[VAC] Re: deadbolt

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

I see only to ways to get a dead bolt. One is to replace the lock in the
door with one having a dead bolt, but the bolts are too short in the
standard Bargman L-400 motor home door lock. The other is to put the
lock in the wall. The aluminum door frame is fairly thick.

I think putting the dead bolt in the wall is a fine solution, I plan to
do it to my Caravel in the spring. It will be far nicer looking than the
hasp and turn button that is there now.

I don't see any problem with the dead bolt in the wall, its just
convention to put the latch and dead bolt in the door, I can't fathom
why that's so preferred. I guess its because the latch can then also act
as the handle for opening and closing the door.

Otherwise to put the dead bolt in the door, one needs a super long dead
bolt and to rework the screen to have a bigger opening and for a curved,
round topped welded aluminum frame door that seems like a great deal of
work to go through for a dead bolt. And also to cut more hole in the
door frame weakening it more to hold the dead bolt mechanism, than to
just hold the bolt from the dead bolt.

Gerald J.