Exterior Door Lock Replacement

htneighbors

Unbelievably Blessed!
When you lock your cell phone, or something else you need for the day, in your rig and go to get it out - be sure to have the correct key in hand to unlock the door. :rolleyes:

I just reached in my pocket and inadvertantly grabbed the back door key and stuck it in the front door lock. The numbers were similar and hard to read, but still...I SHOULD have made sure I had the correct one! (I did this several times at the dealership when picking up my rig, and the PDI guy and I discussed the fact that it seems the industry needs a better door locking device cause these were extremely difficult to operate.)

Anyway, the wrong key DID turn in the lock, but it DID NOT UNLOCK nor did it come out. When I was wiggling it around attempting to remove it, IT BROKE OFF IN MY HAND! :eek: Now, I had no way to enter the front door - the back door key was broken and stuck in it - and had no way to enter the back door - that was the key that was broken! Bummer! 225 miles from home (where the DW had another back door key) and the cell phone locked in the Cyclone!

No problem - Thanks to OnStar, I did have another phone built in my truck I could use and I would just leave the jobsite early enough to go by the dealership (225 miles away) and grab another door lock / handle mechanism and then by the house to get the wife's key. Surely, as assumed by the dealership guys, I could just go in the back door and open the front door with the little red latch, then access the 6 screws that hold the latch in the door and replace it no problem, 5 minute job! ;) WRONG! The latch didn't move! :mad:

So, I'll come back and edit by posting photos - with a 1/4" drill bit in the DeWalt 18V, drilling right through the broken key and lock itself - from the outside - when you get deep enough, it actually turned the lock open itself! :D Turned in to a 15 minute job!

:) Now, just hoping they will cover the cost of lock under warranty - the wrong key really should not have turned the lock...nor gotten stuck...nor broken off! Wish I had 'keyed alike' locks. Dealer said they used to have them but not any more! :confused:
 

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leftyf

SSG Stumpy-VA Terrorist
//heartlandowners.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=2099&d=1206649123

Nothing like a little finesse!:D:DNone
 

Liesl_s

Member
Here is our solution: DH & I ONLY carry a front door key on our key chains. The back door keys are hidden on the outside of the unit, in case of emergency. No mistaking of keys as we enter & exit & yet a spare (only for the back) is always there if we lose the main door keys.
 

Niles

Well-known member
When we had our toyhauler, a little red fingernail polish on one did the trick. Course if your color blind that is also a problem.:rolleyes:
 
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