Spare key holder (13 Viewers)

Affiliate links here may earn MHF compensation
Mar 22, 2024
27
16
Funster No
101,922
MH
Adamo 754DL
Hi all
Was thinking of secretly hiding a spare key on vehicle in case of losing keys and the thought occurred to me with the electronic key readers now available is there a really secure way of hiding keys on vehicle, obviously keys inside should be in faraday box/bag or similar but I’m talking about hiding key externally
 
Jan 11, 2022
1,061
1,251
Funster No
86,220
MH
Pilote P732 2011
Exp
3rd Time around, since 2000
Something like this with keys in a fatday pouch inside, hidden on chasiss or under van body

 
Upvote 0
Dec 6, 2011
12,221
27,334
South Wales
Funster No
19,136
MH
Coach built Adria
Exp
Since 2007
You need to secure a main vehicle key inside the vehicle in an appropriate location and secure box.

The key you need to hide outside to enable entry is a habitation key.

Ok so; you loose your keys!
Get the hidden hab key enter the vehicle then with the alarm blasting find you secure box open and retrieve the spare key and spare alarm fob.
Stop the alarm, make your peace with the neighbours 🤭 and job done!🤣
 
Upvote 0

Two on Tour

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 16, 2016
10,841
56,198
Near the junction of the A14 and A1, Cambs
Funster No
45,145
MH
Elddis Autoquest 175
Exp
Since 2010
Something like this with keys in a fatday pouch inside, hidden on chasiss or under van body


The combination may be hard to crack, but I'm sure that a hammer will crack it in no time. :unsure:

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
May 7, 2016
7,953
13,548
West Sussex
Funster No
42,951
MH
Malibu Van 640 LE K
Exp
Since 2003
Best check with your insurance company. My previous insurance company specifically excluded theft of the vehicle if a spare key had been left anywhere on the vehicle. I think all policies impose a duty of care to protect the vehicle from theft.
 
Upvote 0
Mar 18, 2015
414
1,107
Burrough on the Hill, Leicestershire
Funster No
35,485
MH
Summit Prime 640
Exp
Since 2014
On my old van I used to have a spare Hab Door key in a ittle plastic bag stuck down under a lump of Duct tape behind the bottom fridge vent. A spare Ignition key was burried deep in the gunnels of the van.
Must say in four years never needed the emergency Hab door key at all
 
Upvote 0
Nov 22, 2018
1,907
18,035
South East but not London
Funster No
57,328
MH
Rimor Europeo 87
Exp
Five years plus three tugging
Terrified of losing keys so we have three sets. Mrs DDJC carries one, I carry the other, and the third set is extraordinarily well hidden inside. You would need to dismantle the inside of the van to find it
When we leave the van we lock the cab door and the cab HEO bolts, and lock the Fiamma on the hab door and garage. The windows have the little clips on them, but someone with a decent set of tools could lever them off easily.

I have been toying with the idea of secreting a hab door key & Fiamma lock key somewhere on the bus that can be accessed from outside, but in separate places. Still mulling over it.
 
Upvote 0
Oct 28, 2022
607
1,261
Funster No
92,132
MH
Rapido
I just keep the key in my pocket. Then its on me either in or outside the van…zip pockets are prefered.

For more security, get a big key fob…a monkeys fist is really good…..once prevented a dropped car key going down a drain cover!

Or one could look a proper chopper and attach them by chain to your belt -aka Mr Mackay….FLETCHER!
 
Upvote 0
Feb 16, 2020
2,647
3,658
KT15.
Funster No
68,772
MH
Sunlight. T66. 2019.
Exp
Absolute beginners.
Not recommended, though appealing for peace of mind. Insurance will wiggle out of paying for your van in the event it was made off with using one of your keys. Split the key carrying duty between you, either a full set each, or the other permutation is one carries all the van keys the other all the secondary locking keys 🤷‍♂️ Leave a spare full set at home that could in an emergency be posted to you wherever you are.
Mike.
 
Upvote 0
Feb 18, 2017
4,867
9,471
Greenwich, London, UK
Funster No
47,382
MH
Hymer MLT 570
Exp
1986
I have an external key 'blade' I had made by a locksmith,
It's just the blade of the key, so very small.
It also only fits one door (not the hab door)
It's hidden in a difficult to access place.
The alarm will go off when opened.

You then need to find the other set of keys with the fob to switch off the alarm and drive off.
Lets just say that would be 'difficult' to do, I'm sure even an experienced Customs 'black gang' would take at least an hour.
In the meantime the alarm will be going on at full volume until it cuts out.
 
Upvote 0
Apr 1, 2024
258
371
Bolton
Funster No
102,131
MH
Hobby T500 LHD
Exp
Spring 2024
This thread is a timely reminder that I need to do something about this issue over this winter. The problem is more acute for me as I travel solo - So no partner to keep a 2nd set with her when away from the van. A local locksmith has quoted £70 for cloning the Transit ignition key. All well and good (and I can then hide that somewhere under the van or whatever and hide the full 2nd set of keys somewhere in the van) However I would much prefer to have a 3rd hab door key cut plus another Fiamma for a variety of reasons but in particular that way, in the event that a thief discovered my hidden 3rd keys outside the vehicle, he would still have to find my hidden 2nd ignition key before driving away which would take time and so lower the risk of losing the vehicle.
So two questions:
(a) Is it easy to acquire spare keys for the usual Fiamma hab door 2nd lock?
(b) Anybody here any experience of sourcing a spare Hobby hab door key? The van is an LHD import but I doubt that makes any difference.

While writing I can tell an amusing tale at my own expense about keys. I sing opera & classical music solos as well as doing chorus work. I work in Leeds but live in Bolton. Post Covid I work mainly from home but pre-Covid was commuting most days (by motorcycle). I sang in a solo in a Carol Concert in Leeds and, because I was going for a few drinks with friends after, I was travelling by train that day. So I changed into a posh suit at work, sang my solo, went for my drinks and then caught a late evening train back to Bolton. Only as I approached my front door did I realise that my door keys were still in my works suit in Leeds and, because I was not travelling by vehicle I had no key fob on me with a garage key giving me access to spare house keys hidden in the garage! I tried springing the garage door - No luck. My only bit of good luck was that, by accident my old Rav4 sat on the drive was not locked. So I slept in the car overnight, caught the first train back to Leeds in the morning and arrived at work very early for a wash and shave etc. with colleagues surprised at my very early arrival!!

Thereafter I put a spare garage key in a magnetic box under my bike trailer to avoid a repeat of the problem. I have since sold that trailer but you can maybe guess where that magnetic box now lives!!

So the moral of the story is plan for even the most remote eventualities!!!

P.S. I think a digital key safe hidden somewhere inside your van is an excellent idea I am less sure about doing that near the front door of your home. It advertises where house keys can be found and, in my case, with the van no longer sat on the drive it is fairly obvious when I am away from home. Although I do my best to disguise that fact ramps bolted to the drive so that the van is almost level when parked up do not help when away!!

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0

Nanniemate

LIFE MEMBER
Oct 1, 2019
6,780
46,768
Funster No
64,882
MH
IH
Exp
Still dropping clangers and making it up as I go along
This thread is a timely reminder that I need to do something about this issue over this winter. The problem is more acute for me as I travel solo - So no partner to keep a 2nd set with her when away from the van. A local locksmith has quoted £70 for cloning the Transit ignition key. All well and good (and I can then hide that somewhere under the van or whatever and hide the full 2nd set of keys somewhere in the van) However I would much prefer to have a 3rd hab door key cut plus another Fiamma for a variety of reasons but in particular that way, in the event that a thief discovered my hidden 3rd keys outside the vehicle, he would still have to find my hidden 2nd ignition key before driving away which would take time and so lower the risk of losing the vehicle.
So two questions:
(a) Is it easy to acquire spare keys for the usual Fiamma hab door 2nd lock?
(b) Anybody here any experience of sourcing a spare Hobby hab door key? The van is an LHD import but I doubt that makes any difference.

While writing I can tell an amusing tale at my own expense about keys. I sing opera & classical music solos as well as doing chorus work. I work in Leeds but live in Bolton. Post Covid I work mainly from home but pre-Covid was commuting most days (by motorcycle). I sang in a solo in a Carol Concert in Leeds and, because I was going for a few drinks with friends after, I was travelling by train that day. So I changed into a posh suit at work, sang my solo, went for my drinks and then caught a late evening train back to Bolton. Only as I approached my front door did I realise that my door keys were still in my works suit in Leeds and, because I was not travelling by vehicle I had no key fob on me with a garage key giving me access to spare house keys hidden in the garage! I tried springing the garage door - No luck. My only bit of good luck was that, by accident my old Rav4 sat on the drive was not locked. So I slept in the car overnight, caught the first train back to Leeds in the morning and arrived at work very early for a wash and shave etc. with colleagues surprised at my very early arrival!!

Thereafter I put a spare garage key in a magnetic box under my bike trailer to avoid a repeat of the problem. I have since sold that trailer but you can maybe guess where that magnetic box now lives!!

So the moral of the story is plan for even the most remote eventualities!!!

P.S. I think a digital key safe hidden somewhere inside your van is an excellent idea I am less sure about doing that near the front door of your home. It advertises where house keys can be found and, in my case, with the van no longer sat on the drive it is fairly obvious when I am away from home. Although I do my best to disguise that fact ramps bolted to the drive so that the van is almost level when parked up do not help when away!!
I travel solo post #10 applies :rofl: l
 
Upvote 0

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Funsters who are viewing this thread

Back
Top