Well, it finally happened to us. The lock broke.

[tigwelder]

i got the trimark factory steel part number lock and it takes 20 min to replace and fits back in original hole with no modification.[ complete assembly]

[Devildog]

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

So which lock style is it that breaks? Mine has the two keys in the top and bottom right side corners. The other common model has them on opposite sides from each other. Thank you.

You could take 50 different opinions, and talk to manufacturers and service personnel til the cows come home. Fact is the only way to know if your Trimark door handle is susceptible to breaking is to take any magnet and see if it sticks to the plunger. If it doesn't, it's alloy and could potentially break. If it does, you have a steel locking mechanism and most likely won't have to deal with this very concerning safety issue.

[Bob Denman]

Originally Posted by Mousemate

After two trimark locks and three times being locked out I replaced mine with the Bauer lock. Have had it for a year now an no issues ..plus bonus no keys when walking the dogs

Do you have a link to these Bauer locks?

[BandG]

Originally Posted by schreinertms

Same thing happened to us on our Challenger. My wife was inside and I was outside and we needed to catch a ferry at Cedar Island, NC. I was able to climb in the passenger window and a camping neighbor handed me our ladder so we could at least catch the ferry to Ocracoke. While on the ferry, I dismantled the lock so we could at least open the door. When we got home a week later, purchased an electronic lock from www.RVLock.com with a key fob. The RVlock is great construction compared to the garbage Thor installed.

Tom - how difficult was the install? I assume there was some modification needed. I'd love to get a key fob for our Windsport, but haven't heard of anything that's a good fit yet.

Thanks

[John & Diane]

With all these broken locks and people getting locked in motorhomes I'm seeing a trend that should lead to a Safety Recall. I encourage all of you who have had locks break please report your experiences to the NTSB ( National Transportation Saftey Board ). I would hope Thor would see the pattern of problems and do a recall on their own but that is unlikely. Safe travels.

[04fxsts]

When our lock broke we were coming home with about 500 miles to go. Our original plan was to spend the night on the road but had to drive straight through till around midnight. We would have been OK but had to let the dogs out for their business. I did report it to the NHTSA along with some others. One more thing, Thor is not the only mfgr that uses this lock, most do at least on some of their line. I also went with the Bauer lock and it fit with no modification at all. Jim.

[Bob Denman]

Jim,
Do you have a link to the Bauer lock that you used?
I think that I'd be willing to launch a "preemptive strike", and replace mine before blood pressures rise...

[2Vagabonds]

Mine broke last year. Fortunately, it broke while in my driveway. I replaced it with an upgraded Trimark. It was not cheap: $200.00 plus. It has a steel plunger rather than the cheap cast metal on the original. It fit with no modifications and did not have to replace the striker plate. As others have mentioned, I urge you to report it to the NTSB. If enough complaints are made, maybe they will issue a recall

[Bob Denman]

Would they actually consider this to be a safety issue; that might warrant a recall?

[Yvonnemarc]

Originally Posted by 04fxsts

When our lock broke we were coming home with about 500 miles to go. Our original plan was to spend the night on the road but had to drive straight through till around midnight. We would have been OK but had to let the dogs out for their business. I did report it to the NHTSA along with some others. One more thing, Thor is not the only mfgr that uses this lock, most do at least on some of their line. I also went with the Bauer lock and it fit with no modification at all. Jim.

Right. Which I s why Thor wouldn’t issue a recall but the lock manufacturer would.

[2Vagabonds]

Absolutely it's a safety issue. My Hurricane is a Class A. As with most Class A's there is only one door. If the lock broke while inside, no way out except windows. That could be an issue especially if you have some mobility problems or if you have a number of children or guests all trying to get out the same windows in an emergency. That is why I urge everyone who had this issue to file a complaint. Here is the link to start one.

https://www.safercar.gov/

You can also upload photos with your complaint

[Bob Denman]

I forgot about that...

Class C owner here: with a couple of extra doors, that I keep around to use as spares!

[BradnKaren]

We received our TriMark replacement lock today. The good news: Even though we are outside of warranty and they were under no obligation to do so, Thor had their distributor send us a new lock. We are thankful that Thor has always handled any problem we've had quickly, and often above and beyond what is expected. The bad news: It's the exact same lock we had before that broke. It has the zinc alloy plunger.

I just got off the phone with Ann at TriMark and ordered part number 37560-13 Outside (steel) which will retrofit my new lock with a steel plunger. With this I can rest easy knowing we will not get locked in or out of our motor home again.

Bottom line, if you have a TriMark door lock model 060-1650 check the part number stamped on the plate underneath the inside cover of the handle. If it starts with a 29 you have the zinc alloy plunger, which is the critical part that is breaking on all these locks, locking people inside or outside of their RVs.

If you find that you have the zinc alloy plunger on lock model 650-1650, it's a ticking time bomb. Call TriMark and order part number 37560-13 Outside (steel). It's a kit that you can use to retrofit your existing lock with a steel plunger. It's $141.45 and they ship next day.

TriMark 800-431-8616

[Bob Denman]

Thanks for the information on the updated parts!
And Congratulations, on Thor stepping up to the plate for you!