Anyone *purposely* lock themselves inside their camper shell?

Tim A

Adventurer

• May 8, 2010

• #1

I just picked up a fiberglass shell for my Tacoma...built a wooden sleeping platform so me and my special lady can sleep in it.

I noticed that it doesn't seem possible to lock ourselves inside. I'm wondering if a) anyone else likes to lock their camper shell windows from the inside and b) what was your solution if your shell didn't already have that capability?

 

wanderer-rrorc

Explorer

• May 8, 2010

• #2

slide bolt...and YES...cus my buddies think they are funny...

ever try to get a porkchop out of a receiver hitch?
ever see a dog jump on the hood of a car to eat the porkchop from under a windshield wiper?
ever have someone pour glitter or cold river water on you?
ever had dirty underware placed in your tent while sleeping?
ever been taken out and left for dead while (drinking) camping...

I lock it..:Wow1:

 

Bcghosttowns

Adventurer

• May 8, 2010

• #3

wanderer-rrorc said:

slide bolt...and YES...cus my buddies think they are funny...

ever try to get a porkchop out of a receiver hitch?
ever see a dog jump on the hood of a car to eat the porkchop from under a windshield wiper?
ever have someone pour glitter or cold river water on you?
ever had dirty underware placed in your tent while sleeping?
ever been taken out and left for dead while (drinking) camping...

I lock it..:Wow1:

Click to expand...

:jump: we have the same friends.

 

BKCowGod

Automotive ADHD is fun!

• May 9, 2010

• #4

My friends learned many years ago that whatever they do to me they will get back tenfold

re: camper - I've never really felt the need to lock it, but I see no reason why you couldn't just have a removable dowel that kept the crank from turning (if that makes any sense at all). No reason to make it any more complicated than necessary.

 

southpier

Expedition Leader

• May 9, 2010

• #5

on the other hand, i would disable the lock so no one could lock you inside

 

Every Miles A Memory

Expedition Leader

• May 9, 2010

• #6

Probably under $5 at any hardware store

 

Tim A

Adventurer

• May 9, 2010

• #7

Thanks for the replies guys. Pat, I'll have to see if I can mount something like that to the tailgate or similar.

I may just tie a rope with a "snubbing hitch" between the camper's rear hatch and a tie-off point inside the shell. That'll at least slow someone down and make some noise.

 

T

twblanset

Observer

• May 13, 2010

• #8

If you don't have screens in the windows(which I didn't) you can just reach around to the outside locks with the key and lock them (which I did). Just don't drop the key.

 

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter

• May 13, 2010

• #9

When I had my Ranger I would lock the t-handles from the outside and then crawl into the shell through the cab (both cab and shell had double-sliding doors.) I just felt more secure that way since I normally camped alone.

On my taco with the first shell I could lock the door and then slam it shut (it had a leer topper with a "slam latch" that I could open from inside by pulling on the cables.) On the 2nd shell, with a similar t-handle setup to my Ranger I didn't have the option of locking it as my truck didn't have a sliding window.

I normally slept in the truck tent anyway, so my tailgate was wide open. I figured it was just as secure as any tent would have been.

 

R

rweinzetl

New member

• Feb 11, 2012

• #10

A pair of 2 inch 'C' clamps attached to the square rods of the locks will do. Attach with the closed part of the C towards the shell leaves very little play.

 

FAW3

Adventurer

• Feb 15, 2012

• #11

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

Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018

• Feb 15, 2012

• #12

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

Expedition Leader

• Feb 16, 2012

• #13

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

Wood Burner

• Feb 16, 2012

• #14

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

 

ronburgandy

Observer

• Feb 16, 2012

• #15

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.