:help: Coach has been sitting idle in my driveway for the last 3 weeks with door unlocked. Tried to open door yesterday and "no joy". Thought it might be due to binding as air bled down but several opening efforts later I'm convinced that the problem is associated with the factory door latch. I NEVER lock the coach using this latch. I've got a deadbolt lock mounted above the latch that is the only way that I use to lock the door. I seem to remember one previous similar incident when I was at Extreme about 7-8 years ago and it was something out of position in the latch mechanism -- OH - and the door was open at the time. Fortunately the passenger seat sliding window is currently open and I'm pretty sure I can slide the screen forward. Only need to find some small skinny kid in the neighborhood & boost him thru the window ( no way I'm going to fit ). If any members have any other suggestions I'd love to hear them :-)
Jon
If you have the original windows, you can probably get one of the side windows open which will give you more room to squeeze through. Place an open hand on the sliding section of the window and put pressure on it to open. Then with your fist or the heel of the other hand start banging on the window. The vibration will eventually loosen the latch allowing you to open the window.
Good Luck
the sliding latch on my 93 U-280 would quite often slide to the locked position
when the door was shut a little to hard. i eventually disabled it. i recall
one time i had to call a locksmith. good luck.
Yup, many of us have designed and installed a "lock out" tab for that bolt.
Mike may be able to post pictures (if still on the coach).
It's dark here, I'll post a lock pic tomorrow. I'll also tell everyone why I had to climb out the window the other morning when we got locked in! :thumbsdown:
My door came open over a speed bump and hit a truck bumper, I got out to inspect on main Street and closed the door. Wrong. It would not open. So it's running and blocking traffic. got a window open and a couple of cowboys hoisted me up. Pulled around to a side street and tried to get out, but door would not budge. Called the local lumber yard and had them deliver a step ladder, and a wonder Bar to pry with. Finally got it open, step ladder was too big to go thru the window, so I stuck it inside and lashed the door from the inside with a rope drove 350 miles home this way.
I can't find the Forum thread where I got the idea, but I just plugged up the hole (that the the sliding bolt goes into) with a short piece of wooden dowel. Totally prevents the troublesome bolt from playing dirty tricks on you. All we
ever use to lock the entry door is the separate deadbolt lock.
Jon,
If you take a ladder to the driver side you can insert a plastic or wood wedge between the sliding glass and then use a thin 6" scale or butter knife and lift the lock up. It doesn't take much to spread the window, just enough to slide the scale between the glass and lift the lock. You will have it open in less than a minute. Then climb in the drivers side.
John M.
Yup easy to do it with a putty knife
Maybe engage the lock with the door open and whizz wheel the pin off.
Just a suggestion - but maybe 'break-in' information like this should be shared via personal message instead of on the forum for all to see? It's excellent advice and it works - but a little precaution never hurt anyone.
"small skinny kid in the neighborhood & boost him thru the window" been there done that. Good luck.
I got rid of that "pin" from our previews 94FT. Did not pay to much attention to the set up on our current FT. I better check before experience the same problem and have to go find a small kid. They are not playing out in front of their homes anymore, not easy to find one. Can't even find one to mow our grass for $10 bucks.
Our door would do that but it would "stick"about 2 feet down on the lock side.It would seem like its locked,if somehow you can
verify if the lock is open or closed that would help.We determined the rubber moulding was sticking and put armor all on and that
cured it.
We had the same issue and ended up removing the slide bolt. We only use the deadbolt.
Here's Brett's keepers for the door lockers. They do loosen up, so a little attention every once in a while.