Fiamma Security handle Locking Issue (1 Viewer)

[davida71uk]

Hi Folks,

We have a Fiamma Security 31 handle on our habitation door. It will lock when flush against the wall pointing to the rear of the van and lock when at 90 degrees to the van wall. It won't however lock when across the habitation door when the hab door is closed. If I open the hab door and put the Fiamma handle into the position across the hab door opening, the pin clicks in and it locks. The Fiamma handle is right up against the hab door handle which sticks out by enough millimeters to stop the pin locking on the Fiamma Handle.

I have tried moving the hab door locking pins on the door frame slightly more into the van to bring the hab door into the frame and lubricated the lock but it won't sit flush enough pointing forward to allow the pin to lock so I cannot lock it with the key.

It's a factory fit on a 2010 vehicle and I cannot believe it has never locked. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Is there any rotational adjustment within the locking barrel to allow the pin to lock in a position slightly (in mm) out from the van? I've considered additional rubber pads on the van wall and handle point to move it out but am concerned about water ingress. Unfortunately I don't have what looks like a Torx tool to take the handle off.

Could the hab door actually be bent?

 

[Paul and Kate]

I've heard of hab doors being bowed.
Can't you put spacers on the fixing point of the handle bring it out by a couple of mm.

 

[davida71uk]

Can't you put spacers on the fixing point of the handle bring it out by a couple of mm.

Hi Just Paul, possibly but that means poking around on the van wall and seals. I think it might be easier to take the bar off and put a small bend in it to clear the hab door handle. Very strange. It's a new van (to us) and so this is an issue buying a used van. Thought at the time of picking it up that a squirt of GT85 would do the trick, alas not this time.

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[Deneb]

There has been at least one report in this forum in the past of a coachbuilt van either having been written off or costing several thousand pounds in repairs after a thief forced one of those "locking" handles, so I would think carefully about whether you actually want it to lock. Thieves tend not too worry about causing damage to other peoples' property to achieve their aims, and the construction methods and materials used in the walls of coachbuilt van and trailer caravan bodies means that very little force is required to pull such a locking handle back or wrench it out of the panel it is mounted on, particularly as the handle itself provides a very convenient lever to grab onto! Even if bolted through to reinforcing plates on the internal wall of the van, it could be pulled back from the door distorting the wall it is mounted on with relatively little effort.

 

[davida71uk]

Hi Deneb, that's why we have insurance though right? Sure, £k's of damage could be done if someone is hellbent on doing the damage, absolutely. I would rather a security device worked as designed and as a deterrent, than worrying about what could happen if someone used that locked handle as leverage to pull the lock off.

 

[Deneb]

"That's why we have insurance" is a comment I often hear from people who have been fortunate enough to never have to make a claim. If you have, you might think differently. You will very rarely be fully compensated for your losses, and in my experience even trying to make a claim for something as simple as a stolen mobile phone involves hours of work on the owner's behalf attempting to meet the requirements of the insurer and leaves you ending up feeling that it might have been easier to simply throw yourself off a cliff.

The fact that the handle is folded across the door is a visual deterrent. If someone actually tries to move it, they are already thinking about how to circumvent it, or enter through the plastic windows instead. Better in my opinion to ensure that you leave as few valuables as possible in an unattended van, ensure any that are left are well hidden, possibly leave some dummy items such as an old wallet with a few quid in it and cheap jewellery somewhere more obvious, fit a loud alarm both as a deterrent and to draw attention - preferably one that also notifies you if it is set off - and concentrate on taking steps to prevent the theft of you van rather than attempting to keep someone out of it, which is nigh on impossible I'm afrad.

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[Ikonix853]

I don't know the handle in question, so forgive the ignorance, but can you see the hole the pin drops in to? If so can you perhaps widen it a tad with a drill bit or needle file?

 

[davida71uk]

Hi Ikonix853, it’s a Fiamma 31, similar to this image:

The issue was resolved by putting a small square press into the bar so it could move in by an extra couple of mm. Sorted now but I don’t think I would have fitted one, knowing what I know about them now.

 

[Ikonix853]

Good news!

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[morhal hurn]

"That's why we have insurance" is a comment I often hear from people who have been fortunate enough to never have to make a claim. If you have, you might think differently. You will very rarely be fully compensated for your losses, and in my experience even trying to make a claim for something as simple as a stolen mobile phone involves hours of work on the owner's behalf attempting to meet the requirements of the insurer and leaves you ending up feeling that it might have been easier to simply throw yourself off a cliff.

The fact that the handle is folded across the door is a visual deterrent. If someone actually tries to move it, they are already thinking about how to circumvent it, or enter through the plastic windows instead. Better in my opinion to ensure that you leave as few valuables as possible in an unattended van, ensure any that are left are well hidden, possibly leave some dummy items such as an old wallet with a few quid in it and cheap jewellery somewhere more obvious, fit a loud alarm both as a deterrent and to draw attention - preferably one that also notifies you if it is set off - and concentrate on taking steps to prevent the theft of you van rather than attempting to keep someone out of it, which is nigh on impossible I'm afrad.

Re above post ..my previous Motorhome was broken into ..KGM refused to pay out after saying it could have happened anytime … intimated that I was being dishonest … there main reason was that my insurance had a clause that when I was not using it …the van had to be in the storage compound .. I explained that it was near the garage where it was booked in for mot ..the garage had a set of keys for my van and said there was a slight delay in getting it into the garage as a previous vehicle was still on the ramp … the garage had a secure compound but did not move it to there ..
My insurance KGM and broker classic cars … KGM advised my broker to cancel my insurance…they gave me seven days …so to avoid issues in future obtaining of insurance..I cancelled my insurance ..
point is I have never had the claim honored … even after One of the people who broke in had left a passport ..I took it to police and had incident number …
So your person who said don’t reply on insurance is perfectly correct .. ive lost out on contents and damage to motorhome ..several thousand pounds … be warned foki