Locking Doors/Drawers for Travel Options?

[Wissel]

Hey All, could really do with some help on this one.

I'm looking for a good solution for locking doors and drawers for travel.

At the moment, I have the standard "push-button locks" on all doors and drawers in my van. I also have kitchen type, soft-close hinges everywhere. The idea originally behind this was all locks would be locked for travel, then once we arrive at a location, all locks could be opened and the hinges kept the doors closed on slopes etc. It's worked okay, apart forgetting to lock a door here and there before setting off

On the new van, we are going with a completely handleless design for all doors and drawers. Like this:

With this design, to open a door etc, there is a gap above or to the side to slide fingers and pull the door/drawer. The inset handle rail is part of the unit and not fixed to the door.

Besides being a style we like, this is also quite practical, as it means no handles to catch clothes on etc.

To keep it really clean, push-locks have to go. So I need a new solution.

The first solution I've looked at is these:

With these, the door/drawer is pushed in slightly, releasing it to be opened. To lock the door it is pushed again.
I quite like these and have a sample on order to try. I can see these working quite well on everything in my van, besides the bathroom door and fridge (fridge will have a door and be integrated).

I then started wondering about a more high-tech solution. I looked at this type of thing:

This is a 12v solenoid lock - the idea being to add one of these to every opening (these are small, light and 12v), then have a single switch to "central-lock" all doors and drawers for travel.

The problem with these is, every one I can find is locked with power off and unlocked with power on. I'd like it the opposite way around so no power is used when on site, but everything is unlocked.

So continuing with an electric solution, I looked at these:

These are small (20mm) electromagnets, which would again fit on all doors and drawers. With these, the magnet is only active when power is supplied. This sounds ideal on paper.

I could wire them all to a single circuit and switch for travel. I could even wire them all to a voltage sensing relay (VSR), so when the engine is started everything automatically locks. I've ordered a sample of this type to test as well.

So these are the 3 solutions I've come up with.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Then there's the bathroom door. This one I'm drawing a complete blank on

This is how my van will be:

It needs to stay closed if on a slight slope, lock for travel and lock shut for when used.

It also needs to open against the internal wall across the van to create two rooms. It needs to catch in place, but be openable from either side. It will have a handle and lock on the back of the door (to close when entering bathroom), but nothing on the front so it follows the design of all other doors in the van.

I'm getting nowhere with a solution on this. Any ideas?

 

[Riverbankannie]

The electromagnet sort that automatically lock seems most practical. You would need to test on a drawer somewhere that has a decent load in it and go round a few roundabouts. You also need to test that your soft closures will work, both closing and staying closed, when under greater load if parked on an opposing slope.

On our washroom door we have fitted a small magnetic catch just below the normal push button catch. This allows us to just push/pull the door shut and we don’t bother to lock when anyone inside. In a small van, you always know when your partner is inside.
The magnetic catch is essential as the door will always swing open even if van level.

 

[Emmit]

When I worked at, 'Looking after people when they had nowhere to go' ie. They were put in a small en suite 'room,' the door was locked and I looked after them until they were 'released'.

We had an electro Magnetic lock on the door to the outside world. It measured, I guess about 6" x 4".
As a test, we allowed one of our colleagues who was about 6'4" and 20St of muscle to try to get through the door with the mag.lock engaged. Admittedly, he couldn't take a run at it but despite his best efforts he couldn't beat the lock.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that provided that the supply gets to the magnetic lock, I would opt for that if given the choice.

 

[Two on Tour]

I fitted these "beetle jaw" catches to a couple of draws that I built into a unit on the Ducato PVC as I wanted to just push the draw front to open a close the draws.
They worked great until our first trip out in the van after fitting them. The draws are on the left hand side of the van and the first right hand corner was fine, then came a left hand corner and the draws shot out slinging the contents all over the floor, why, well the weight of the contents in the draws meant that on the first right hand corner the catch was push in and released the draws and on the left hand corner they were free to slide out. As a result I have fitted a slide in filing cabinet type lock in the side of the draw unit to lock then in place while travelling, not ideal but it got over our problem.

 

[Stealaway]

You need to talk to @Minxy Girl - She's full of novel ideas

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[sallylillian]

I have the "beetle jaw" type on my Flair cupboards. You have to push to open however I would not trust them on drawers and they do have a propensity to stick. I did replace several but have now found that a squirt of silicone spray cures that. We have a solenoid that pushes a rod up t catch the back of the draws and even that failed on a major slam on the brakes. By the way anyone give me a heads up on where to get the beetle things. All my replacements have come from the factory under warranty which has now expired.

 

[Two on Tour]

By the way anyone give me a heads up on where to get the beetle things. All my replacements have come from the factory under warranty which has now expired.

Loads on eBay, here's a link to the one's I bought.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4x-Touch...880171&hash=item25e5e30dc0:g:KDYAAOSwlptaFpAa

 

[Two on Tour]

I should have said that I think the "beetle jaw" catches are ideal on cupboard doors but could be a problem on draws.

 

[hilldweller]

My simple mind says KISS.

 

[Wissel]

My simple mind says KISS.

I completely agree Brian.

I think I'm leaning towards electromagnets with a single, simple circuit into every cupboard. Add a connector in each cupboard to have the ability to quickly and easily replace a magnet over time. Add a VSR and connect it to the starter battery (same as a 12v fridge relay as I have a spare one) and a single fuse. I'll add a switch to override the magnets if needed.

I like this way as it is so simple. less to go wrong than with push-locks (had enough of them jam over the years lol).

Of course i'll test this with the samples I've ordered, before fitting the new van. Might need two on some doors.

It's the bathroom door catch I still have no idea on....

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[Minxy]

You need to talk to @Minxy Girl - She's full of novel ideas

Another possible solution ... no power needed:

http://www.coolthings.com/covert-hidden-universal-lock/

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Invisibl...of-/112395834963?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275

 

[Riverbankannie]

What are you going to use as handle for your bathroom door? Is it going to be same stuff as you have described above for cupboards? You will have to have something inside this door too to be able to close it from inside.
Our bathroom door fits WITHIN the frame and so the existing push catch has a plate which intrudes giving something for the catch to hold to. We fitted the extra very small magnetic catch directly under this so it is unobtrusive.
To fit the electromagnetic catches you will have to have an overlap between cupboard/drawer fronts and their frame/body of cabinet, but I don’t know if you will be having this overlap on your bathroom door?
Having said that, I’m not sure you could fit these catches in the overlap as they are too deep so maybe they will have to intrude into the opening gap? Sorry, I am thinking aloud!

If our bathroom door had an overlap it would then be too wide to open fully across the gangway as currently it just fits.

 

[Minxy]

On our camper doors as well as the push button locks I have a simple magnetic hold lock, like the below, so that when pitched we don't have to keep pushing in the button to lock/unlock to keep the door from swinging open:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-4-10X-...hash=item2823b59833:m:mdnS1qPrLXnZw-K4cucAdRA

 

[Riverbankannie]

Another possible solution ... no power needed:

http://www.coolthings.com/covert-hidden-universal-lock/

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Invisibl...of-/112395834963?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275

They are unusual and different Mel, but wouldn’t they have to use the special “key” every time they wanted to open something?

 

[Riverbankannie]

On our camper doors as well as the push button locks I have a simple magnetic hold lock, like the below, so that when pitched we don't have to keep pushing in the button to lock/unlock to keep the door from swinging open:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-4-10X-...hash=item2823b59833:m:mdnS1qPrLXnZw-K4cucAdRA

Yes that the ones we have too, makes life much easier.

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[Wissel]

Thanks @Riverbankannie & @Minxy Girl

The bathroom door will have the same handle system as the other doors and drawers, just vertical.

To lock the bathroom from the inside, I'm thinking a simple slide lock.

It might be an idea to router out a small finger slide hole the other side of the door, and make the slide lock open and close from both sides. Then add normal magnets to the bathroom wall and bedroom wall, to hold the door in both places.

 

[Minxy]

They are unusual and different Mel, but wouldn’t they have to use the special “key” every time they wanted to open something?

If you read some of the info on them it says the can be 'turned off' when not needed so there is an option to deactivate them when pitched up.

The only thing I can't tell is how strong they are in use so a 'test' would need to be carried out to check the magnetic grip is strong enough.

• No Fuss just turn the lock off when not needed, or when activated you can easily open the cabinet locks using a magnetic key

 

[Riverbankannie]

Thanks @Riverbankannie & @Minxy Girl

The bathroom door will have the same handle system as the other doors and drawers, just vertical.

To lock the bathroom from the inside, I'm thinking a simple slide lock.

It might be an idea to router out a small finger slide hole the other side of the door, and make the slide lock open and close from both sides. Then add normal magnets to the bathroom wall and bedroom wall, to hold the door in both places.

If you do go down the slide lock route, then I think you would have to have it operational from both sides of Door just in case it “slid itself” locked when in transit and then you wouldn’t be able to get into the bathroom!

 

[Wissel]

If you do go down the slide lock route, then I think you would have to have it operational from both sides of Door just in case it “slid itself” locked when in transit and then you wouldn’t be able to get into the bathroom!

That's a very good point

 

[Riverbankannie]

There are some nice looking ones on this site. Obviously commercial toilet door locks have to have a way of opening from outside in case of emergency. However requires a screwdriver or similar and that may not be how you want to operate it in day to day travelling in order to secure for moving off.
https://www.commercialwashroomsltd.co.uk/products/toilet-cubicle-fittings/toilet-cubicle-locks

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[tonyidle]

Another possible solution ... no power needed:

http://www.coolthings.com/covert-hidden-universal-lock/

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Invisibl...of-/112395834963?_trksid=p2385738.m2548.l4275

I really like the child locks - the first of the two is completely invisible.

 

[tonyidle]

There's at least one MH on the market that has central locking for all cabinets. It might be worth finding out what they use?

Car central locking motors (often available as cheap kits) have the advantage of needing power use only briefly to lock or unlock. Very low consumption when (briefly) powered.

Magnetic locks, as I understand them, use powerful magnets to hold the door shut and a brief pulse from an opposing electromagnet to unlock them. I can verify the strength of modern magnets - I have two to hold open the hab door after being fed up of the usual variety. One fitted to body, and one to door, in housings that match the original screw holes. They are brilliant.

 

[Wissel]

There's at least one MH on the market that has central locking for all cabinets. It might be worth finding out what they use?

I'd like to Tony. Do you know which model has this?

 

[Mikey RV]

When I had my Winnebago it had eight lockers for storage and they had catches on that I could open one at a time with a key or press a button and it would release all the locks, a bit like central locking. These were 12 volt so wondering if this sort of system would be any good for you.

 

[airwave]

On our camper doors as well as the push button locks I have a simple magnetic hold lock, like the below, so that when pitched we don't have to keep pushing in the button to lock/unlock to keep the door from swinging open:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-4-10X-...hash=item2823b59833:m:mdnS1qPrLXnZw-K4cucAdRA

Ah interesting Mel , so you went that route too . I'm looking at exactly the same idea for the cupboard door's under the sink , for the same reason .

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[tonyidle]

I'd like to Tony. Do you know which model has this?

If I told you that you'd know as much as me . In fact you do because I can't remember - but I'll do some research.

Incidentally MikeyRV mentioned the Winnebago system - his description reminded me of filing cabinet locks.

 

[mitzimad]

My self build had just so rung hinges on every door and lock Dr and they never came open.the trick is to edge all shelf es so nothing is pushing .them
Drawers are different and theweight of knives and forks difficult to restrain had a running battle with various locks and catches gave in and added a turn buckle

 

[two]

Top end Carthago motorhomes have electric locks to stop cupboards and drawers from flying open. Problem with them has been when they fail in the closed position = difficult to get to release.
I think the electromagnet solution is a better way to do it.

 

[TheCaller]

As @mitzimad suggests, you don't need the same solution for all openings. It depends on what you store in a cupboard & whether the internal shelves have lips on their front edges, but for doors that open across the van, the force needed to keep them closed is generally not all that great. A spring clip or a permanent magnet may well be sufficient - although it will depend to some extent on your driving style. If you regularly corner it on the door handles, then something stronger might be advised.

Drawers are a different matter. With a drawer, you have the whole weight of the drawer & its contents on a very efficient easy-glide runner trying to shoot across the van. I do like the idea of an electromagnetic catch that automatically energises via a VSR or similar.

Our top hinged top lockers have hinges that are sprung held in both the open & closed position. They also have push button catches that I try & remember to engage before we set off, but must have done many hundreds of miles without them engaged & nothing has fallen out yet.

Any drawer (& any cupboard for that matter) that opens towards the front of the van is a different matter altogether. Probably best if you can avoid them altogether. Emergency breaking is going to defeat all but the very strongest fastening system & the drawer will just become a heavy projectile aimed at your back in a collision. That's what that bulkhead was for!

 

[GWAYGWAY]

You lot really like gadgets. Go the simple way and jam a 2X4 across the gangway and knock it with a hammer to lock it. The old ways are best you know.

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