Changing out cam locks and slam latches.

[JustinThyme]

Seems a bit silly changing out locks with a brand new RV but two things drive me crazy. One is having 3 different keys and the other is 2 of the three keys are on 99.99999999999999999% of every new RV that is produced. The cam locks I got on the outdoor kitchen latch and the front compartment where the battery is had the single most common key in the RV industry, the dreaded CH751. If you trust everyone everywhere you go then by all means leave them as is but Ive heard and seen more than one horror story of people getting ripped off because pretty much all of these cam locks have the CH 751 key and folks would go places like nascar races only to find they were robbed after the fact as their storage was still locked. The slam latches while nice have the second most common key, the southco R001 key and every single slam latch on every single grand design that I know of has the R001 key as they only come two ways, the R001 and the CH751. The only lock that actually has different key combinations is the entry lock on the door with the Global Link set that at least has 50 different combinations and the keyset is printed on the inside of the lock under the interior cover plate so you have to be on the inside and remove the cover to see which of the 50 keys it is. So I sourced the cam locks already from http://www.rvlocksandmore.com/ and ordered them keyed the same as my entry lock and replaced those easily so there goes the CH751 key. There are no clear cut drawings for the replacement of the slam latch as they made it to replace the Fastec latches. I did however get Brian at http://www.rvlocksandmore.com/ to send me some rough dimensions and it appears they are pretty darn close if not spot on ( he sent me what he measured to 1/8 of an inch with a tape measure and the Southco drawings are presented in 100ths)so I ordered up 4 of those in hopes they will be an easy install, he said I can return them if not. Fingers crossed as it would be one hell of a lot easier to only need 1 stinking key and not one that is on every RV from every manufacturer on the market. The slam latches will be in next Monday and it will probably be the following weekend before I can get to it but Ill post back to let everyone know if they work out or not. The outside dimensions on the exterior flange are spot on at 4.5x5 inches with all of them with Southco just not being perfectly square, slightly ovaled on the vertical lines.

This would be the slam latch I ordeed
http://www.rvlocksandmore.com/Global...6#.VUF7fvlViko

[PolarBear]

I am looking at doing this thanks

[huntr70]

The locks keep out the honest criminals.

You can cut through the compartment doors and even the sidewalls of the trailer with a utility knife if you really want to get in.

[JustinThyme]

If there is a will there is always a way, however, I'm not going to make it easy for them. Having keys that pretty much everyone has is barely one step above not having a lock at all.

[Andy Brown]

Justin Thyme

Please keep us updated. I think I would like to do this.

[Scott and Jan]

Thanks Justin, I didn't know the slam latches were a common key also. I just keep a grill, patio rug, and all my sewer hoses (in a rubbermaid container) in the front compartment. But my basement storage has TV and all kinds of other expensive stuff in it. Would be interested in if the new slam latches work too. Especially if they can be keyed like the entry door, I hate having multiple keys also.

[JustinThyme]

All my compartments have something in it. Front is tools, power washer, leaf blower etc, basement is loaded like yours and then my outdoor kitchen has a good bit in there as well. Sometimes its not the $$ value of the item as much as it would be the inconvenience of going to get it when you need it most and find out it isn't there! The replacement locks are quite reasonable of all of them. I've already done the kitchen and front compartment, took like 5 minutes each including coffee break and got me down to two keys. Ill be sure to post up if the slam latches work just as soon as I try them out. Iw ould rather have had shop drawings on both but the info I did get looks pretty promising, just not 100%. Ill post pics if they work.

[Cate&Rob]

Hi JustinThyme
This is good info, thanks for sharing your research.
Along with several others, I will be interested to know if the new slam latches fit.
Rob

[JustinThyme]

Latches showed up today, a day early. right out of the box they look better than the Southco as far as construction goes. Much heavier and all the mechanical parts are metal where the cam in the back of the Southco is plastic. I will say that this weekend while I was busy with other RV related chores I pulled one of the Southco latches and was extremely surprised to see that the only thing holding it in is a plastic/rubber back plate. Cant call it plastic because its too flexible and cant call it rubber because its not that flexible but damn near. In the end if you tried hard enough you can just grab a locked latch by the handle and pull it outward and yank it right out. I ordered metal back plates with the replacements. I'm not scheduled for work tomorrow so I may take a ride down and change them out. They look pretty promising to be a direct fit.

Something else that went on my punch list over the weekend are the mounts for the gas cylinders in the basement door over the dump station. The bracket is the wrong type for the application with 3 screws holding it in. Where the problem lies is two of the screws are in the metal frame around the door and the third goes into the door backing and in a new RV are already pulled out. I attempted to tighten them and all I could do was run them in as there is nothing to grab. I know there are proper mounts where 3 screws goes into the metal as that is what is on the other side in the door for my outdoor kitchen. Why on earth would someone even install something like this? Let alone a manufacturer on a production line. Looking at them its a no brainer that the mount is going to exert lateral force mostly because it doesn't lay flat. Ill snap some pics next time I'm down of the difference between the two.

[JustinThyme]

The verdict is in. The Global link slam latches are installed and were almost an exact replacement. Everything is spot on with alignment and plunger depth and mounting holes. The only difference is the depth of of the posts on the body of the latch assembly that accepts the mounting screws are about 1/8 of an inch too long. I don't have my dremel tool with me to just put a cut off wheel on it and chop the post back as needed and I looked right at it just before I left and thought I wouldn't need it. A higher power was definitely telling me to take it as I've never just looked at it and thought about needing it or not, I've always just known and grabbed it. Guess I need to just go buy one at a local place this morning and add to my tool box here, not like they cost a thousand bucks. Anyhow they are all in just the same, the holes in the original plastirubber back plates even line up and I think for now Ill leave those in. To make up for the difference in depth the box top of that bottle of 15YO Glenlivet French Oak reserve that I bought on the way here folded twice makes a perfect Shim under the mounting plate in the back.

So Im officially down to one key for everything. Lost the CH751 with the change of the cam locks and now the Southco R001 is history to. One Global link key unlocks everything.

If you order from http://www.rvlocksandmore.com/ there are drop downs for the length of the cam locks and how you want them keyed make sure to pull and measure what you have first, they are not all the same. I had to get a 7/8" for the front storage and 1 3/8" for the door to my outdoor kitchen. For the slam latches there is no drop down to specify how you want them keyed so when you are checking out there is a special instructions box, just specify how you would like them keyed there.