Getting locked into truck bed (Tacoma, RLD)?

[tacoma_rld_camper]

Hi all,

2020 Tacoma, RLD shell, just setting up a basic camper platform for short summer trips.

My RLD shell is amazing, super strong and durable. But there's no mechanism for unlocking/opening any of the panels from within the camper. Meaning, if you're sleeping inside, there's no way to lock yourself in for safety, and worse, if someone were to press in the latches (not even lock them) then there's literally no way to get out.

I'm curious as to whether others have run into these kinds of issues, either with an RLD shell or with some others. As a safety hazard it seems strange that this kind of potential danger wasn't accounted for, as in some way to open the locks from the inside. Any after-market suggestions?

RLD customer support confirmed there's no way to open the locks from the inside, and suggested that the locks themselves could be removed from within with a screw-driver. I'll test out that theory, but it feels like only a matter of time until someone gets locked inside without the proper tools!

thanks!

 

[tacoma_rld_camper]

Can't the side window be opened from the inside too? Judging by the photo, we can assume that if the window can be opened from the inside, then it is not very difficult to open the locks through it?

The side windows can be opened from inside; with long enough arms it's definitely possible to reach the rear-most (closest to the tailgate) lock. Reaching back the other direction is trickier with shorter arms - I just tried and definitely couldn't reach the front-most (closest to passenger doors) locks from inside as the slider windows only slide open 1/2 way on the rear-side.

In both cases, navigating the tiny key and the (sometimes sticky) locks blind from within like that screams "disaster" or a scene from a horror/comedy of sorts, where the protagonist's shaky hand finds the lock then drops the key at the last second

Each door can be locked before closing, which would prevent one from being locked in, but in that case they can be opened from the outside. I'm leaning towards setting one window/door like that and rigging some kind of rope-lock on the inside (like people have shown on a number of youtube videos for other types of caps).

 

[JodyWaller]

I used to have a camper on another truck and ran into a similar issue.

Did a padlock and hasp on the inside. (Had to do two.)

Got locks that were "keyed-alike" so I only had to have one key.

 

[chet6.7]

I would test removing the lock from the inside, and keep a dedicated tool in the shell, I keep an allen key duct taped to the inside of my shell for the lock, and a crowbar.