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Door Lock (split from Code 10, norcold 3000 series fridge)


Moonlight Mile

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I have not even told anyone bc I hoped it would stop happening, but the door locks and it won’t open, getting worse daily. Now afraid to lock dog inside and leave etc. Even for a minute. Key same way. Takes BOTH arms pulling super hard to open it, from outside, when it has been locked and sometimes when just SHUT and not even locked. Someone tell OTT. I am tired of this.

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Push in on the door. Then turn the key. 

Especially,  if you're not quite level, side to side, and front to back.

This is the same in every rv I've ever used. 

If the key is hard to turn, spray some of the silicone lube I told you about. Use the straw.

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10 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Push in on the door. Then turn the key. 

Especially,  if you're not quite level, side to side, and front to back.

This is the same in every rv I've ever used. 

If the key is hard to turn, spray some of the silicone lube I told you about. Use the straw.

I paid for the upgraded keyless. It has been locking and unlocking ok with fob or code (press numbers on keypad exterior), but now gets srsly stuck. Last night dog was in there alone while I walked to restroom and when I returned, nonlocked-just-shut door was stuck. Pulled very hard with both arms. (I can lift 80 lbs., not a weakling.) Tired and frustrated as I was (am), tried key in door. Still sticky but managed to get open. Dog ok. Will take dog to petsitter today and get door lock-latch looked at etc. 
 

I am level on all counts.

Edited by SherMica

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The sticky keyless door handle is frustrating and can certainly cause feelings of panic when you can't open the door.  We encountered the same problem on the way home from Hohenwald and the issue persists.  I am reasonably sure that the issue is the weatherstripping on the inside of the door is very thick (works very well) but sometimes prevents the door from shutting tightly enough for the latch to extend fully into the door frame.  I expect in a year or less when the weatherstripping naturally compresses a bit, the door handle will work like a charm.  The problem occurs when you close the door but the latch doesn't fully extend into the door frame.  There is no way to tell by looking that the latch only partially extended into the door frame because the door looks closed and the deadbolt locks just fine.  When you unlock the door however, the handle can jam and the only way to get the unlocked door to open is to first push lightly on the edge of the door to the left of the handle until you hear a "click" which is the sound of the latch extending into the door frame all the way.  Then it opens just fine.

If you are inside and the door handle won't open the door, pull in on the door (you may hear a click) and then the handle will open the door just fine from the inside.

The unfortunate thing I have found is that if the door is otherwise closed but not locked with the deadbolt, it can open on its own when driving down the highway.  This has already happened several times to me.  I am now in the habit when I close the door from the outside to always push on the edge of the door after I close it to hear the "click".  Then I always lock the deadbolt if I am towing so there is no chance of the door popping open on its own while traveling. 

I view this as a mild annoyance that will probably fix itself as the door's weatherstripping becomes a little bit compressed over time.

 

 

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Steve and Lornie

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@Chukarhunter

I have the exact same RV lock that Oliver installs which I ordered direct from RVlock.com and I installed it after we purchased our Oliver. It was much cheaper as RVlocks occasionally run sales of up to 20% off on this locks. It took about 15-20 minutes to install just taking my time.
So far the lock and key pad have performed flawlessly both using the keypad, the fob and key. When I installed the lock, I installed a brand new fresh set of double A batteries in the lock as a precaution not knowing how old the factory batteries were. 
In the several trips we have made with Hull# 634 we have never had a our entry door open while under way or really any concerns about it opening. We lock both the handle lock and ALWAYS dead bolt the entry door and always double check that all exterior doors are locked before take off. We also have a lengthy checklist as to not overlook or forget anything. We keep in mind that when towing our Ollie down the highway there is a mini earth quake going on inside which affirms even more of a reason to double check all doors and do our best to secure everything inside snd outside reflected on our checklist. I hope you get your lock/dead bolt issue corrected. 
 

-Patriot 

Edited by Patriot
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Chukar

what has the factory done to help? This is a safety hazard, with potential damage to the hull/door occurring due to what has been described as a workmanship problem that should have been repaired during the quality check prior to delivery. 
it would not be a minor annoyance to me having the door open while driving. 
john

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The door "might" unlatch if you failed to close it correctly, but it won't come open while driving down the road, air pressure would keep it from doing so. We have towed ours over 130K miles and none of this has ever happened. If you're worried about it, just lock your door while you drive. I can't see how this is "...a workmanship problem that should have been repaired during the quality check prior to delivery..."

Edited by ScubaRx
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Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Maggie, Lucy and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

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10 hours ago, JRK said:

This is a safety hazard, with potential damage to the hull/door occurring due to what has been described as a workmanship problem that should have been repaired during the quality check prior to delivery. 

I agree with Steve here. Trailers twist and flex depending on how level the ground is and what jacking has been done  to bring it to level. This is not a workmanship problem.  Close the door, push it until it clicks and lock the deadbolt. Sometimes no push is necessary and sometimes you have to lean into it a little. We only have 60K miles and the door has never come open while driving. Mike

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I'm not totally familiar with the automatic door lock but I'd be willing to bet that it uses the same type of "strike plate" as the standard door closure uses.  This plate is adjustable by simply loosening the two screws that hold it in place and moving it - slightly - toward the exterior of the camper to reduce the pressure needed to close and latch the door or toward the interior of the camper to tighten/increase the pressure needed to close the door.  Be careful to not overtighten these two screws - once it works as you wish then a drop of blue/medium lock tight would be in order.

Bill

2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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Chukarhunter said that his door would come open while he was driving, and he was having trouble opening it, it would get stuck. Read his post above. That is a safety issue that he attributed to the door not being able to close completely due to the weatherstripping. He had to push on it in a special way to make sure that it was closed. Not okay, but good knowing how he makes it work. I would forget. If it is a strike plate issue, why was it allowed to leave the factory in that condition, without it being properly adjusted?

      

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JRK -

The strike plate issue can (and does) depend (sometimes) on how the camper is set up.  I tend to like my Ollie to be a bit high at the front and low on the curbside.  There are situations when either I don't have the time to level perfectly, can't level perfectly, or, the Ollie simply settles after I have leveled it perfectly.  In all of these cases, the strike plate can become out of alignment with the door latch.  Yes, this misalignment could also be attributed to the production line but most often any leveling issues on the production line will only be in the north/south axis (hitch to tail) and not side to side or a combination of both.  This is due to the fact that most production facilities have level floors.  And, yes, there is a bit of "slack" built into these but it is not much or your door would tend to not seal properly.

All I'm saying here is that after delivery all it might take to create the "sticking" condition is to drive over a curb, hit a pot hole, set up camp with the camper not level, slam the door, push or pull on the door without releasing the latch or any combination of these things.  So, it could be due to any of these things - not just being "allowed to leave the factory in that condition, without it being properly adjusted".

"I would forget" - a way to make sure that you don't forget is to make and follow a checklist.  There are very important safety issues involved in towing anything that should absolutely not be forgotten.  For me, one of the items on my "departure list" is to make sure that ALL doors are shut and locked prior to getting in my truck.  I've found that one of the items I tend to overlook is to shut and lock the bathroom door - thank goodness I have that checklist or I would have had several broken mirrors on that door.

Bill

2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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I did report the sticky door issue to Oliver and I told them that it appeared that the strike plate was not adjusted out enough given the thickness of the weatherstripping but the screws were tight against the adjusting channels (slots).  I suggested to Oliver that I could file the adjustment channels where the screws go through the strike plate a bit to allow it to be adjusted more toward the outside of the doorway and Oliver said that is what they  would probably do.  Unfortunately, after I did that, I realized that the strike plate was already tight against the outside fiberglass shell so it cannot be adjusted any further towards the outside of the camper.  

As to the door coming open while traveling,  it never opens when traveling down the road in a forward direction due to air pressure but twice I have seen it swing open in my side view mirror when I pulled into a gas station.  I absolutely agree with others that one should always lock the door including deadbolt before moving the trailer so I just need to be more disciplined and always lock it before towing. 

I am curious if the problem might also be at least partly due to the way the hinges of the door were attached over the top of the weatherstripping.  As you can see in the picture some of the weatherstripping is pinched under the hinge which might in theory cause the door to misalign.  Does this assembly of the door hinges with the weatherstripping pinched underneath look abnormal to any of you compared to your Oliver? 

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Steve

 

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Sometimes I can close my door with little to no effort.  Sometimes I have to lean in to it get it shut.  So, what is the difference?  Is it a production or safety issue when I have to lean into the door and not a production or safety issue when I don’t?  Or, maybe it is an issue of leveling and the natural twist and flex depending on how the wheels are adapting to unlevel ground or if I have one side up on legos to get level?  

If you don’t hear the click when you shut the door and you don’t engage the deadbolt don’t jump on the freeway.  Checklists are your friend.  Door shut? Deadbolt engaged?  Maybe I spent way to long in the Army but that is how we minimize potential safety issues.  Mike

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I can only comment on my personal experiences. I have the keyless entry - never had an issue - the faceplate cracked, and was replaced.  Later the thing had locked itself - I was like - What!!!!. So I key in code  - no problem.  Same thing happened on anther day - What the heck. 

A few months later - I was fussing about in the truck - in the glove box  - where the Oliver keyless pendant is stored - along with other keys - and I hear the Oliver keyless lock engage - from 150' away... What??? So indeed - the door was locked. Now the remote is stored appropriately. 

I get the comments that Oliver positioning may affect the door frame positioning. And perhaps makes the latch a little sticky - but not to the point it won't open - at least from what I've seen, but then- I wasn't there. 

And if it initially opened and latched smoothly  - and then it won't open - every time - a visual of the  latch will quickly tell you the problem - but if it is itinerant - call Ghostbusters.

But only after you have done your homework - or followed a few of the suggestions of the previous posters. 

Another

Crusty Old guy in training.

RB

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12 hours ago, Chukarhunter said:

am curious if the problem might also be at least partly due to the way the hinges of the door were attached over the top of the weatherstripping.  As you can see in the picture some of the weatherstripping is pinched under the hinge which might in theory cause the door to misalign.  Does this assembly of the door hinges with the weatherstripping pinched underneath look abnormal to any of you compared to your Oliver? 

Mine are similar.

Could you also add a photo of the strike plate, please?

Edited by SeaDawg

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

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Here are a few photos of the strike plate.  I did notice the door hangs slightly lower on the handle side compared to hinge side, but it does not appear to affect the operation of the door in any way and the latch appears to be centered vertically in the strike plate.

image.png.e1e923ebb107407bcd39ce8304e4afcf.png

image.png.4c87dd00e8a8aaa3ab089d4c57585d54.png

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Steve and Lornie

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Those pics seem to show that, if anything, the latch is hitting slightly high (odd since you said that the door is a bit low on the latch side), and, not surprisingly it is certainly "resting" on the outside most inner surface of the plate.

How about a pic or two of the latch itself?

Bill

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Interesting!  Looks like the strike plate is reasonably flush with the outside "plane/surface" of the body of the Oliver.  And, it is obvious that the strike plate is adjusted just about as far as it will go towards the outside.  I can see nothing "wrong" with the latch side and the latch is marked right in the center thus showing that it is probably not tweaked or skewed in some manner.

If it were mine and I was still under warranty and I was close enough to the Mothership, I'd take it in and have the Service department deal with it.  Assuming that this is not an acceptable option then I would get the old grinder and remove a SLIGHT bit of material from the latch, and, a SLIGHT bit of material from the inner edge of the strike plate.  OR, I'd take the strike plate off, remove a SLIGHT bit of material from the outside edge, and elongate the screw holes toward the back edge.  OR, remove the strike plate, drill new holes a bit further toward the outside of the Oliver and then after grinding a SLIGHT bit of material off the outside edge (to make sure that it didn't extend beyond the plane of the outside surface of the Oliver) and reinstall the strike plate adjusting it as necessary until I was happy with the way the door operates.

Out of these three I like the second option the best.  I'd be very careful on elongating those new holes but there does appear to be enough material there in order to give you at least 1/8 inch.  If you were to mess up this job then a new strike plate would not be very expensive either.

Good luck!

Bill

2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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Looking at the first of the two strike plate pictures, it seems to me as thought the door frame was not properly prepared for the plate.  In the picture, looking through the rectangular plate opening, you can see a portion of the door frame extending from the right until it breaks to the rear. On my 2018, this portion of the frame  is cut out to allow for full extension of the two latch bolts. In this situation, I suspect the two bolts are bottoming out on the door frame before full engagement, which makes the latch bolt susceptible to becoming unlatched due to frame twist when the trailer is in motion.

I'd suggest sending these pictures to OTT service along with my comments and see what they think. I'm not near my trailer but maybe someone else with a later model can provide a comparison to your pictures.  

Edited by bhncb
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Good point - I saw the two black marks on the inside of the strike plate area but didn't put 2 and 2 together.  Unless someone with a later model can take a look then there is nothing to lose by contacting Oliver before getting out the drill and/or grinder.

However, given the marks left on the strike plate it appears as though the latch does have plenty of "purchase" (as does the dead bolt) in order to make the bottoming out issue a non-event.  And, the reported problem of having no problem with the latch when it "clicks" doesn't square with the bottoming out issue either.

Bill

Edited by topgun2
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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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Granted there is some speculation in my comments but, it's hard to tell the amount of purchase by the latch bolt because the strike plate engagement side of the bolt isn't visible in the second set of latch pictures. If the problem of coming unlatched underway doesn't occur if the door is pushed in until a final latch bolt "click" can be heard, then that is how mine has worked since new. As long as the dead bolt is not dragging on the strike plate or bottoming out on the door frame before full extension, I'd consider this to be a tight sealing door and wouldn't adjust anything.

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