Frozen Door Lock

[Alarmguy]

Just thought I would pass this on as it could be a safety issue. I went to take the dogs out this morning and the door lock was frozen in the locked position.

It rained all day yeaterday then went down to 19 degrees last night. I guess water got into the lock then froze solid last night.

It took a full 5 minutes with a blow dryer to thaw it out before the lock would release and the door would open.

We should all be familiar with the operation emergency exits on our RVs as 5 minutes in a fire could mean the difference in life and death.

Terry

[Alarmguy]

Just thought I would pass this on as it could be a safety issue. I went to take the dogs out this morning and the door lock was frozen in the locked position.

It rained all day yeaterday then went down to 19 degrees last night. I guess water got into the lock then froze solid last night.

It took a full 5 minutes with a blow dryer to thaw it out before the lock would release and the door would open.

We should all be familiar with the operation emergency exits on our RVs as 5 minutes in a fire could mean the difference in life and death.

Terry

[mamaloya]

Not to be too light here, but if there was a fire, I think the lock would defreeze on it own huh.

Just kidding, I know how serious that could be. I never would have thought about that possibility. That is good to know. I did not know that RVs had emergency exits. I guess in a popup we would just rip out the screen. Never thought about it. More common emergencies in our house though would be a middle of the night trip to the bathhouse. LOL!

Thank you so much for posting that info. It helps to think about potential emergencies and prepare for them ahead of time before you are faced with them. I am so glad this site exists for many reasons, and now one more.

[Rich & Zara]

You are on the inside of your very nice ˜See Ya Gold"� 2004 motorhome and the door lock is frozen? I would think you have a very serious opening in-between the interior and exterior of the of the door allowing water to run inside and down to the lock ...that problem would have to be the bolt lock and not the key entry, right? I would think what happened to you is a rarity and would be curious if this has happened to anyone else??? I really cannot see this happening to our RV as I know the seals in that area are more than adequate to protect from the outside elements.

Since your motorhome is a 2004 model, I'm guessing it is still under warranty ...and if so, a trip to the dealer might be in order.

I'm further guessing this did not happen in your home area of San Diego, CA, right?

Rich

[Bushman512003]

If need be a good body slam in a fire and I know I would be out!Bushman..

[charliez]

Our popup had an emergency exit. It was a double sided zipper that was used to zip the ends on. They were actually labeled emergency exits with a tag on the zipper. Being inside a popup on fire would not be good. I'm not sure if I would even worry about an emergency exit in a popup. I'd get out regardless of location of a zipper.

[Alarmguy]

We were in and out a number of times during the heavy rain yesterday. One time in particular the dogs went out in their rain coats (yep they are spoiled) and the door was open for quite a while so I am thinking the water got into it while it was standing open, but may just be a common problem as on the See Ya forum others said they have had the same problem. I don't know if the warranty (extended part) will cover it as we are past the first year of actual Alfa coverage, the 5 year warranty is 1 year by Alfa and 4 years with an extended warranty plan which I haven't read up on as the 1 year just ended.

Terry

[Alarmguy]

I forgot, we are in Nashville, Tennessee, not San Diego. Both the bolt and flip lock are key operated and it is also a keyless entry. Other See Ya owners say they spray a little WD 40 in the key holes and it stops the problem..

Terry

[John Harrelson]

Kinda reminds me of one of my ex-wives and the can of "Lock De-icer" I bought for her.

Its a little spray can about half the length of a ballpoint pen and about twice the diameter.

It has a nozzle that is inserted into the key way of the lock and when the button is pressed, alcohol is sprayed into the lock to dissolve the ice..

Good product and works great ... UNLESS ... you keep it in the vehicle's glove box instead of your purse...

(deep sigh) .... oh yes ... she did ... and when I got there I had to use the old cigarette lighter to heat the keys trick...

oh well... such is life

John

[RV Wizard]

Hopefully all will make emergengy escape plans for exit of their RV's as a result of this post if they haven not already. We have a rope ladder under the bed as it is at least 6' to ground. I know first hand how it feels to be STUCK inside. We blew a right front tire and the door frame was bent over the door and we could not easily open it. I hope all will take a few minutes and plan for the unthinkable. Take care and be safe.

[2Roadrunners]

Hi,

First off. The de-icer squirts they sell will clean off all lubricant that was put on the mechanism by the company. Hence it will freeze often due to condensation.

Second WD-40 is great, but it washes off very easily. Re: bicycle chains, first rain and it is gone.

It might be worth it to lubricate the mechanism yourself on a nice day as de-icers can cause addiction.

I am from Québec and do not even own a squirt bottle.

[Ray,IN]

As 2rosdrunners said, WD40 washes off any lubricant by its very formula. It is W=water, D=displacement, formula=40th. It's intent is to displace and wash away any moisture, it is not a lubricant. Silicone spray lubricants are excellent for this type application, but only when the mechanism is free of grit and dry. Your point of locating and learning how to use the emergency exits cannot be overstressed. A mobile home is quite similar to a large RV, because they are air tight. A mobile home will progress from fire ignition to totally engulfed in 6 minutes. Escape must be quick, natural, and calm to survive. That itself demands a working fire detector at each end of the unit.

[Rich & Zara]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alarmguy:
I forgot, we are in Nashville, Tennessee, not San Diego. Both the bolt and flip lock are key operated and it is also a keyless entry. Other See Ya owners say they spray a little WD 40 in the key holes and it stops the problem..

Terry </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
But as I understand, you were on the inside trying to get out. Aren't all RV doors operated on the inside independent of the outside key entry?

Rich

[Alarmguy]

the thought is that by spraying the WD 40 into the lock that it will shed the water that caused it to freeze to start with. But once it is frozen and you are inside, oh well get out the blow dryer.

Terry