Battery compartment door lock replacement

[rich.dev]

Received a response from Jason, sounds like the cut keys are also all the same key code......

Hey Rich,

 I reached out regarding the lock style 9 with key, however they informed me that the keys are not unique. It is just a little nicer heavier duty key but they would all be the same key code. This is something that I have already passed up to engineering to look into as I have been wanting to have a true lock ever since we started using the lithium batteries. I know it is on the engineering list of things to research but I don’t know how quickly it will make it to the top of the list.

 Regards,

Jason D. Essary

[rich.dev]

And I can confirm that the cut keys for the style 9 lock are also all keyed the same, part# is M1-525-39-S008, freely available on Amazon! 

[SeaDawg]

I'd contact southco. Most rv locks only have a few configurations. 

But, this is typical. Keyed alike is in the "9" digit description. (Last digit) probably meant for rvs with multiple locks, but who knows.

Southco does do custom orders, for manufacturers. 

 

[StillGame]

I've checked with two marine distributors, neither had any offerings with unsimilar keys Although there are locks with better keys, they are similar, as is Southcos.

[rich.dev]

Promising update from Jason…

“I am currently working with a company for a latch that is promising that has several unique key codes so the code would only duplicate about every 50 – 125 keys. I have not yet received the new latch & will have to do some R&D and then get engineering approval but you might reach back out to me in a few months”

 

[StillGame]

Great news. Thank sto everyone who has shown interest.

[Steph and Dud B]

Unfortunately, if someone knows there are expensive batteries in your compartment, and they want them bad enough, no latch/lock will stop them. They'll just ram a crowbar into the compartment door and rip the fiberglass apart. Keys will keep the curious from looking but they won't stop a determined thief. At least the cut keys would stop someone with a paperclip from opening the compartment. 

[rich.dev]

16 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

 

Unfortunately, if someone knows there are expensive batteries in your compartment, and they want them bad enough, no latch/lock will stop them.

 

Yup that’s true, same as the Proven Industries hitch lock, if they want it they will take it…..t’s just a good deterrent!

[MAX Burner]

1 hour ago, rich.dev said:

Yup that’s true, same as the Proven Industries hitch lock, if they want it they will take it…..t’s just a good deterrent!

Exactly right on!  Securing our toys is a matter of increasing the bad guys' task time to defeat our measures.  However, without a means of detecting and assessing their efforts with some sort of an alarm system - their task time can be as long as the time we are away from the trailer to get what they want.

The Proven hitch lock slows them down considerably - and provides a deterrent for those thieves without tools.  If, the they bring proper tools to this caper, the deterrent factor goes away.  For that matter, with a pre-drilled $130 Bulldog coupler, the bad guys only need to remove the two through bolts, toss the Proven-locked coupler assembly, attach their Bulldog and drive off.  Having just removed our Bulldog this week, guess it'd take less than 5 minutes time before pulling chocks and driving away with a $75k+ Ollie, not a bad investment.

Regarding the battery compartment lock, given the value sitting on the battery tray - some thought could be given for an engineered locking mechanism for the battery tray latch.  Making the latch lockable would further provide a reasonably cost deterrent and simultaneously increase their task time.  Again, if they bring tools....

Just our $0.02 worth.

[Mountainman198]

2 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:

Unfortunately, if someone knows there are expensive batteries in your compartment, and they want them bad enough, no latch/lock will stop them. They'll just ram a crowbar into the compartment door and rip the fiberglass apart. Keys will keep the curious from looking but they won't stop a determined thief. At least the cut keys would stop someone with a paperclip from opening the compartment. 

Agreed.  If I were a thief and wanted in to either our battery or basement hatches a simple wonder bar or large flat blade screwdriver would suffice, no matter the keying of the latch.  Luckily for us, Oliver battery placement is not industry standard and most people would not expect batteries to be housed there.  However, I am toying with the idea of placing a static cling label on my battery compartment which states, "Sewage Dump Access".

[Mountainman198]

1 hour ago, MAX Burner said:

Regarding the battery compartment lock, given the value sitting on the battery tray - some thought could be given for an engineered locking mechanism for the battery tray latch.  Making the latch lockable would further provide a reasonably cost deterrent and simultaneously increase their task time.  Again, if they bring tools....

Yes!  Accessing the battery compartment with a tire iron or pry bar is a simple feat, regardless of the keying of the latch.  Fiberglass pops and cracks with minimal stress.  I am thinking of doing exactly what you describe above (locking the tray slide).  If anyone has done this already please post your solution.

[Steph and Dud B]

1 hour ago, Mountainman198 said:

However, I am toying with the idea of placing a static cling label on my battery compartment which states, "Sewage Dump Access".

I'd go with, "Cassette Toilet Access." More believable. 

[Steph and Dud B]

If you do decide to replace the lock on the battery door, I'd suggest replacing the one on the basement door at the same time. Having only one of them with a better key sort of tells people there's something special behind that door.

[ScubaRx]

Hello Eric, welcome to the forum. Although there’s nothing inherently wrong with your idea, I don’t think Oliver would ever make the changes you suggested, but if you thought your idea would make your personal ownership experience better, there’s nothing to stop you from doing it yourself. Good Luck and keep thinking outside the box. 

[MAX Burner]

On 7/20/2023 at 11:01 AM, Steph and Dud B said:

I'd go with, "Cassette Toilet Access." More believable. 

Great idea!

[SeaDawg]

On 7/20/2023 at 3:49 PM, Steph and Dud B said:

If you do decide to replace the lock on the battery door, I'd suggest replacing the one on the basement door at the same time. Having only one of them with a better key sort of tells people there's something special behind that door.

I agree. 

[SeaDawg]

19 hours ago, Eric. said:

Hi everyone 

my name is Eric (first time posting on this forum), I am researching Oliver travel trailers and going away from airstream (25fbt international). 

One of the items I am requesting from my salesman Josh is eliminating the vents in the door of the batteries since I would go with lithium for a cleaner look. 

My thought is for security why not eliminate the outside battery door altogether  and move it to the inside of the trailer. 

Any thoughts from Oliver owners on the feasibility of this idea ? 

Have a good day 

Eric 

Oliver has eliminated the fridge vents, and replaced with a drop down table.

The battery compartment is certainly a possibility.  But, it would require moving a mattress (I think) to access a battery compartment. 

[Ollietime]

The batteries are under the pantry on the LE2.

[SeaDawg]

1 hour ago, rich.dev said:

Lol…we were also looking to downsize to a 23CB or 23 flying cloud with twin beds, but then we saw an Oliver on YouTube, we loved the “sterile” clean look, and of course when we saw one in person it was a no brainer. Have you looked at one in person? 
 

@SeaDawg maybe move this to an existing or new “Oliver wannabe” thread?

I can try.... 

 

[Boudicca908]

7 minutes ago, Ollietime said:

The batteries are under the pantry on the LE2.

And it might be difficult to service them because the slide-out might take the entire width of the 'hall' in the E2. Also, I'd personally prefer to do service on a battery outside rather than inside my trailer. 

[SeaDawg]

At a member request, I split the Airstream comparisons to a new topic. You can find it, here. 

 

[rich.dev]

20 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

Oliver has eliminated the vents, and replaced with a drop down table

Nope vents are still in the battery door,
the drop down table replaced the bottom vent for the “old” 3 way fridge 

 

[SeaDawg]

3 minutes ago, Boudicca908 said:

And it might be difficult to service them because the slide-out might take the entire width of the 'hall' in the E2. Also, I'd personally prefer to do service on a battery outside rather than inside my trailer. 

It would take quite a bit of it, but for agm and Lithium users, very little maintenance required. For the very few who still buy lead acid flooded batteries, it's another story.

The compartment would still require venting, at least for agm/fla. Agm will vent if a bad cell, overcharged, etc, and a vent is legally required for those two types. 

In my 2008 Elite, the battery compartment is right under my head, so of course, I'm always "on top" of the situation.  (Pun intended. 😀 ) That positioning of the battery compartment would mean crawling under the bed, or taking the bed apart. That would be a no go, for us. But under the pantry,,slide tray into the aisle, would be great for e2 owners, imo 

as a ps, major servicing the fridge requires the entire aisle, or removing it. It's not, imo, that big a deal. 

 

[SeaDawg]

11 minutes ago, rich.dev said:

Nope vents are still in the battery door,
the drop down table replaced the bottom vent for the “old” 3 way fridge 

 

Oops. I was truly thinking about fridge vents. No longer necessary with our electric dc compressor fridge.

Yes, the battety compartment must be vented, to code. As I explained above. Some clamshell fittings, as in our sailboat battery locker, could  probably do it, imo. No door necessary,  for the e2. 

I'd really have to think long and hard about what to do with e1. Completely different story.

[SeaDawg]

I split some airstream/Oliver comparison comments to a new thread. You'll find it here: