Community Forums

esjay · 10-13-2014, 12:24 PM

Hi All,

I'm hoping someone here can give me some ideas. We have a 1955 8'x40' trailer we're trying to renovate. It's a solid thing with lovely woodwork inside but the years have not been kind to it otherwise.

I'm trying right now to replace the door latch. It's a Bargman and I'm finding that those things go for $300 to $500 online. Yikes! So I'm wondering if there's an inexpensive alternative. Another brand of latch that will fit? Another option to closing and locking the door? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Sherry

Full.Monte · 10-13-2014, 04:32 PM

That's a very high price. Have you compared prices online? Also, know that all such hardware is not made for our vehicles, but re-purposed from another application. You might find it at HD or Lowe's, a screen door shop or a locksmith.

sktyrhrtout · 10-13-2014, 10:30 PM

Can you post some pictures of it? What's the part number on the door latch? I know those Bargman's are the old school style, so they may be more expensive for perfect restorations but if you're just looking for something that will work we can find you something. Just get us a bit more info off the latch.

Kurmudgeon · 10-14-2014, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esjay

I'm trying right now to replace the door latch. It's a Bargman and I'm finding that those things go for $300 to $500 online

It's probably a Bargman L-100 or L-200, and they were discontinued years ago. That's why the high prices. If there's anything that is a direct replacement, I'm not aware of it.

A good locksmith can fix just about anything. The problem may be finding a "good" one who knows what he's (or she's) doing, not someone who just knows how to re-key locks and make keys, and calls themselves a locksmith. The major parts of the lockset are probably OK. It's some of the small internal parts and springs that wear and break.

This may sound strange, but another option would be a good gunsmith. There's that word "good" again. They are very adept at making their own springs and just about any other part they may need. A good gunsmith is part artist and part machinist.

Kurmudgeon · 10-14-2014, 02:28 AM

After posting my first answer I did some searching and found this:

VintageCampers.com :: Vintage Campers, Vintage Trailers, Vintage Parts, Vintage Restorations

By the way, what is the make of your old trailer?

esjay · 10-14-2014, 10:41 AM

Hi Monte,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I've looked all over the place online. There don't seem to be many out there that are exactly what I'm looking for--an older model that fits my door. And the ones I found are very pricy.

We don't have a Lowe's or HD out here in the sticks. We do have a Home Depot in a nearby town. I never considered they'd have something like this, for such an old trailer. Do you think they might?

Thanks,
Sherry

esjay · 10-14-2014, 10:55 AM

Hi sktyrhrtout,

We still have an intact latch on one door so I can see if I can get some clear pictures of it. It's identical to the one we're trying to replace.

We don't have the broken latch, only the intact one on the other door. Before I went looking online, I tried to find a part number or model number or something on that latch and couldn't find anything other than the name "Theodore Bargman." So I just went ahead and looked for that. We may have to take it off the door to see if we can find something else. We can give it a try.

We don't need the original latch necessarily, just something that will work and look halfway decent. That would be great if we could.

)

Sherry

esjay · 10-14-2014, 10:59 AM

Hi Kurmudgeon,

Actually it's the whole assembly that's broken right in half. Probably from a half century of opening and closing the door.

And it doesn't surprise me that the locks in question were discontinued years ago. I figured that's why I'm having such darned difficulty in locating one.

Sherry

esjay · 10-14-2014, 11:05 AM

Wow, Kurmudgeon, that's good to know. Thanks for the link. We're putting so much money into this trailer that I'm hoping to get by, at least for now, for less money spent on a doggoned door latch. But if there's no other alternative, then this is the way to go. I've bookmarked the site.

Thanks again.
Sherry

esjay · 10-14-2014, 11:06 AM

Oh, and Kurmudgeon, I don't know what the make of the trailer is. I looked around for something to tell me and couldn't find anything. Is there a particular place to look?

Full.Monte · 10-14-2014, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esjay

Hi Kurmudgeon,

Actually it's the whole assembly that's broken right in half. Probably from a half century of opening and closing the door.

And it doesn't surprise me that the locks in question were discontinued years ago. I figured that's why I'm having such darned difficulty in locating one.

Sherry

No, Home Depot might not have the same lock, but a usable one. Why don't you take some photos of it so we can see what it looks like? Especially where it is broken.