Budgie823 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Earlier today we were getting ready to set off home when we managed to lock the motorhome with the keys left inside and us outside. We were rescued by the RAC via Fiat Recovery but it prompted the question "Who carries a spare set of keys on their person?" It struck home that there is no point having my spares in the kitchen drawer at home and I, for one, will ensure I now have have them in my pocket at all times whether away motorhoming or not. Anyone else had the same nightmare experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheer lunar-see Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I keep a spare door entry key only in a key safe, bolted to the motorhome in a secret place, so that if we lose the keys we can at least get back in without damage and then arange at our leisure a replacement set of keys, but we have never needed to use it !!!!!!! he says, with fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Having locked myself out with the keys inside and the engine running I too try to make sure that it will never happen again as next time I might not be so lucky as being parked on my own drive at home! I carry the main set in my pocket and my wife carries the spare set in her handbag without which she goes nowhere in addition to which I carry a spare hab door key in my wallet and, as it came with four hab door keys, there is another hidden on the van where we can access it - just in case we both get out and shut and lock all the doors with the keys in the ignition! It has not happened yet but I would not bet on it never happening particularly as we travel with the cab doors locked and the hab door has a habit of locking itself when it slams shut! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 For the van we have two sets of keys (one of which also has house keys, more on that later), I carry one set gf carries the other, we are not joined at the hip, so when we go our different ways we can still individually get back in the van. Now back to the house keys! We normaly only use the back door, but when going away we employ extra security on that and dead lock the front door, so only (did) have a front door key with the van keys, in winter we may go to warmer climes and take the front door key off van keys to lock front door, earlier this year as we set off on a trip to central america I slamed shut the front door only to realise I had no front door key, a quick check showed we had all docs needed for our trip, so off we went, on our return called into the local lock smith who 'broke' into our house in just a few seconds. I now always carry a front door key with car keys. This leads me to my other bugbear, keyless ignitions. In winter I might be wearing cargo trousers, heavy fleece and shooting coat, total 16 pockets or more any of which I might have put my keys in, when I get home if I get out of car and it doesn't lock the keys will be somewhere in the car, if it does lock I need to search throu all my pockets before I can get i the house, oh for the 'good old times' when you alway knew the keys where in the ignition switch *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 having done this only 4 month ago, the rac got in the van with wire, now i know how to get in with a piece of wire i have wire in a secret place what i can get to and easily get in the van, in fact there is no point in locking it, i can get in mine and probably any van in less than 10 seconds! jonathan 8-) *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgie823 Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 Lots of good suggestions. Unfortunately the handbag or wallet wouldn't have helped today as they were both locked inside! Unless we go to a naturist park I should always have a pocket but hopefully not 16 of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Budgie823 - 2015-11-02 9:02 PM Lots of good suggestions. Unfortunately the handbag or wallet wouldn't have helped today as they were both locked inside! Unless we go to a naturist park I should always have a pocket but hopefully not 16 of them! Have you never read Papillon or seen the film? The Steve McQueen character had a special hiding place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Is this a PVC issue? I can't lock my motorhome and leave the keys in it - well I don't think I can. Wife always carries a spare set but I've never left without mine. If I don't have anyone with me, I carry both sets but in different garment e.g. trousers and jacket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Brock - 2015-11-02 9:56 PM Is this a PVC issue? I can't lock my motorhome and leave the keys in it - well I don't think I can. Wife always carries a spare set but I've never left without mine. If I don't have anyone with me, I carry both sets but in different garment e.g. trousers and jacket. AFAIK I can't lock my PVC without key, some RV's lock when the keys are out the ignition for several minutes, the first time this happened to me was sitting outside the van when it locked, I had keys in my pocket and assumed I must have accidentally 'knocked' them, second time it happened realised it was an automatic function. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgie823 Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 No, not a PVC issue in my case but an Autotrail Apache motorhome. I had taken the dogs for a walk when my wife then locked the cab doors from inside using the button on the dash. She then stepped outside the van shutting the hab doors behind her and when I returned a few minutes later the hab door was locked. This has never happened before so, now that we are home, I will try a few checks on it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Habitation door (and garage) key on a lanyard attached to my belt or drawstring cord if in trunks. Never comes off the lanyard, so we can always get back in the Motorhome. We keep 2 ignition (and front door) keys separate and have a spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 C an't lock our hab door with out a key, either. Or in our case 3 keys, as we have additional security locks. I carry spare key in handbag, but as I don 't often take bag out while on holiday, not much use really. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 And don't just assume that getting locked out refers to actually locking yourself out. What would happen if say, you went for a good long walk only to find when you got back to your MH that you had actually lost your keys? I seem to recall a recent blog where this had happened (perhaps 'Millys travels?). So to be on the safe side I have hidden a hab door key in a very secure location where I can access it within a short time without damage and then if we are going far from home (eg our recent Iceland trip) I hide the spare ignition key somewhere in the MH. It is never left in when parked at home though! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caddies104 Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Budgie823 - 2015-11-02 10:25 PM No, not a PVC issue in my case but an Autotrail Apache motorhome. I had taken the dogs for a walk when my wife then locked the cab doors from inside using the button on the dash. She then stepped outside the van shutting the hab doors behind her and when I returned a few minutes later the hab door was locked. This has never happened before so, now that we are home, I will try a few checks on it tomorrow. This happened to us once, not sure how it happened, but think this is what happened ... We locked the cab doors whilst the habitation was open then we shut the hab. door and it locked itself... Tried replicating a few times without success.. Now more careful!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Excuse My Ignorance, but how do you lock yourself out of a Motorhome, Most are central locking these days so you need to press/activate the locking Mechanism which is usually on the Key Fob, ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Thanks Budgie, now I understand. You will have to train your wife to "Stay!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteH Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hi American Ford F100 to500/Series since before 2004 have the "timed self lock" feature. I found that out the hard way!. Cruise America Rental, being a rental you only ever get ONE key!. Stopped to get Propane at a service station near Monteray on Highway one. Went in the store and a few minutes later "herself" follows me, to browse the "Nick Nacks". Getting the picture?. Nice man says yes, no problem pull round the side to the propane tank. goes to the R-V to find it locked!. Ask`s herself for key, she says not got!. looks in driver side, Keys in Ignition!. doors firmly locked!. The short story is that an Elderly lady with her 4-5 yr grandson, manges to put said child through a small side window, which we prised open, onto the Dinette, and coaxed him to open the hab Door!. Phew!. Saved! Needless to say several Dollars worth of "sweeties" and an Ice-cream where gratefully received!!, by said small boy. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budgie823 Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Caddies104 - 2015-11-03 4:44 PM Budgie823 - 2015-11-02 10:25 PM No, not a PVC issue in my case but an Autotrail Apache motorhome. I had taken the dogs for a walk when my wife then locked the cab doors from inside using the button on the dash. She then stepped outside the van shutting the hab doors behind her and when I returned a few minutes later the hab door was locked. This has never happened before so, now that we are home, I will try a few checks on it tomorrow. This happened to us once, not sure how it happened, but think this is what happened ... We locked the cab doors whilst the habitation was open then we shut the hab. door and it locked itself... Tried replicating a few times without success.. Now more careful!! This is exactly the same scenario and I tried several times today without being able to replicate it. My best guess is that the OH inadvertently depressed the lock on the hab door before exiting and shutting the door behind her. She, of course, denies this so I'm working as hard as I can on the 'stay' command (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Corky 8 - 2015-11-03 5:48 PM Excuse My Ignorance, but how do you lock yourself out of a Motorhome, Most are central locking these days so you need to press/activate the locking Mechanism which is usually on the Key Fob, ????? Speaking personally Den, it is not the cab doors that are the issue. We tend to keep the cab doors locked all the time via the button on the dash for security, especially when stationary and we are in the back and the key has no input for this - especially if it is in the ignition switch. Some hab doors, not all and not all of the time, have the knack of locking themselves as they shut sometimes and that is a real pain if you are outside and all the keys are inside! I think it is a lack of design feature rather than a deliberate design feature and hopefully one only ever gets caught out once and with luck, at home! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pampam Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 I think you can buy magnetic boxes to hide key in , or perhaps you could duck tape a key to the rear of a mudguard (where only you know its there) like under electric step , cheers pp:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hi My van, a swift, when you lock the cab doors either by fob or dash button, locks the hab door whether open or shut. When shut, not a problem as you intend it or are inside. When the door is open then you shut it and it becomes locked you are stuffed if you have not dealt with the key situation. I value two keys for the same lock, the hab door. I have one and my wife has the other. I also have keys in two safes. One inside the van and one accessible from the outside. I do not carry ignition keys or any of the other keys we have with the van. To me there is only one key, the key which enters the hatches, gas store and hab door, which is vitally important and that is the key which I guard at all costs. So far as the house is concerned I have a full set in the safe in the van. Hope this helps. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Hi My van, a swift, when you lock the cab doors either by fob or dash button, locks the hab door whether open or shut. When shut, not a problem as you intend it or are inside. When the door is open then you shut it and it becomes locked you are stuffed if you have not dealt with the key situation. I value two keys for the same lock, the hab door. I have one and my wife has the other. I also have keys in two safes. One inside the van and one accessible from the outside. I do not carry ignition keys or any of the other keys we have with the van. To me there is only one key, the key which enters the hatches, gas store and hab door, which is vitally important and that is the key which I guard at all costs. So far as the house is concerned I have a full set in the safe in the van. Hope this helps. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Pampam - 2015-11-03 9:24 PM I think you can buy magnetic boxes to hide key in , or perhaps you could duck tape a key to the rear of a mudguard (where only you know its there) like under electric step , cheers pp:). I have one of these attached ' somewhere' on the chassis, with a Hab door key inside, hidden safe key inside the van, safe contains spare ignition key. Not needed to use it yet, All I need to do is remember the hiding places !!!!! *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Bin there done that. Wife not impressed when dog and I returned from morning walk to find her locked out after returning from shower block. Got back in using the wire trick but now mindful latest Fiats have shielded locks making this no longer an option. We take a small rucksack with dogs food and water for the day plus emergency supply of food etc for me being a diabetic. That bag also,contains a spare set of keys. The way we managed to lock ourselves out was to lock the van when we were in it overnight then leave by the habitation door without operating the central locking. Had we left by a cab door central it would deactivated the central locking. If you a motorhome with plastic Windows the catches on many and easily be defeated. Just a shame we've now got an AutoSleeper PVC with all glass windows. P.S. I did think of going on the offensive and blaming the wife but 50 plus years of marriage has taught me that never works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I have a full set of keys as does my wife, Simples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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