RVLock company stands behind its product

[Snackchaser]

There are lots of Olivers with the keyless RVLock so I thought it's worth sharing our good experience with this great company.  

We decided to install an Amazon-purchased RVLock keyless door handle ourselves instead of buying it as an Oliver option. The installation was quick and easy, and it comes with a generous lifetime warranty.  The locks are made in Utah by a small company, and they look and feel like a quality product.  Unfortunately, however, there have been issues with the electronics because it has failed three times already!

It first failed after about six months, and I called the company for the warranty claim.  They wanted proof of purchase, then sent a replacement KPD keyboard and PCD circuit board with installation instructions.  We were able to look up the receipt on Amazon and received the parts in a few days.

It failed again about a year later, and RVLock still had me in their system.  They immediately sent more replacement circuit boards with a new rubber keypad cover. This time, I applied sealer around the lock even though there were no signs of water intrusion.

Unfortunately, it failed for the third time a few weeks ago. The RVLock company’s customer service was apologetic and said that they’ve done some design changes to address the problems.  This time, they sent upgraded circuit boards, a new speaker circuit board, a foam gasket, and instructions.  There was a shipping charge of $3.

I hope that this is the final fix because we genuinely love the lock and we wish success for companies that stand behind their products.

Cheers!  Geoff

Edited February 15, 2025 by Snackchaser
lost some text in last edit

[topgun2]

I believe that it is a shame that we have to be so surprised by a company that really does stand by its product.

However, it is really refreshing to hear about those who do.  Thanks for letting us know how these guys have treated you.

Bill

[jd1923]

Thought once to get one of these but reading this and some earlier posts makes me very happy that the 10-year-old keyed lock in our door is still working fine. For me on this one, leave well enough alone, where normally I'm the upgrade type.

[MAX Burner]

We also had a great experience with RVLock last year when we replaced the keypad with the upgraded version (the numbers were peeling off on the original pad).  After commenting this story to the RVLock folks manning their booth at the RV show in Quartzite last month - I was awarded with a huge swag bag of cool stuff!  

A great and responsive company, RVLock.

[Patriot]

RV lock was one of the first top 5 mods I installed on our Oliver. 5 years later it still works perfectly, has served us well and so convenient. I did replace the original key pad with the new updated silicone rubber key pad.

Highly recommend based on our use and experience.

 

Edited February 15, 2025 by Patriot

[Galileo]

We’ve had good luck with RVLock support - as they are responsive and quick to send out parts under warranty. 

I forget the exact failure mode, but our original OTT installed RCLock quit working. After chatting g with them on the phone they mailed out a replacement circuit board for the cost of shipping. (I’d whine about having to pay shipping - but I’ll get over it.)

In the meantime, I had purchased a whole new unit from Amazon. This one talks yo you and had a lock/unlock sound that doesn’t wake the neighbors. 

I replaced the circuit board in the original lock and kept it as a spare. 

Last season, the “new” lock stopped unlocking reliably - only withdrawing the deadbolt about halfway and requiring a second attempt to get in to the trailer. So, the “spare” gets re-installed. 

Several more emails and sending them a video of the lick not working and they say they’re sending me something. Not sure what yet. 

I still don’t care for the battery situation. Trying to install 2 rows of 2 AA batteries stacked vertically and getting the battery cover on takes dexterity and fast hands. 

[Tom and Doreen]

2 hours ago, Galileo said:

Last season, the “new” lock stopped unlocking reliably - only withdrawing the deadbolt about halfway and requiring a second attempt to get in to the trailer. So, the “spare” gets re-installed. 

Several more emails and sending them a video of the lick not working and they say they’re sending me something. Not sure what yet. 

I've had this problem (twice) and I believe that it comes down to a mechanical tolerance and materials problem with the deadbolt mechanism.  In their design they purposely  overdrive the deadbolt motor ( since they don't have a sensor to determine the position of the deadbolt). When the deadbolt reaches the end of it's travel, motor torque increases and overcomes the friction material in the clutch mechanism allowing the clutch to rotate despite the fact that the deadbolt has reached the end of it's travel.  This allows the motor to continue to spin, preventing it from drawing excessive current and shortening its life.  I've forgotten their name for the clutch but it's a little barrel that contains a friction material that allows the motor to drive the deadbolt until excessive force (when the deadbolt reaches the end of it's travel) overcomes the friction material causing the clutch to spin freely thereby decoupling the motor from the deadbolt. The problem occurs  when the materials in the deadbolt mechanism bind or stick, overcoming the friction material in the clutch, resulting in the deadbolt not completing it's travel within the time that the motor is commanded to operate as determined by the electronics. The symptom is that the motor sounds normal, a confirmation beep is heard signaling end of travel of the deadbolt, but the door either doesn't lock or in my case did not unlock. 

In short,  by design the motor is commanded to run longer than the time that it normally takes for the deadbolt to complete a full travel and relies on the clutch to decouple it's mechanical connection to the deadbolt when the deadbolt reaches the end of it's travel. By doing so they eliminate deadbolt position sensors and save cost. It's clever providing it works reliably.  Anything within the transport that adds friction or causes binding can cause a problem. Another issue can be a weak clutch.  

The company is very good about supplying parts but leaves the repairs up to the customer which usually involves sending videos, sometimes removing the lock and operating the lock by itself while making another video, then waiting for parts which in some cases does not fix the problem and the cycle repeats. 

I like the lock, it's very convenient,  but I aways have my key in my pocket  which somewhat defeats the purpose.    
 

[routlaw]

I had thought about buying one of these as well, now I'm not so sure. Seems like another unreliable RV headache in its current iteration. 

[Galileo]

1 hour ago, routlaw said:

I had thought about buying one of these as well, now I'm not so sure. Seems like another unreliable RV headache in its current iteration. 

Probably a logical conclusion. 

The lock was part of the “Electronics Pro Package” that OTT offered as part of the initial trailer ordering. Pretty sure it was bundled with the rear camera, Auto drain, and the cell booster as well. 

I never use the rear camera (remote view screen too clunky) and I’m not convinced that the cell booster does much - if anything - to increase your cell signal. 

The keyless lock is the only part of that package that I found any value in. (OK - the auto drain - I forgot that was part of the package. Thought you be fair, “auto” is a bit of a misnomer as you have to actuate it manually.)

We use our trailer - and the door lock - A LOT. So I’m not sure that failing after two years is really terrible MTBF for something that may have been designed for being used for a couple of weeks a year. Then again, I’ve seen a lot of residential and commercial keyless locks that seem to last forever. Whether any of them is suited for use on an RV door is up for grabs. 

RVLock is sending me the parts “free” - no shipping charges this time. I did have to take a video, edit it down to be a small enough file to attach to an email, and took four tries to get it to send. (Yahoo never did work, had to use GMail).  

Edited 3 hours ago by Galileo
Left out part of the Electronics Pro Package.

[jd1923]

2 hours ago, Galileo said:

I never use the rear camera (remote view screen too clunky) and I’m not convinced that the cell booster does much - if anything - to increase your cell signal. 

We're in agreement on this one! Ours might have been a Wi-Fi Ranger. I do remember testing it and it actually made the signal weaker! We went with a Pepwave router to stream on cell and a Starlink Mini for when there is no cell coverage.

I removed the Wi-Fi antenna, both cameras, gave away the (yes clunky) screen and the Sat Dish from our roof and patched all the fiberglass.

We have the manual door lock, now for 10+ years. After reading that the rubber contact pads were fading on these auto-locks, most of you with this feature were carrying keys just in case, and the deadbolt issue as Tom fully explained above, like @routlaw noted, I/we decided to pass on this upgrade. Good Customer Service is great, but if the product continues to fail it becomes nuisance, or worse if you truly get locked out!

I purchased a backup manual lock to have on the road if needed. I found a cool white powder coat model on sale vs. the original chrome latch. If you get tired of dealing with your auto-latch, you could go manual:

Amazon.com: Lippert Global Entry Door Latch Kit with Deadbolt, Keyed Lock, Two FIC Keys, Edge Cover Plate, Strike Plate, Mounting Screws for Travel Trailers - 239632, White : Automotive

Honestly, this clean white door latch looks better too!

The only thing that has failed on our entrance door is the screen door latch, so I replaced it with one of these:

Amazon.com: WanDwel Aluminum RV Screen Door Latch Handle Replacement Kit (Right Hand) Metal Camper Travel Trailer Motorhome Entry Parts for Passenger Side : Automotive

Edited 1 hour ago by jd1923