Anyone *purposely* lock themselves inside their camper shell?

[FAW3]

There are so many types of truck cap window/door latches out there it's hard to answer...but I've used a small vice-grip type plyer to clamp the locking bar in place when sleeping in my truck cap. I thought about using a cotter clip and drilling a hole in the bar also to "lock it"...but the vice grips have worked so well I never bothered.

[whatcharterboat]

I don't know if this counts or not to the original poster but a couple of years back ........ I got a strange phone call from one of the guys I work with ( BTW we build campers). He asked me over the phone if I could go down to the end shed which was way down the back of our yard , enter this big camper then head down the back to the toilet and unlock the door. ...Turns out he'd somehow managed to foul the lock as he was intalling the mechanism and had been locked inside for about an hour calling out for help....then he remembered his mobile phone in his back pocket.

It's hard to get good help sometimes. Hahah.

[robert]

I use a loop of paracord to hold mine closed. From inside it's easy to slip the loop and open the door but anyone pulling on it from outside would hopefully make enough noise to wake me. Not much I can do about the window screens* but I'd do my best to render any arms coming through in the night into stumps.

*I've actually thought about mounting a bar or something across the opening but for some reason I really don't like the idea of having only one way out.

[newimage]

Never locked my rear window, sign says "Protected by Smith & Wesson" my .45 will attest for that

[ronburgandy]

I don't but I can, it is the same way that I lock my camper shell normally just doing the operation from the inside. I have 2 side opening doors and a rear door on my aluminum ARE construction type camper. I adapted and riveted brackets on the rear hatch, and the interior of the shell. I simply slide in a carabiner on either side and a river strap in the middle, it is more solid than the chinsy t-handle set up I had originally. Both the side doors have solid locks so I don't have to worry to much, but the rear door always gave me concern. So I could lock myself in, but have never used that option, mostly one or both sides a-jar for ventilation/view.

[FAW3]

I got around last weekend to going ahead and doing a simple latch lock for my truck cap...simple, low cost and would likely work on many types or at least give folks an idea:

I used a clip pin (tied a lanyard on it so it doesn't get dropped/lost as easy)...this whole thing is a peice of mind type of thing for my wife and kids when they sleep in the cap area. I had this one as a spare...cost about 25 cents. Drill a small hole in latch location so that the pin when inserted blocks the locking arms from withdrawing. The hole goes thru the outer plate and then into the aluminum frame - but not thru the outer casing. Easy to rig, use and works fine.

Tailgate door pin.jpg

Hope this helps someone!

[jronwood]

You bet I lock myself in,....and sometimes when in Gotham City making deliveries I even put Grandpa's Swedish splitting axe, and a high quality WW2 machete on the dash (I am in the fron or back seat) at least they know I might get something severed before they do me in. When on the road for deliveries Daddy sleeps in Hotel' De Ford as we call it.

Jronwood