23 replies to this topic

[rando]

On this theme, has anyone replaced the deadbolt on their camper with a combination lock?    I am not talking about the 'rv' door lock, which we don't use but the residential deadbolt that FWC adds to the door.     

 

We have electronic combination locks on our house and it is great to be able to go in/out without keys, but this also means I always forget to bring the camper key out to the driveway.   

 

With a combination lock on the camper, you could also stash a car keys in the camper and go totally key free. 

[BillTheHiker]

On this theme, has anyone replaced the deadbolt on their camper with a combination lock?    I am not talking about the 'rv' door lock, which we don't use but the residential deadbolt that FWC adds to the door.     

 

We have electronic combination locks on our house and it is great to be able to go in/out without keys, but this also means I always forget to bring the camper key out to the driveway.   

 

With a combination lock on the camper, you could also stash a car keys in the camper and go totally key free. 

Interesting idea. I presume they have a battery, so how much risk of battery failure?

 

Also, I think there is  potential for an old  geezer joke here, something about being clever to change to a combination lock and then forgetting the combination.

[rando]

The ones we have at home give plenty of warning of a low battery, and they still have a mechanical key as a backup.   But for a camper lithium batteries that do better in the cold might be wise.     

 

The electronic locks tend to have a bulky unit on the inside of the door (for the batteries and servo) so I am not sure it they would fit with the screen door on the camper door. 

[Advmoto18]

Ford trucks have the combination lock on the door. This makes for all types of hiding inside the truck options. Also very handy when you need to get something out of the truck and your keys are in the camper.

 

Works great, until you blow the accessory fuse for the door keypad.  I've seen it done.

[Cayuse]

Spares with traveling companion, valet set in camper, spare camper key and non transponder truck key gaffer taped in a hidden place.

[XJINTX]

Post Jack I just want to thank Karen a volunteer at Rocky Mountain Natl Pk. Last month I was traveling alone and stayed at the park and used shore power hookup. When packing in the morning I must have locked up the extension cable and dropped my camper keys. I did not even realize I had even lost them until I received an email from her that they found them. She asked to confirm my mailing address and she mailed them to my home. She must have gone out of her way to discover that I was the camper at the park and got my email from Parks database? I am very thankful for her help and effort. Also glad I had a spare set in my truck console. Spares are essential

Edited by XJINTX, 20 September 2018 - 11:39 AM.

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I don't see that as a thread hijack, it's certainly related to what we are talking about.

 

I have a dog tag on my key ring.  It reads:

 

REWARD IF FOUND

MY NAME

MY CELL PHONE #

MY EMAIL

@MY INTERNET PROVIDER

 

(dog tags can only take 16 characters per line which is why my email takes two lines.)

 

I will gladly slip someone $20 for returning keys that would cost me $50 or more to replace.

 

I will also add that every key on my ring has one of those brightly colored plastic covers on them - yellow, orange, etc. so they're easy to see if dropped.

[ntsqd]

On the Suburban that I took to Baja for the 2001 Baja 1000 I built a "screw-press" capable of holding a spare key set and used a wing-bolt as the screw. Keys were fully inserted into the slot so that the wing-bolt bore down on the "GM" impressed in the blanks.

 

That was then bolted to the top of the heat shield for the catalytic converter. Could *just* reach it without rolling under the vehicle, but was impossible to see from anywhere. Even when the shield was hot the wing-bolt and keys were only warm at most.

 

I moved it to the second Suburban, but left it there when I sold that one. I doubt the buyer ever found it.

[searching for nowhere]

Thanks all for the ideas.  

 

 

Currently camping on Georgetown Lake MT.

[PackRat]

<p>I think there are really three answers here; first you need back-up truck keys, secondly you need back-up camper keys and lastly you need keys to get back into you house.</p>
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<p>We never hike or run around camp with a wallet in our pocket so the wallet keys are out.</p>
<p>We both have a lanyard with truck &amp; camper keys on it and a house key.</p>
<p>I usually thread the lanyard through a belt loop on my shorts or Levi's during our stay and the wife keeps hers in her day-bag.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>There is always the risk that some bad guy will find your keys if you have a dog-tag on them but the cost of replacing some truck electric keys can get pricey so offering a &quot;REWARD IF FOUND&quot; is a good idea. The name, cell phone, email info is a great idea, but putting the truck license plate number may be an invitation to thieves.</p>
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<p>Plenty of good ideas above on where to stash some keys to the truck and/or the camper. You just never know....</p>