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HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Yahoo Message Number: 23246
Our front door on our 2003 Intrigue is locked and we can't unlock it. I know that I have read about people who have had this problem before. Fortunately a nice neighbor pulled the picnic table by a window and I was able to jump out and get a ladder set up by the window of our coach. That has solved the immediate problem, but I need to get the front door fixed before we can move the coach. We were scheduled to travel in the morning.

Specifically, the bolt lock (top lock) on the door works fine. The bolt lock works fine either manually or with the keyless entry fob.
It is the bottom lock that has failed. It will not unlock with either the key (from the outside), the push/pull bar (from the inside), or the key fob.

If you have experienced this problem and can help me, your help is greatly appreciated. I'll be calling CC first thing in the morning to see what actions they might suggest.

Regards,

Bob Kumza
2003 Intrigue

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23249
Bob

Have you tried pushing the door in while trying to un-lock all at the same time, we had to do that many times on the Brother-Inlaws Eagle until he got it adjusted.

Darold

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23254
Thank you Bill and Darold for your prompt replies. I tried pushing on the door and moving the push/pull lock slide simultaneously, but that had no effect. The lock mechanism is broken on the inside.
Using the key on the outside also has no effect since the internal lock mechanism is broken.

I'm not sure that a locksmith would have much success, since the key still works and picking the lock would also have no effect on this problem. The door structure is so unique to motorhomes that unless the locksmith had a specific experience with this type of door, he'd be just guessing in the dark... just like me.

I have my razor knife and major surgery tools ready to tear apart the inner door panel to gain access, but I hesitate to destroy the inner panel until I hear word from CC (opening in 2 hours) or someone else who has had this same problem.

THANKS to all.
Bob

Quote from: Popish, Darold
>
Bob

Have you tried pushing the door in while trying to un-lock all at
the same time, we had to do that many times on the Brother-Inlaws Eagle until he got it adjusted.

Quote
Darold

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23255
Bob:

I had the same problem about two months ago. In my case, the upper dead bolt had worked its way out just a bit to give the impression the door was locked. Try turning the upper dead bolt counter clockwise while pulling the door in a bit. It worked for me.

Chuck Penque

03 Intrigue 11673

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23256
Thanks Chuck... but NO GO. My deadbolt is working perfectly. It is surely a broken internal slide lock mechanism because when I pull the door open handle, it doesn't engage and the door doesn't have that distinctive click as it usually did. I sense that major surgery is going to be starting here in about an hour.

Bob

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23257
Please comeback to tell the group how you finally solve this problem. If it happened to your coach, it could happen to ours as well.
David 04 Intrigue 11775

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23258
Bob:

Although it may be of no help in your case, mine did not make that distinctive click either. The handle pull was silent with no resistance and the locking slide slid back and forth in the normal way. It wasn't until I moved the upper dead bolt was I able to get the familiar click from the one below.
You might try giving Chris Snyder (CC Rep) a call at Beaudry RV in Tucson. I know he has done some work on these locks. When my coach was about a year old the door locked and he took it apart to repair the mechanism. Since I wasn't there at the time I am not sure how he got the door open. Chris' phone, 520 901 4916, 800 294 4878 ex. 4916.

Good Luck

Chuck

Thanks Chuck... but NO GO. My deadbolt is working perfectly. It is surely a broken internal slide lock mechanism because when I pull the door open handle, it doesn't engage and the door doesn't have that distinctive click as it usually did. I sense that major surgery is going to be starting here in about an hour.

Bob

Quote from: cpenque@\.\.\.
Bob:

I had the same problem
about two months ago. In my case, the upper dead bolt

Quote
had worked
its way out just a bit to give the impression the door was

Quote
locked.
Try turning the upper dead bolt counter clockwise while pulling the door in

Quote
a bit. It worked for me.

Chuck Penque
03

Intrigue 11673

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23261
I was able to find only one locksmith in Tucson who worked on motorhomes, and he was not able to figure out a working CC lock :-)

John 04 Inspire 51078

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23263
Bob,

Hope that you have an adequate supply of chardonnay.
Same thing happened to my 04 Intrigue, but I was locked out (without chardonnay). Messed with it for an hour, called a local locksmith and all he did was scratch everything up. We eventually got the door opened and suspected the same as you (broken lower mechanism). Had CC send a whole new lock assembly and it made no difference. It ended up being the dead bolt sticking out just a little too far. If you unscrew the deadbolt assembly from the inside of the door you will see that the entire part (including outside lock) will move a little to either side when reinstalled. Move it a little toward the driver's side and it will take your dead bolt just a tiny bit more into the hole.
We now keep a window unlocked for the next time.
Good luck.

Dick B

04 Intrigue 11830

Quote from: rvrobert2003

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23264
Hope I'm not too late...... I've had my Allure door apart so know the inner workings.

I think (this is the only step I'm unsure of)you can get your inner screen door off by unscrewing the screws in the holes on the forward edge. That will allow access to the door panel from inside the coach.
DO NOT CUT the panel... simply pop the decorative buttons off, exposing the screws holding the fabric panel on the door. Unscrew those screws. Lift the panel off. This exposes all the lock and latch mechanisms. You should be able to see your problem then.

Good Luck

Joe .. in Pocatello, ID on the way to Class Reunion in Eugene 2004 Allure 36' #31031

Quote from: rvrobert2003

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out - Postmortem repo

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23266
The following is the postmortem report after major surgery on my door. I tried every trick in the book for about 4 hours, including coathangers, and hooks of varying sizes and shapes, and could not get the door open. I used mirrors of varying sizes and shapes to see inside the lock mechanism, but alas, this attempt at "orthoscopic surgery" also failed.

So I had to resort to major surgery. Out comes the razor knife and after about 20 minutes of cutting the inside panel, I exposed enough of the mechanism to see the problem. Ten minutes later, the door was opened, but the wounds of the surgery are NOT pretty.

The culprit was a broken 89 cent spring. After fruitless visits to Home Depot, Lowes, Advance Auto, a Suziki dealer and a lawnmower repair center, I finally found a perfect spring to match the one in the door at Ace Hardware.

If you want to examine your spring, the process is simple. Remove the 4 large phillips bolts from the end of the door that hold the mechanism in place and the 2 smaller screws from the face plate.
Then gently swing the panel open so you can see the inside of the door locking mechanism. You'll see a small spring about 3/4" long at the top of the mechanism. When this spring breaks, the door will NOT open and major surgery is necessary. I plan to replace the spring annually as part of my coach maintenance to eliminate this from ever happening again.

It was very scary sleeping last night knowing that if we had a fire or other emergency, there was no quick way out. So now my "project list" includes figuring out a way to have an emergency exit step that I can use that will hang out the living room window above the sofa. When the door first stuck, I contemplated jumping out from the window, but then realized that my old brittle bones may not have survived the 6 foot plunge to the ground. I'm glad I didn't jump.
Fortunately a good Samaritan was there to move the picnic table for me to lessen the drop from 6 feet to 3. No broken bones, and the door is fixed. A new door panel and the door will be like new again.
What a day this has been. I hope I don't have another like this one for a long time. Maybe some of you can share your method for coach exit when the door is locked or impassable. How do you get out? What would you do in an emergency if the front door was unusable?

Regards,

Bob Kumza
2003 Intrigue

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out - Postmortem repo

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23270
Hi Bob,

Consider a picture sometime when you open that Bargmann lock up again.
I understand that the key works on all Bargmanns', so never use it to lock the door - always use the deadbolt. Question - if I don't use the locking push knob on the inside or the key on the outside, can this problem still occur?
Fred Kovol

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23281
Hope I'm not too late...... I've had my Allure door apart so know the inner workings.

I think (this is the only step I'm unsure of)you can get your inner screen door off by unscrewing the screws in the holes on the forward edge. That will allow access to the door panel from inside the coach.
DO NOT CUT the panel... simply pop the decorative buttons off, exposing the screws holding the fabric panel on the door. Unscrew those screws. Lift the panel off. This exposes all the lock and latch mechanisms. You should be able to see your problem then.

Good Luck

Joe .. in Pocatello, ID on the way to Class Reunion in Eugene 2004 Allure 36' #31031

Quote from: "rvrobert2003
>

Our front door on
our 2003 Intrigue is locked and we can't unlock

Quote
it. I know that I have
read about people who have had this problem

Quote
before. Fortunately a nice
neighbor pulled the picnic table by a

Quote
window and I was able to jump out
and get a ladder set up by the

Quote
window of our coach. That has solved the
immediate problem, but I

Quote
need to get the front door fixed before we can
move the coach. We

Quote
were scheduled to travel in the morning.

Specifically, the bolt lock (top lock) on the door works fine. The > bolt lock works fine either manually or with the keyless entry fob.
It is the bottom lock that has failed. It will not unlock with >
either the key (from the outside), the push/pull bar (from the

Quote
inside),

or the key fob.

Quote
>

If you have experienced this problem and can
help me, your help is

Quote
greatly appreciated. I'll be calling CC first
thing in the morning

Quote
to see what actions they might suggest.

Regards,

Bob Kumza

2003

Intrigue
 

Re: HELP - we are locked inside and can't get out

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 23282
Hope I'm not too late...... I've had my Allure door apart so know the inner workings.

I think (this is the only step I'm unsure of)you can get your inner screen door off by unscrewing the screws in the holes on the forward edge. That will allow access to the door panel from inside the coach.
DO NOT CUT the panel... simply pop the decorative buttons off, exposing the screws holding the fabric panel on the door. Unscrew those screws. Lift the panel off. This exposes all the lock and latch mechanisms. You should be able to see your problem then.

Good Luck

Joe .. in Pocatello, ID on the way to Class Reunion in Eugene 2004 Allure 36' #31031

Quote from: "rvrobert2003
>

Our front door on
our 2003 Intrigue is locked and we can't unlock

Quote
it. I know that I have
read about people who have had this problem

Quote
before. Fortunately a nice
neighbor pulled the picnic table by a

Quote
window and I was able to jump out
and get a ladder set up by the

Quote
window of our coach. That has solved the
immediate problem, but I

Quote
need to get the front door fixed before we can
move the coach. We

Quote
were scheduled to travel in the morning.

Specifically, the bolt lock (top lock) on the door works fine. The > bolt lock works fine either manually or with the keyless entry fob.
It is the bottom lock that has failed. It will not unlock with >
either the key (from the outside), the push/pull bar (from the

Quote
inside),

or the key fob.

Quote
>

If you have experienced this problem and can
help me, your help is

Quote
greatly appreciated. I'll be calling CC first
thing in the morning

Quote
to see what actions they might suggest.

Regards,

Bob Kumza

2003

Intrigue