caravan door locks

[craigmurray]

Hi all i hope someone can help me?
I had my Range Rover stolen and like an idiot i had left my caravan keys in it, my question is do i have to get a lock smith to get into my van or can i do it myself? Also does anyone know what type of lock or barrel i would need? I went to our local caravan and camping shop to buy one and they had loads of different types. I have a 2001 Sterling Elite Trekker,

Many Thanks

Craig

 

[Lutz]

I lost my caravan keys once on the Dover-Calais ferry (they fell on the floor as I knelt down to check the electrical connection to the caravan) and was into France before I realised they had gone. I found it easy enough to get in through the windows without damaging anything. All I needed to do was to get hold of the bottom edge of the window and pull tightly towards me and at the same time applying repeated blows with the fist against the window in the area of one of the catches. Eventually, the catch jumped open and I was inside in less than 5 minutes. Nothing was broken and there were no signs of a break-in.

ps: Someone later found the keys on the deck of the ferry and, after making enquiries with the ferry operator, they sent them to my home address.

 

[craigmurray]

its also just dawned on me that i need to get into a change the locks on the front locker and side lockers

 

[craigmurray]

just been googling, can i get new keys cut off a code that should be on the locks?

 

[Lutz]

The code should not be visible from the outside of the locks. If at all, you may need to open the door from the inside first, remove the lock and with a bit of luck you may find the code on the lock barrel. Failing that, the caravan manufacturer should have a record of the combination if you give hin the chassis number.

 

[RayS]

I'm slightly concerned about commiting this to print, but i guess the method is so generally known it won't do any harm - may just prompt a few people to realise how insecure the van is.
If you have the usual 90 degree turnover catches inside the windows, select one through which you can eventually climb. Get a flat flexible strip of plastic or metal and introduce it between the window and rubber seal. You will find it quite easy to push the catch levers to the open position. May be a bit more difficult if you have screw down fasteners but many people don't fasten these unless to keep the window open.

I discovered all this some years ago when the door lock on my Corniche failed in the locked position - the flexible that came to hand was the dipstick of a Disco 200 tdi.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi all,
when we first got the van we were furnished with 3 keys I have one on the car keys the wife has one, and the 3rd is kept in the van, "yes I know but bear with me" if one of us loses their keys we have allways one to fall back on once the other has open the van see.
however unknown to me the one I had got stressed for some reason and broke in the lock

unable to get in as neither of us is cabable of climbing through a window even if we could get one open, I called a locksmith to open the van.
and this is the point of my post he open the van for us but would not let us see how, in wait for it --------
"11 seconds" less time than it took him to get the toolbox out of his van, he stripped down the lock to remove the broken piece and cut us 2 more. all in 20 mins.
allthough it cost over £50 it was a valuable lesson. vans are not as secure as we would like to think they are.
it may not help, but if all else fails call a locksmith.

 

[RayS]

Glad to hear your problm solved ven at some cost. The place for the third key, is, I suggest outside the caravan not inside. You can buy very small key safes with combination locks which would fasten into the channel section of the chassis without much trouble and if anyone did find them you are still protected for a while by the combination.

 

[HenryS]

Has anyone fitted the Milenco lock and if so , are they happy with it?
Henry

 

[craigmurray]

hi all thank you for your replies i got into my van yesterday after alot of expletives lol. dismantled the lock and got the code yippeee ordered new keys and cross fingers they will fit ok...