Around your home, when you briefly duck in and out of the house for various tasks, how often do you take keys with you?
There is so much in-home tech currently that I would guess one of your entry or garage doors has a keypad that provides the reassurance that you can enter without a key…. so why worry about carrying them? My former sticks and bricks home in Illinois was just like that.
I am honestly not out to cause myself pain or anguish daily; it’s more like ‘$hit Just Happens.” Over the past 1-2 years, I have noticed that on infrequent occasions, my sloppy RV door deadbolt would vibrate out just enough to catch the striker plate. Usually, I could apply a little brute force and pull it outward while slightly scaring the striker plate. Over time, I replaced the striker plate and the deadbolt assembly to resolve what I thought was an isolated instance.
Then, just this past weekend, while camping in a very remote area near Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, I stepped out with my pets and two bags of garbage to walk to the dumpster. When I returned, I planned to use the keypad to lock and unlock the entry door. I gently closed the door and suddenly remembered I wanted to take my Apple earpiece with me to listen to music while walking. However, when I grabbed the entry door handle, I found the deadbolt had slid over again, locking me out.
I put everything I had into pulling with one hand, then laid the garbage bags down and gave it a tug with both hands. I shook the door, hoping to vibrate the bolt out of the striker plate several times without any progress. It then struck me that I had no wallet, money, or keys for my Jeep and no other campers nearby. The cell phone reception was barely usable, and I was far from nowhere.
The thoughts of being stuck without any keys when my two rings of keys were just inside the door stung. Why didn’t I just pick up a set when I walked out? I knew this could happen! I was so upset with myself that I was just ready to give this entire lifestyle up, once and for all.
Thoughts ran through my head about me closing and locking all the windows. The only way to get in was through the shower skylight on the roof, but I needed a ladder or tools. My schedule for the next week was extremely tight, and I had no option of being late or missing any upcoming appointments. No one had any spare keys for me. It seemed utterly hopeless, and I was on the verge of screaming because I had a terrible week.
With only my baseline survival skills left, I dropped my garbage bags and started to go through them, looking for any moderately hard cardboard or plastic that I could wiggle into the door latch area. I encountered a medicine container and folded it in half to get additional rigidity. I then slid it into the entry door striker plate area parallel to the rubber gasket and worked it slightly up and down. Within less than a minute, I heard a faint sound and attempted to open the door again. Surprisingly, it worked.
I immediately contacted the manufacturer to explain what happened. They confirmed the suspected conditions, which likely caused the deadbolt to shift and lock me out. Knowing they had replaced it about a year ago they agreed to replace it again next month, in hopes of firming up the slide action.
In the meantime, I explained this mind-blowing near catastrophe to a friend who owns a travel trailer. Unexpectedly, they conveyed a similar story of hardship that left them turning to a locksmith to pick the lock and gain entry. Fortunately, they had AAA RV coverage, which circumvented the cost of a lockout resolution. I never considered this solution when I was faced with those few panic moments.
However, it has changed my immediate behavior, and I will always carry a spare set of keys in the event the deadbolt or keypad fails. I am single and have no backup or anyone I can turn to for help. I hope this scares you enough to do the same or to place a spare key somewhere for emergencies.
Kevin L. Vaughn
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