RVLock issues

TahoeJoe · 10-24-2022, 08:17 PM

So I got the RVLock v4.0, installed it a few months ago, and in general I love it. But I have 2 issues with it, the first one being a new and concerning one, the second being a long-standing slightly nagging one. Yes, I'm going to contact RVLock support, but also posting this here to cast a wider (and perhaps faster) net...if any of you have had these issues and fixed them, any advice would be appreciated!

The first, most important one, just started a few days ago. It seems like the buttons are sticking, and often when I press one, it stays activated even after removing my finger, thus screwing up whatever combo of buttons I'm trying to push. It times out on the button I just pressed and I have to start over.

The second one is not as important or urgent, just a general complaint about how hard it is to open and shut the door fully. I've tinkered with the strike plate quite a bit, but no matter what I do it's still either a 2-handed job, or I have to slam it. Someone, I forget who, told me at the Mississippi Rendezvous that they grinded down the latch bolt to make it stick out less, but I'm on the road without all my tools and I'd love an easier solution...

splitting_lanes · 10-24-2022, 08:40 PM

We have the same issue with closing the door, and I haven’t figured that problem out yet.

No problem with the keypad though, but I recall seeing threads where others had issues with the keypad. Hopefully someone will post something more helpful than me.

wdr2 · 10-25-2022, 07:51 AM

After two years fighting hard door closures with our RVLock, replacing the key pad membrane 2x, and then having the key twist off in the lock after a failure to operate -- I reinstalled the original lock system that came with our Escape. Happy now.

Perry Butler · 10-25-2022, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

Someone, I forget who, told me at the Mississippi Rendezvous that they grinded down the latch bolt to make it stick out less, but I'm on the road without all my tools and I'd love an easier solution...

That would be me.

I looked at quite a few camper doors at MRR and found most were installed with a larger gap between the door and the door frame, so they had no problems closing. There is no way I was going to try to reinstall our door.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

The second one is not as important or urgent, just a general complaint about how hard it is to open and shut the door fully. I've tinkered with the strike plate quite a bit, but no matter what I do it's still either a 2-handed job, or I have to slam it.

Our door was a hard closer from day one, when we picked up our 5.0 in Sumas. I immediately found out if the strike plate was completely removed it closed much easier. However, two years later it got worse after installing the RVLock. I have two other strike plates in a drawer. No matter what I did to the strike plate we still had to slam our door to close. Put up with that hard closing RVLock for over a year of camping.

After well over three years, we were slowly wearing the opening without the stike plate and knew something had to be corrected. So one day last May I decided to closely inspect how the latch was hitting the strike plate and realized the angled portion at the end was not engaging the strike plate, but the flat before the angle was hitting. I took my 40 year old Makita 4" grinder with cutoff wheel and ground easily 1/4" or more of the latch off, but kept the same angle.

I completely took apart the RV lock to remove the latch so I could put it in a vice. I used a magic marker to mark the amount of metal to be removed and then removed enough metal but kept the angle intact.

My vise is at our condo, .8 mile from our seasonal campsite, so I had to go back and forth to grind and install. Remember the angle should engage the stike plate, not the flat portion. After a couple of grindings and reinstalling, the latch now closes easily, with a simple push, just like others closed at MRR.

Remove your strike plate and it should close easier until you get home to grind off some of your latch. If we can go over three years and 500 night's without the strike plate you'll easily make it home, and then can correct your situation.

Food for thought,

Perry

TahoeJoe · 10-25-2022, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdr2

After two years fighting hard door closures with our RVLock, replacing the key pad membrane 2x, and then having the key twist off in the lock after a failure to operate -- I reinstalled the original lock system that came with our Escape. Happy now.

I won't lie I had the same thought of just giving up on it, after how much I've struggled with it...but also I've started looking at alternatives, i.e. competitors out there. Carmtek says it's waterproof...

TahoeJoe · 10-25-2022, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perry Butler

Remove your strike plate and it should close easier until you get home to grind off some of your latch. If we can go over three years and 500 night's without the strike plate you'll easily make it home, and then can correct your situation.

Food for thought,

Perry

Thanks Perry, I'm going to try that today!

Ooshkaboo · 10-25-2022, 09:40 AM

I just had my door become difficult to open and close. The two screws came loose, just enough to cause it to stick.
I put a little loctite on them before retightening.

Bobbie54 · 10-25-2022, 10:39 AM

I had the opposite- door was impossible until I installed the RVLock. Now it works fine. (Sorry, no help there...) No sticky keys, either. They have good customer service, though.

Perry Butler · 10-25-2022, 10:50 AM

In Ooshkaboo's picture you can see that the door engages the strike plate in the proper position, on the angle. I don't know why it's such a small area though. Our door showed the engagement as wider, all the way up the angle and slightly on the flat area. Wish I'd taken "before" pictures.

Enjoy,

Perry

RangerMan · 10-25-2022, 11:39 AM

I had the door 'slam' problem too. No idea if will solve every problen but a healthy squirt of silicone spray into the lock solved mine. Smooth shutting now.

TahoeJoe · 10-25-2022, 03:40 PM

Update: removing the strike plate helped, and then per RangerMan's suggestion, a shot of lubricant (I used WD40 cause I had some on hand) helped even more! When I get back home I'll fiddle with a more permanent solution for the strike plate but I'm good for now.

As for the keypad, I contacted RVLock support and they replied in about an hour, with an offer to send me a new circuit board that has the buttons for the numbers and a new number pad. They say it'll be about a 10 minute installation and will come with all the instructions needed to install. Of course I'd rather have the product not fail in the first place, but short of that, I'll take great customer service like this as a back up!

stephen99 · 10-25-2022, 04:42 PM

Bought one for our 2017 21 and it only lasted a year. Main problem was the plastic backplate. Had to tug on the backplate to close the door from the inside and every time I tugged I noticed the plastic flexed a bit. Eventually the plastic cracked from the flexing and the lock became unusable. Also noticed the keypad developed permanent indentations on the numbers used for the combination so it was obvious which digits are in use.

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