View Single Post
Old 01-21-2022, 05:34 AM   #8
Mikendebbie
Montana Master
 
Mikendebbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Austin
Posts: 2,423
M.O.C. #21044
TCmontana - the screen shot below illustrates the problem. Your lock cutout is much bigger than my lock cutout. I have two suggestions...

1. Call Bauer and talk to them. Maybe they are working on a keyless replacement and the new product is coming out any day now, or maybe the first shipment of the new locks are on a cargo ship anchored 150 miles out from LA Harbor waiting to be unloaded...

2. If I (or DW) was bound and determined to make this lock switch work - I would strive to get accurate dimensions for both cutouts and actually draw a scale drawing with the small opening layed out over the large cutout...similar to the way I show it below (but my sketch is strictly illustrative - not accurate). Then I would look for two 16 ga sheetmetal plates that would cover the cutout as shown by the green lines. The sheetmetal plate would need to have the correct cutout for the keyless lock you plan to use...in my case it is a 2.75" x 3.75" cutout for an RVLock unit. A sheet metal shop could fabricate the plate for you - but it is critical that you have the best/ most accurate dimensions to provide them for fabrication. Ultimately - I would want to rivet the plates onto the door. The voids will need to be filled with foam (yellow). The tough part is the cutout for the plunger. Your European lock has a large cutout for the plunger. The scale overlay drawing would allow you to figure out how the new lock plunger best fits your larger plunger opening. I will guess that the sheet metal shop will charge you $50-$75 for each plate + foam + rivets...call it $200 or so. A new door from Trekwood with the correct cutout size for a keyless lock will cost $1200 or more. You can go to Trekwood.com and search for a door to fit your unit and price the exact door - but it ain't gonna be a cheap fix.

You will have a nice shiny galvalume plate on your door and a new black keyless lock. You can paint the plate black, but paint does not like to stick to galvalume unless you prep it correctly.

I am not saying this is easy - but it is one solution I would look at if this is a top priority for you, or more importantly - DW!
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	2022-01-21_6-13-49.png
Views:	27
Size:	221.9 KB
ID:	11054  
__________________
MikenDebbie Aggie ‘77 in the sticks near Austin TX
2019 Chevy 3500 High Country DRW
2018 Montana 3921FB
Aussie Gus + Texas Heeler Jimmy
Mikendebbie is offline   Reply With Quote