A visiting stepson and his young son wanted to see our new-to-us motorhome so my wife naturally gave him the key. When they got ready to leave they could not get the door open. They finally crawled out a window. In a fit of brilliance he completely closed the window they crawled out of and the window latched shut. I discovered all this when I came home this weekend after working out of town.
The previous owner had showed me a latch on the inside of the door that locks the coach from the inside, and said that nobody gets in or out until the latch is opened. I figure that the grandson must have somehow closed the latch and nobody knew anything about it, so they just crawled out a window. Now I can't even get the window open to get back inside and open the latch.
So, how can I break into my 1994 U-240 Unihome? I see the screws around the doorframe, but I don't figure I'll be able to remove the door from the outside. Do I break a window, or is there a better way?
Thanks,
Glen
Please don't break a window. Can't a locksmith open the locks? It may even be covered by insurance...
Is the engine compartment locked? Can the bed be pushed up?
Another option I saw used on a Foretravel: Find the fire escape window (red latch - pushes up to lock). Repeatedly push on this window (like CPR) until the latch falls down. Then slide the window open and have grandson climb in.
If you have CoachNet, I believe one of the services covered is a locksmith.
-M
If you are at home you are close to the factory. Give them a call and see if they have the key code for your lock. May have to make a trip to Nac, but not very far from your hometown..
Locksmith is WAY cheaper than a window...Don't feel bad, the couple we are traveling with did the same thing last week...Luckily, I had a set of their keys..
I would call James Triana first thing Monday morning
1-800-955-6225 x259
When you get your key you and everyone else who does not have a spare key outside of the motorhome should go get at least two spare keys made. That simple step will save you so much aggravation and inconvenience.
We have a spare in the Honda and one hidden magnetically on the coach.
Sorry, I wasn't very clear with my original question. Here's the other shoe.
I HAVE the keys in my hot little hands. However, the key apparently will not unlock the deadbolt if the lever inside the coach is pushed in. The fella who sold me the coach casually mentioned the little switch and said that if I wanted to make sure nobody could get into the coach or out of the coach, even with a key, that I should just slide the little lever. He said I wouldn't even be able to open the door from the inside or outside if the lever were pushed. I never thought I've use it, and didn't give it another thought. I'm guessing that the little grandson must have found and pushed the lock while they were inside the coach. A locksmith may or may not be able to help if I can't even open it with a key.
Bob McGee mentioned the "raise the bed" method, but the latch is locked. So far, I've been unable to unlock any of the windows like Bob also mentioned. I'll keep trying, and I'll also call the factory Monday morning.
Also, I'm still listening, so keep the ideas coming. I'll try most anything short of a hammer. Thanks for your help.
Glen
Now that is truly a first-class dilemma. I know that many of us are looking forward to hearing the resolution of this problem.
Keep in mind that no one was hurt. You are not locked out of your home. You will eventually look back on this and laugh. Your stepson and his young son, however, may have a harder time getting over it. Good luck and try to enjoy the remainder of your weekend.
Glen,
We had similar thing happen when we had a U 240. We shut the door and that little slide latch barely engaged. We were able to take a 2" dia. X 3/4" thick rare earth magnet and slide it over the outside of the latch mechanism while pushing in on the door and were able to get the latch to release. After this we filled the slide with a piece of red eraser so it wouldn't happen again. Who ever got our old coach got the eraser too. If the latch is fully engaged this might not help but it worked for us.
Pamela & Mike
Here is a way to break into your Foretravel. I had this happen twice on my unit. Go to any window, just under the window lock, slide in a credit card. Look at the lock and either you will slide the credit card up or down. The credit card may need to be replaced. Also, tap on the window near the lock while sliding the credit card. This worked twice for me. You will need a ladder. :)
Glen,
If all else fails and you can get in from the engine bay, then get a crow bar and break the hold-down for the bed. It's just a window lock you can purchase at Home Depot, Lowes, or any hardware store.
Hit the bedroom window with the palm of your hand while some one pushes forward. Keep doing it and it will release and slide forward and open. Thats how I did it.
The best way is to try the putty knife routine on the wondow. If that fails I would opt for the bed.
OK, now I have a bunch of good suggestions for when I get back home next weekend. I'll be looking for a rare earth magnet as that sounds the easiest way, but if that doesn't work you've given me several options. Thanks.
I just talked to Keith at MOT who verified that the cost for a replacement window (in case I get heavy-handed and accidentally break a window) will be north of $500. That will make me be careful.
Thanks for your help.
Glen
I watched the Foretravel guys unlock a coach in the Foretravel parking lot. They used the window trick. They just repeatedly hit the window, not very hard, while pushing it tonthe left until the latch opened. They said this is their routine method for side sliding windows like yours.
If the slide lock is the problem, there is a letter on # on the silver part of the lock, take that info to an RV dealer and ask if they have the master for it, we just returned from a Rally at Brooksville and the dealers were opening the looked out people.
He has the keys. It is interior lock that is latched or the slide pin lock. It was locked from the inside and the kid who locked it went out through the window. (you have to go back and read the entire post to find that out.)
Sorry Pat C, I thought that he was talking about the slide look, on my U270 there are two locks, 1 for the dead bolt and one for the slide lock, maybe he has a different setup or somebody add another latch.
That was a bad lock design on that model coach, way to easy to bump that slide lock when opening the door from the inside. I was fortunate I suppose my last trip to Lake Greason. I kept trying to slide windows and the one over the dinet table slid open. I climbed up a ladder a neighbor had and dove head first onto the kitchen table,and this was one month after major spine fusion. The neighbor said he would go in for me but weighing in at 360 lbs, he wasn't going to fit and even though he was a good guy I really didn't want him standing on my corain kitchen table. I always take both sets of keys and now you will as well. Again that lock design is of poor configuration, no door needs 3 locks on it but every operator needs 3 keys. jmho. ;D
Mine has a seperate key that will open that lock Pat and it is different than the one that unlocks the other two. I don't know what FT called themselves doing on my 280, I assumed Glockjock had the same configuration. First thing I would do is what Kent Speers witnessed, invest some more time in trying to get some window, any window to slide. You may be like me and suprised to have one open.
Being a U225, it should have a regular locking latch, a dead bolt, and a slide pin. Think some have done surgery to remove that slide pin. I noticed that mine moves when you open and close the door, and the only way to lock and unlock it is from the inside.
And the bedroom window technique worked very well for me. Had to use it twice. First time I can explain, but the second time :-X!! Put a inside lock on the screen door to keep the dw's animals from getting outside. And when you close the outside door, it attaches its self to the screen door. You can't get back in!!!
Glen,
I have the ticket for you. Your bathroom skylight! If yours is like mine, 8 screws will remove a framed rectangular ring. There are two plastic panes (one domed, one flat) that are bonded with a bead of silicone. Pull those panes up and you (with a small ladder) are in. Putting the skylight back together is a cinch with some new clear silicone.
In the event that either pane cracks, replacements can be had at Home Depot, etc. They usually only have the domed one in opaque white (not the clear smoke which is normally OEM). Both panes on mine are now white - I haven't noticed any difference in the amount of light let in. You might have to trim them to size depending on what's available - table saw works if you feed it slow and steady. Image shows the slide bolt lock that I think is locked on your coach.
Congratulations on your new coach. Hope it all works out.
The Grand Villa's slide bolt should not be there. It is nothing but a potential problem as far as I am concerned. Taking the lock mechanism apart by removing the slide bolt is relatively easy, it took me 5 minutes with a battery powered screw driver.
1. Remove 6 screws from white reinforcing plate (note how reinforcing plate is attached for replacement or you will put it on backwards)
2. Remove three screws from lock plate
3. Pull black cap off of bolt
4. Tilt lock plate back and remove sliding bolt
5. Replace lock plate, reinforcing plate and all screws
Slide bolt will never again cause a problem.
Well, it's open! Thanks one and all.
I work and stay in Port Arthur during the week, so was unable to come home and work on this entry problem until today, Saturday. Wife and I backed the pickup up beside the bedroom window, and while I pushed forward she pushed the window in. On about the 4th bump it popped forward. I slid in the window and opened the door.
I then decided to permanently fix the latch problem. I hacksawed the protuding pin, and that allowed me to pull the remaining part of the pin out of the latch. It'll never lock again, and I still have no idea why they ever installed such a latch in the first place.
My brother-in-law asked why anybody would need a latch that one couldn't open from the outside even with a key. I told him (in front of my wife) that the only reason would be in case a husband was hiding from his wife and wanted to keep her out of the motorhome. My wife warned me that a simple latch was no match for a baseball bat. :o
Thanks for your help.
Glen
Good job, Glen...and keep your wife happy, whatever you do... :o
Glad you back in finally!!
Glen, your little problem prompted me to remove the bolt in my door before having the same problem, thanks!
X2! Besides, I have a door alarm.