Dummy of the Day (1 Viewer)

[gilbaro]

Locked out!!
My wife went for a shower so I thought I would make my self useful by sorting the rubbish out.
went out through the hab door and for some reason it locked behind me. Unfortunately the cab doors were still locked from night.
First problem having to explain we were locked out when my wife returned from shower.
Second, how to get back in.
Two strokes of luck. Guy opposite had an extending ladder and I had opened the skylight before sorting rubbish.
So entry made through skylight luckily I am still fit enough and slim enough to do this.
Embarrassment over I'm left perplexed.
Central locking does not operate on hab door so why did it lock behind me?
I thought it might be that we hadn't unlocked it from inside from overnight but it automatically unlocks when door is opened.
I haven't been able to replicate the situation.
I suppose the learning point is always unlock cab doors or have a key on person or secreted under van.
Any thoughts on why this happened?

 

[David and Sally]

Friends of ours learnt to take keys with them if they were both out at the same time. Their doors self locked at times too.

Might be related to the vehicle thinking it should relocked as the front doors are locked and so should - as it sees it - the load door ( as in the van base)

 

[Northernraider]

Been there done that ...in fact I did it twice with my hymer. The hab door had a habit of locking itself if slammed . I had to remove the 4 star washers holding the large skylight on and drop down through that.


I did think afterwards how much of a security risk that is on the hymers with the wind up skylight as it takes literally 30 seconds to remove the 4 washers and lift the lid off .

After that I.learned to take the hab door key with me everytime I.left the van

 

[Donkster]

Locked out!!
My wife went for a shower so I thought I would make my self useful by sorting the rubbish out.
went out through the hab door and for some reason it locked behind me. Unfortunately the cab doors were still locked from night.
First problem having to explain we were locked out when my wife returned from shower.
Second, how to get back in.
Two strokes of luck. Guy opposite had an extending ladder and I had opened the skylight before sorting rubbish.
So entry made through skylight luckily I am still fit enough and slim enough to do this.
Embarrassment over I'm left perplexed.
Central locking does not operate on hab door so why did it lock behind me?
I thought it might be that we hadn't unlocked it from inside from overnight but it automatically unlocks when door is opened.
I haven't been able to replicate the situation.
I suppose the learning point is always unlock cab doors or have a key on person or secreted under van.
Any thoughts on why this happened?

Take a look at this lock good because it has a cover for dirt.
Lock

 

[nicholsong]

Locked out!!
My wife went for a shower so I thought I would make my self useful by sorting the rubbish out.
went out through the hab door and for some reason it locked behind me. Unfortunately the cab doors were still locked from night.
First problem having to explain we were locked out when my wife returned from shower.
Second, how to get back in.
Two strokes of luck. Guy opposite had an extending ladder and I had opened the skylight before sorting rubbish.
So entry made through skylight luckily I am still fit enough and slim enough to do this.
Embarrassment over I'm left perplexed.
Central locking does not operate on hab door so why did it lock behind me?
I thought it might be that we hadn't unlocked it from inside from overnight but it automatically unlocks when door is opened.
I haven't been able to replicate the situation.
I suppose the learning point is always unlock cab doors or have a key on person or secreted under van.
Any thoughts on why this happened?

Shows the advantage of showering at 'home' (motorhome)

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[TheBig1]

My cab self locks again if you unlock but don't open a door within a few minutes

The hab door locking itself as you close the door is a quirk of the way the rods work inside the door. A quarter turn of the key will lock/unlock but the rod inside doesn't move far. In some situations, the jolt of it closing can lock the door. Happens if the door slams in the wind too

 

[nicholsong]

Sounds like 'new-fangled nonsense' of central locking. We only have hab door which has to be locked with a key - no key outside, not locked. Key outside can be locked, and unlocked.

 

[Northernraider]

Sounds like 'new-fangled nonsense' of central locking. We only have hab door which has to be locked with a key - no key outside, not locked. Key outside can be locked, and unlocked.

As the op stated the hab door isn't connected to the central locking . It's most likely just a worn or loose mechanism on the hab door lock.

I've had it on my hymer and the euramobil was also temperamental.

 

[BeeHappy]

You maybe accidentally bumped the hab door to the locked position while exiting!?

I can’t say for other vans obviously, but on mine with the key, you can turn the hab door lock to a position where it can’t be locked from the inside. Notable that the external door lock key slot is normally horizontal when the door can be locked from inside, or vertical when set so it can’t be locked from inside. So that’s generally the first and last jobs of the day for me, set it to prevent us being locked out in the morning and so we can be locked in at night. I kinda imagine that must be a “thing” on most vans surely!?

 

[kens988]

Mercedes have a habit of self locking after a minute or so.to overcome this you have to open the passenger or driver doors then you are okay.

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[Jeff one]

Our Hab door locks from the inside switch, will always open from inside, but not outside unless released by the switch or key switch

 

[Twitters]

Yes we have that with our habitation door as well, it is a new van so i think it maybe connected to the cab doors, so we always keep the keys with us, we did get looked out in our old van when the wind blew it shut and i had to get in through the side window that was fortunately open.
Also not sure if any of you out there have the water pump randomly go on and off at times for a few seconds, not sure if this is a new thing either, we get this in the night when we are sleeping, we have looked for a leak but there is nothing.

 

[Montezuma]

Locked out!!
Any thoughts on why this happened?

If the habitation door is not 'linked' to the central-locking mechanism, then this can really be only one of two things.

Either a badly worn locking mechanism which locked itself, if/when you shut the door firmly, or maybe even slammed it ?

Or,

Memory failure linked to aromatic-repetitive-action, i,e. "Your always lock the door when you exit the vehicle", and force of habit caused you to lock it when you headed for the rubbish bins?

I can't see what else it could have been ?

Incidentally I have a small lock box (similar to the one mentioned by Donkster) secured to the chassis. It is protected by a nifty cover, and unless one knows it is there, then only the mechanic carrying out the MoT will wonder what it is.

 

[Odd job]

I had it on the hab door on my caravan, it locks if slammed, when it happened to me I was lucky in that I had the car keys with me so could get my tool kit to break in

 

[Northernraider]

Yes we have that with our habitation door as well, it is a new van so i think it maybe connected to the cab doors, so we always keep the keys with us, we did get looked out in our old van when the wind blew it shut and i had to get in through the side window that was fortunately open.
Also not sure if any of you out there have the water pump randomly go on and off at times for a few seconds, not sure if this is a new thing either, we get this in the night when we are sleeping, we have looked for a leak but there is nothing.

All my vans have done that with the water pump it's just pressurising. If just a few seconds it's fine. If it was a leak it would do it constantly .

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[Northernraider]

If the habitation door is not 'linked' to the central-locking mechanism, then this can really be only one of two things.

Either a badly worn locking mechanism which locked itself, if/when you shut the door firmly, or maybe even slammed it ?

Or,

Memory failure linked to aromatic-repetitive-action, i,e. "Your always lock the door when you exit the vehicle", and force of habit caused you to lock it when you headed for the rubbish bins?

I can't see what else it could have been ?

Incidentally I have a small lock box (similar to the one mentioned by Donkster) secured to the chassis. It is protected by a nifty cover, and unless one knows it is there, then only the mechanic carrying out the MoT will wonder what it is.

He couldn't have locked it without the keys.

It's simply a worn mechanism as I stated up there ^^^

 

[Montezuma]

He couldn't have locked it without the keys.

It's simply a worn mechanism as I stated up there ^^^

Sorry to have to contradict you, but, on our Adria, there is a 'button', on the locking mechanism, on the inside of the door, which I can press as I exit the vehicle through the habitation door; then when the door is closed it is locked behind me.

The habitation door is not linked to the central-locking mechanism. So if the cab doors are locked and I exit the van, forgetfully, locking it behind me, I am locked out, hence the key safe, bolted to the chassis.

Incidentally, the locking mechanism on this particular Adria is absolutely garbage. Using the key to lock/unlock from the outside works fine until the temperature rises, then, due, I suspect to expansion it will not lock with the key from the outside.

In hot weather; Insert the key, quarter turn clockwise, door locked. Try to return the key to the 12 o'clock position, in order to extract it, and the door unlocks. So, I always use the magic button on the inside of the door to lock up when leaving the vehicle. It's a habit, and yes, I sometimes lock myself out.

 

[Northernraider]

Sorry to have to contradict you, but, on our Adria, there is a 'button', on the locking mechanism, on the inside of the door, which I can press as I exit the vehicle through the habitation door; then when the door is closed it is locked behind me.

The habitation door is not linked to the central-locking mechanism. So if the cab doors are locked and I exit the van, forgetfully, locking it behind me, I am locked out, hence the key safe, bolted to the chassis.

Incidentally, the locking mechanism on this particular Adria is absolutely garbage. Using the key to lock/unlock from the outside works fine until the temperature rises, then, due, I suspect to expansion it will not lock with the key from the outside.

In hot weather; Insert the key, quarter turn clockwise, door locked. Try to return the key to the 12 o'clock position, in order to extract it, and the door unlocks. So, I always use the magic button on the inside of the door to lock up when leaving the vehicle. It's a habit, and yes, I sometimes lock myself out.

He didn't state that he had locked it though. He said it locked itself . Which as others have said is quite common on an older van.


The one I have now the external lock is also temperamental.. you can turn the key and think its locked but it isn't. Often you've to turn the key to the unlocked position then hard round to locked position.

They just wear over time . I think I've only ever owned one motorhome that the door lock worked perfect . The rest have had quirks.

Can always lock it in the end but it's things I've to remember.


There's a few places to secure a spare single hab door key on a camper though..

Out of sight with just a cable tie in case of emergency

 

[DavidG58]

So were you quick enough that your wife never found out

 

[POH]

Incidentally I have a small lock box (similar to the one mentioned by Donkster) secured to the chassis. It is protected by a nifty cover, and unless one knows it is there, then only the mechanic carrying out the MoT will wonder what it is.

yes but what are the insurance going to say if it gets nicked ( computer say no)!!!!!!

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[Northernraider]

yes but what are the insurance going to say if it gets nicked ( computer say no)!!!!!!

There are some things you just don't tell an insurance company .

 

[Bucket]

Take a look at this lock good because it has a cover for dirt.
Lock

Having seen my builder open one with a quick twist of a screwdriver I wouldn't leave a key in those ....

 

[nicholsong]

yes but what are the insurance going to say if it gets nicked ( computer say no)!!!!!!

Unless the insurance company find the MH and the 'hidden place for the key' how would they know there was a key on the MH?

 

[Northernraider]

Having seen my builder open one with a quick twist of a screwdriver I wouldn't leave a key in those ....

Plenty places to hide a key outside a motorhome that no one would find. Don't need any key boxes . A single hab door key is all you need and it's waterproof .

 

[Brocksford]

Wear a hab door key on a dog tag chain.
Our hab door used to lock if the wind blew it shut.

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[MillyMoHo]

Locked out!!
My wife went for a shower so I thought I would make my self useful by sorting the rubbish out.
went out through the hab door and for some reason it locked behind me. Unfortunately the cab doors were still locked from night.
First problem having to explain we were locked out when my wife returned from shower.
Second, how to get back in.
Two strokes of luck. Guy opposite had an extending ladder and I had opened the skylight before sorting rubbish.
So entry made through skylight luckily I am still fit enough and slim enough to do this.
Embarrassment over I'm left perplexed.
Central locking does not operate on hab door so why did it lock behind me?
I thought it might be that we hadn't unlocked it from inside from overnight but it automatically unlocks when door is opened.
I haven't been able to replicate the situation.
I suppose the learning point is always unlock cab doors or have a key on person or secreted under van.
Any thoughts on why this happened?

We have had the same problem with our Motorhome. If you’re not careful the internal door handle has a habit of dropping down. We have now ensured that the cab doors are unlocked and
/or always have a key with us. We know we’re not fit enough or slim enough to climb in through the roof. Well done you.

 

[gilbaro]

So were you quick enough that your wife never found out

No

 

[gilbaro]

No

Thanks for all the replies I only feel slightly stupid now but pleased with my athletic achievement

 

[EMS]

In france the keyboxes are not considered as secure such that Airb&b do not consider them secure for the house keys to be left while awaiting customers.

 

[Odd job]

In france the keyboxes are not considered as secure such that Airb&b do not consider them secure for the house keys to be left while awaiting customers.

I used to do work for an agency that rented property short term, out of hours keys were in keyboxes outside the office, they had about 15 of them