HeoSafe Deadlocks and Proplates (2 Viewers)

[Abacist]

I like to do what I can about security and particularly when we are asleep in the van so having read about the ease with which the latest Ducato door locks can be broken into and how the quarter light can be cut out easily, I decided to do 2 things:-

Fit Proplates to the existing door handles which protects the original locks from being attacked with a screwdriver. You can see how to do this here on YouTube My set of proplates included additional steel U channel, not shown on the video to further protect the locks from attack and this fits inside the door using the bottom two existing door handle screws and fixing nuts. A tube of music/sealant was also provided. I bought my kit from http://www.protectavan.co.uk/vehicles/fiat/ducato-sept2006-present/ducato-sept-2006-present-proplate Cost was £85.51p after VAT and carriage have been added for both front cab doors.

I also decided to fit Heosafe deadlocks which are specifically designed in Germany for Motorhomes and fit even if you have Remis Window blinds and don't require any advanced skills other than being able to use a screwdriver, allen key and a dremel to cut away some of the plastic and a drill to drill some 2mm holes. The deadlocks are operated solely from inside and the door can be locked and unlocked by pushing in and turning a knob but they can also be key operated to deadlock them. The instructions provided are very good and various versions are available to fit different cab makes and ages. I bought mine here - BROKEN LINK Cost £153.01 including carriage and VAT for both cab doors. Take care as there is a cheaper version which is an option with no key to deadlock the doors.

 

[birdwoman]

Do the pro plates work on the rear doors?

 

[DonA4000]

I’ve ordered a proplate from the same website just the one as I believe you only need to do the doors with a key point (I do believe you can get them for the back doors) and I’m also thinking of getting the heosafe locks to.

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[birdwoman]

Thanks for yhe the info.

 

[soreeyes]

I fitted the Heosafe dead front locks but also the Heosafe deadlock on the habitation door . The weakest door on a coach build is the habitation door I thought with thin metals and plastic type locks used .

 

[Theonlysue]

Ive fitted heosafe on my garage doors as well.

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[canopus]

Im sure someone else (TW) has fitted them.

 

[skylinersi]

Have ordered heosafe and proplates will post my progress and thoughts next weekend

 

[gerry mcg]

I fitted proplates to my ducato pvc yesterday.
A bit of a fiddle and glad I won't have to do it again.
The rear barn door lock was straight forward enough. There are 4 bolts holding the rear door lock on.

The driver door lock was much more tricky. It is only held on with 3 bolts. 2 are accessible with a 10mm socket. Access the the 3rd bolt (lower rear most) is a complete bastard! You can't get a socket in and you will need to use a 10mm combination or ratchet spanner.

Once you fit the extra internal u channel, it is virtually impossible to fit a hand in to refit and tighten this bolt. I was cursing like a trooper after numerous drops of the bolt inside the door skin.

Rear door took me about 30 min, front door nearly 2 hours

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[skylinersi]

I fitted proplates to my ducato pvc yesterday.
A bit of a fiddle and glad I won't have to do it again.
The rear barn door lock was straight forward enough. There are 4 bolts holding the rear door lock on.

The driver door lock was much more tricky. It is only held on with 3 bolts. 2 are accessible with a 10mm socket. Access the the 3rd bolt (lower rear most) is a complete bastard! You can't get a socket in and you will need to use a 10mm combination or ratchet spanner.

Once you fit the extra internal u channel, it is virtually impossible to fit a hand in to refit and tighten this bolt. I was cursing like a trooper after numerous drops of the bolt inside the door skin.

Rear door took me about 30 min, front door nearly 2 hours

Groans......full day then to do all......

 

[gerry mcg]

AFAIK, You only need them on doors with locks, so you don't need them on the sliding door or passenger door

 

[Deneb]

AFAIK, You only need them on doors with locks, so you don't need them on the sliding door or passenger door

As long as you have a UK spec van with factory deadlocking, which all commercial vans purchased from the UK dealer network have, but very few motorhome conversions have unless sourced from a UK dealer by a UK converter. Otherwise, I believe it's still possible to manipulate the control cable linkage on the other handles.

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[gerry mcg]

As long as you have a UK spec van with factory deadlocking, which all commercial vans purchased from the UK dealer network have, but very few motorhome conversions have unless sourced from a UK dealer by a UK converter. Otherwise, I believe it's still possible to manipulate the control cable linkage on the other handles.

i'd be interested to know if this is the case (or not)
as our van is a Globecar , whilst it is RHD, the vase vehicle would have been ordered by Globecar in Germany from Fiat and it does not have factory fitted deadlocking system.
i'll speak to the proplate mob and see if they can confirm whether i'll need to fit the plates on the sliding and passenger door as well. (hope not! )

 

[skylinersi]

i'd be interested to know if this is the case (or not)
as our van is a Globecar , whilst it is RHD, the vase vehicle would have been ordered by Globecar in Germany from Fiat and it does not have factory fitted deadlocking system.
i'll speak to the proplate mob and see if they can confirm whether i'll need to fit the plates on the sliding and passenger door as well. (hope not! )

keep us posted please

 

[Deneb]

Chaps, I am 100% sure in what I say, as part of my job used to involve identifying ways in which vehicles were being entered or stolen. Manipulating the linkages on the handles without lock cylinders is not quite as simple as on the other two handles, but it can be done. It is mechanically the same as opening the door with the interior handle, which is possible on a normally locked vehicle, but not on a deadlocked vehicle.

Another benefit of the better quality proplates with the internal shielding is that they substantially strengthen the door skin around the external handle and its fixing studs, effectively preventing another entry method of simply pulling the entire handle out of the door - albeit this is unlikely on a motorhome since it would be easier to gain entry through the plastic windows.

The main benefit of proplates on a motorhome as I see it is to prevent the quick and easy entry for theft of contents whilst the van is occupied or not, and to advertise the fact that it would be easier to try another van that hasn't got them.

You could argue that two proplates are sufficient on a van fitted with factory deadlocks, and I wouldn't disagree, but my van has deadlocks and I also have proplates on all four doors

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[bigalw35]

Chaps, I am 100% sure in what I say, as part of my job used to involve identifying ways in which vehicles were being entered or stolen. Manipulating the linkages on the handles without lock cylinders is not quite as simple as on the other two handles, but it can be done. It is mechanically the same as opening the door with the interior handle, which is possible on a normally locked vehicle, but not on a deadlocked vehicle.

Another benefit of the better quality proplates with the internal shielding is that they substantially strengthen the door skin around the external handle and its fixing studs, effectively preventing another entry method of simply pulling the entire handle out of the door - albeit this is unlikely on a motorhome since it would be easier to gain entry through the plastic windows.

The main benefit of proplates on a motorhome as I see it is to prevent the quick and easy entry for theft of contents whilst the van is occupied or not, and to advertise the fact that it would be easier to try another van that hasn't got them.

You could argue that two proplates are sufficient on a van fitted with factory deadlocks, and I wouldn't disagree, but my van has deadlocks and I also have proplates on all four doors

Hi, can you please give more details, where do yo get them, costs involved, and what are pro plates ?

 

[gerry mcg]

Hi, can you please give more details, where do yo get them, costs involved, and what are pro plates ?

http://www.garrisonlocks.co.uk/van-locks-and-security-products/pro-plates?make_model=7540
http://www.garrisonlocks.co.uk/van-...es/ducato-proplate-4-door-pack-sept06-current

 

[RogerThat]

Is there such a thing as a mobile fitter of these pro plates? Someone that could come and fit them on my driveway kinda thing?

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[skylinersi]

Is there such a thing as a mobile fitter of these pro plates? Someone that could come and fit them on my driveway kinda thing?

i imagine contacting the suppliers may help with local recommended fitters?
if not a google search may throw something up? eg van security fitters etc? there are some vids on youtube of some guy in essex doing the fitting, so must be someone more local to you ......

 

[Riverbankannie]

We have just completed (nearly) fitting the proplates with the studs and internal plate, from Garrison Locks. We have tried to document it with photos and will post up in a thread soon. Didn’t fancy being fitted by someone used to builders vans etc because of things like Remis blinds. It wasn’t straightforward and very fiddly.

 

[skylinersi]

We have just completed (nearly) fitting the proplates with the studs and internal plate, from Garrison Locks. We have tried to document it with photos and will post up in a thread soon. Didn’t fancy being fitted by someone used to builders vans etc because of things like Remis blinds. It wasn’t straightforward and very fiddly.

Brilliant but now dreading it as everyone says not easy will be good to see your thread

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[bigalw35]

We have just completed (nearly) fitting the proplates with the studs and internal plate, from Garrison Locks. We have tried to document it with photos and will post up in a thread soon. Didn’t fancy being fitted by someone used to builders vans etc because of things like Remis blinds. It wasn’t straightforward and very fiddly.

Hi Annie, congrats on fitting the locks, but to what vehicle ?
Cheers AL

 

[Abacist]

I started this thread and I would not say it was difficult but agree with the term fiddly. The video above, the supplied instructions for both proplates and deadlocks are quite sufficient.

 

[Riverbankannie]

To a 2015 Ducato. We bought the more expensive proplates supplied by Garrison and the barn door one fitted quite well but fitting to the driver’s door required making enlarged holes for the studs as they are welded to the front plate and the welds prevented the plate seating properly. The box section that is fitted on the inside had to be filed to fit and bent to shape also. Once the box section fitted to the rear the threads on the bolts not long enough to easily get the first few turns on the nuts. Lost count how many times the nut dropped off into the bottom of the door. The barn door handle has 4 bolts sort of one in each corner and so the handle and plate can be tightened up nicely but the drivers door handle only has 3 bolts, one central at top so harder to get a nice tight join.
Had to go out and buy more sealant adhesive in order to ensure a good watertight fit.
It is worth making up a template before drilling the holes in the bodywork.

We were a bit disappointed having to make the adjustments before it fitted properly considering the cost of the item. Once started on the job though you have to continue with what you’ve got or leave the van unlocked which we didn’t want to do,

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[gerry mcg]

I went for the 'standard' proplates.
These don't require drilling of the door skin. The outer plate is a contoured steel plate that fits under the handle and is positioned / located by the handle fixing bolts and I used silver adhesive /sealant that I had left over from fitting my roof spoiler. I don't think you need much as I put a very thin bead around the plate and it squished out all round as a tightened up the bolts.
The internal steel box section fitted fine in my van with no mod required.

I had a bit of difficulty undoing one of the nuts on the rear lock. The nut and thread were seized and wouldn't undo. The bolt is a has an male torx head and is threaded into the plastic lock casting and has a metal flange where the bolt meets the handle plastic. when I undid the nut, I was actually unwinding the entire nut and bolt from the handle but eventually the nut loosened and unwound from the thread.

Once I had the lock off, I needed to use a female torx socket (I think it was an E8 or E6 size) on the torx.bolt head to tighten the bolt back into the door handle, as the bolt flange was nothing longer flush with the Base of the lock and would stop the lock from fitting flush with the door skin. Once tightened down, it was flush again.

Not a big job if you have the right tool handy (which I did) but could scupper your attempt if you don't have it. You might not need it (all my other bolts unscrew without any difficulty (so 1 out of 7 was troublesome ) but forewarned is forearmed and all that

 

[skylinersi]

So looking forward to fitting them.....

 

[gerry mcg]

So looking forward to fitting them.....

I'd set aside half a day.... Make sure it's going to be dry as it is no fun haviing rain stop play!

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[Riverbankannie]

I'd set aside half a day.... Make sure it's going to be dry as it is no fun haviing rain stop play!

Depends on length of your day. My husband a slow but sure worker. Very used to rebuilds of old cars, change engine, gearbox from different car so mods have to be made. However he is mindful of the build quality of newer stuff.
Tackled barn door first but it took time to remove the interior trim as it was held in with self tapping screws inserted by electric drill, some had been broken off and then another put alongside, some had mangled screw heads. Took time to get out the broken ones as would have been difficult to line up to replace as covered in hairy carpet stuff. Then there was making the template and so on. So day one was just the rear door. Start made about 11:30 though and as I say slow but sure with lunch break etc!

Day 2 drivers door but then once first fit done realised all had to come off as the interior plate needed modification. Worth doing this before putting on the sealant!

Day 3 modifying and refitting driver’s door plate

Day 4 replace interior. (I hope)

Make sure you have a magnetic thing on end of flexible pole to retrieve the dropped nuts! Of course as we get older these fiddly jobs get harder and we have to cope with varifocals

 

[bigalw35]

OK, mines a Mercedes Hymer B680, will these locks fit to my hab door, there is already a moulded place for additional locks ?

 

[Deneb]

I would recommend Protectavan as a supplier - they are the public sales side of Trade Vehicle Locks who manufacture many of the locks and protection devices in house. Certainly didn't have to drill, enlarge or make any alterations to the door skin when fitting, and they were the best version with the extended external lower profile and internal shielding.

If you have a problem trying to get the nut back onto the handle lower studs after fitting the plates, it can help if you bend the extended lower edge of the proplate out very very slightly. Clamp the lower edge of the plate in a vice or between the two edges of a folding workbench and apply slight pressure to the upper section using a flat wooden block behind it. You don't want to flatten it so much that it leaves a gap along the lower edge when fitted though, as that defeats the purpose of the plate.

Always try a dry fit before removing and applying the sealant.

Removing and refitting the handle fixing nuts behind the internal door skin is straightforward if you have a smallish 1/4 inch drive ratchet and selection of different length sockets and/or extension bars.
Put a small blob of grease into the socket then insert the nut. Makes it easier to locate it over the handle stud without dropping it into the door!

I had a contact at TVL before I retired, who offered a discount on Proplates. I mentioned it on here at the time, but there was no interest at all. Now everyone wants them!

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