What kind of door lock do I get for a mobile trailer?
I have a 77 trailblazer camper travel trailer and I would like to get a better security lock to keep the bum’s out… The exterior handle looks just like a normal handle on any house door lock with keyhole but the interior handle is a small right angle lever style handle with the 90 deg. twist lock that is 33 years old and barely rotates from lock to unlock on the tip of the handle just above where your thumb and pointer come together at the palm to lock or unlock the door… The door thickness doesn’t look much different and I doubt it’s mm difference from a typical door on a traditional home… I wanted to just buy a key lock exterior door handle so I went to Wall-mart and notice a mobile home deadlock… Well I looked at the dimensions and the mobile home deadlock met the same door thickness and latch dimensions as a standard exterior key lock door handle which really caught me by surprise, why have a different lock for a mobile home if it fit’s a normal house door??? Hopefully someone will have some information on the type of lock I need, I know they sell replacement’s on camper sites but if I can buy a standard exterior key lock handle and or deadbolt then I would rather do that… The tiny handle on the interior side is so small I have trouble shutting the door sometimes because I can’t get a good grip on it…
If the holes in the door are correct and the door thickness as well you can use any style lock-set/deadbolt that you wish. Key is where the bolt goes into the jamb. This is where the security comes in. Some setups have extra long screws while others have metal reinforced plates. Choose carefully. Keep in mind though, if someone wants in, they will get in. Good doors and locks only slow things up a bit. No lock is impenetrable.