The longest 5 months...

[Sandra L]

Congratulations and best wishes! I've been away for a bit and reading this post had me on tenterhooks. Glad the lock situation got resolved, and I'm among the throng that is awaiting pictures.

[J Mac]

Right on Jim!!!!

[sokol]

Jim, You can use your down time to keep educating us newbies. Really appreciate your insights and knowledge. We will try to keep you busy with questions to distract you from being "Escapeless in PA"

[Don W.]

hmmmmm, could the 3 hour customs inspection had something to do with the lock? Maybe they locked it after the process.

Can't wait for the pics, Have fun making it your own this weekend

[escape artist]

Hi: cpaharley2008...That present wasn't to be opened till Dec 25th., and you snooped!!! Can't wait to see pic's. The new 5.0TANDEM should look very similar but without the U dinette.
My bet is it was those "Custom Officers" playing with your new toy first!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Donna D.]

Jim, you're killing me! Waiting (im)patiently

[Vicki A.]

What Donna said....!

[robertg]

Just received this e-mail and thought it appropriate for this cold spell. I have not tried
all these tips so I can not vouch for their accuracy.

Helpful hints for your car in the winter!
These Tips may be helpful to you!!


Here are some helpful hints that could make your winters easier to deal
with ...

Keep your headlights clear with car wax! ...... Just wipe ordinary
car wax on your headlights. It contains special water repellents that
will prevent that messy mixture from accumulating on your lights -
lasts 6 weeks.

Squeak-proof your wipers with rubbing alcohol!.... Wipe the wipers with
a cloth saturated with rubbing alcohol or ammonia. This one trick can
make badly streaking & squeaking wipers change to near perfect silence
& clarity.

Ice-proof your windows with vinegar!.... Frost on it's way? Just fill a
spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water & spritz it on
all your windows at night. In the morning, they'll be clear of icy
mess. Vinegar contains acetic acid, which raises the melting point of
water---preventing water from freezing!

Prevent car doors from freezing shut with cooking spray!..... Spritz
cooking oil on the rubber seals around car doors & rub it in with a
paper towel. The cooking spray prevents water from melting into the
rubber.

Fog-proof your windshield with shaving cream!....... Spray some shaving
cream on the inside of your windshield & wipe if off with paper towels.
Shaving cream has many of the same ingredients found in commercial
defoggers.

De-ice your lock in seconds with hand sanitizer!..... Just put some
hand sanitizer gel on the key & the lock & the problems solved!

Hope these hints help even just one time.

[cpaharley2008]

I think the lock issue was Fastec's issue, a defect. The night latch was locked by me when closing up for the night and was not activated previously. Once I removed it and saw the innards, you can see the cylinder is jammed and the mechanism is free. I expect the new one today unless held up by weather, we are expecting another 6-9" snow tonite and tomorrow, I cancelled going camping tomorrow, did not want to tempt fate!! There is always next week.

[nealmccarter]

Following this thread from start to finish was as captivating as a good suspense novel. Glad it had a happy ending. Congratulations, Jim.

[techfan]

Jim, ah the notorious Fastec lock. See our previous thread "locked out" when we first got our 15. We were just about ready to remove the door also. So...question. On removing the door did you take the screws out of the trailer side or door side and would you recommend your method for someone else? Thinking about removing door to insulate it. Thanks.

[AimlessWanderLust]

Is anybody else now wondering about the now apparent security flaw? If the entire door can be unscrewed without having to open the door...what kind of security is that??

[stoney]

Been waiting for Jim to post 21 pics so I thought I'd share a couple of ours but alas am computer illiterate and my children aren't home to help lol but I did manage to upload them to the gallery under Bare Escape so if someone cares to post em up in here feel free and thanx , cheers mike

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by AimlessWanderLust

Is anybody else now wondering about the now apparent security flaw? If the entire door can be unscrewed without having to open the door...what kind of security is that??

Or if they pick the lock, or if they use the same key (which is somewhat common, or if they break in a window, or make a quick hole with a saw. All things that are quicker than taking the door off.

My point simply is that I don't really think it is something to worry about, is all.

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by stoney

Been waiting for Jim to post 21 pics so I thought I'd share a couple of ours but alas am computer illiterate and my children aren't home to help lol but I did manage to upload them to the gallery under Bare Escape so if someone cares to post em up in here feel free and thanx , cheers mike

Nice pictures! Where were they taken?

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Or if they pick the lock, or if they use the same key (which is somewhat common, or if they break in a window, or make a quick hole with a saw. All things that are quicker than taking the door off.

My point simply is that I don't really think it is something to worry about, is all.

I agree with Jim. While one doesn't have to make it easy to get in, all the precautions in the world are not going to keep someone out if they are determined. And what's the point of stewing about something that probably won't ever happen--camping is supposed to be fun!

[Ruthe]

I don't think we ever had anything stolen when we had our tent -- and probably half the time our airstream was unlocked. if someone is going to go to the extreme of taking off the door, then nothing is safe.

[Dave Walter]

Originally Posted by AimlessWanderLust

Is anybody else now wondering about the now apparent security flaw? If the entire door can be unscrewed without having to open the door...what kind of security is that??

The locks are really to keep honest folks honest. Don't kid yourself about the effectiveness of the security on a travel trailer. I am sure that if I really wanted to, I could grab the edge of the door on my 19' and pull it open by hand, even if the door was locked. It may break the door, but if I was a thief, I would not be terribly concerned about that.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ruthe

-- and probably half the time our airstream was unlocked.

I bet with our trailer, it is not locked 90% of the time. Can't be bothered to be bothered about things like that.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by techfan

Jim, ah the notorious Fastec lock. See our previous thread "locked out" when we first got our 15. We were just about ready to remove the door also. So...question. On removing the door did you take the screws out of the trailer side or door side and would you recommend your method for someone else? Thinking about removing door to insulate it. Thanks.

Reace suggested and I followed his suggestion, remove the door and hinges from the trailer, not from the door. When reinstalling use some sealant around the screws, which are square drive.