the body of the lock?

Overlord · 02-14-2014, 08:35 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Alwims

Like my 'ol Daddy used to say, "all a lock is good for is to keep an honest man honest".

Geez, did I not post this in English for everybody to read??? Guess not.

Didn't mean to offend anyone, sorry.

I think that pretty much everybody here realizes that fact.

Even most top quality made locks can be "picked" in a few moments by someone that knows what they are doing.

No offence taken, at least by me, anyway.

1retired06 · 02-14-2014, 09:55 AM

Guess if I were a crook, if somebody took the time to install padlocks, must be something valuable in there worth stealing?
Nice solution to increased storage security!

**DQDick** · 02-14-2014, 11:56 AM

It looks great and will act as a deterrent, but if they want in they are getting in. I just changed out my locks so that the standard key doesn't fit. If they come prepared to force it I'd rather replace the lock than the door, although with my luck they'll break them both.

Hooker · 02-14-2014, 01:36 PM

As noted above, if anybody wants to get in the basement, they'll get in the basement. With a new stronger lock they'll just tear up the door and frame a bit more than if trying to get by the standard 751 key and lock.

HamRad · 02-14-2014, 04:06 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by 1retired06

Guess if I were a crook, if somebody took the time to install padlocks, must be something valuable in there worth stealing?
Nice solution to increased storage security!

That is what I'd worry about. With those big beautiful locks on the rig there HAS to be something valuable in there! Dennis

steelpony5555 · 02-14-2014, 05:01 PM

Locks??? Heck I leave mine unlocked half the time so that way they at least leave me my baggage doors in one piece. Otherewise they will destroy them getting in. The only time I lock them is when I hit the road cause if I don't they will fly open on bumps, The locking tabs are no were near the plate inside, more quality build work from the factory lol lol/////

**DQDick** · 02-14-2014, 06:35 PM

Can't even count on leaving things unlocked to save damage. Back when radar detectors were new and high dollar, the family just made it to our house when a really severe thunder storm struck. Getting everyone safely in the house was my only priority. Left the van door unlocked and the detector on the dash board. You guessed it. Broke the window of the unlocked door to steal the detector. Doesn't take smarts to be a thief.

Phil P · 02-15-2014, 12:15 AM

Hi

I changed my cargo door locks to a round key Medco lock and all doors are keyed alike so we only carry 2 keys for the trailer one for the cargo compartments and one for the main entrance door.

Phil P

Bigboomer · 02-15-2014, 02:27 AM

I like the pad lock idea...we added these combo locks and they work great....

http://www.combi-cam.com/Combination-Camlocks.htm

RKassl · 02-15-2014, 05:25 AM

That is really different, not for me.

Tom S. · 02-15-2014, 05:45 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Alwims

Like my 'ol Daddy used to say, "all a lock is good for is to keep an honest man honest".

Geez, did I not post this in English for everybody to read??? Guess not.

Didn't mean to offend anyone, sorry.

Sorry, but your daddy was mistaken. It will also keep a lazy dishonest person honest.

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