JoelP
Senior Member
Recently I found that the deadbolt lock would not operate from the key. It worked fine from the inside, but neither of my two keys would operate this. I removed the lock and soon realized that it wasn't any issue with the deadbolt mechanism, but rather with the lock cylinder. I watched a YT video on how to remove the cylinder and noticed that one of the 5 pins was broken and had jammed the lock. keeping it from turning. I took this to a locksmith and asked her to repair it. She told me that no locksmith in the San Jose area would be able to replace the pin or the tumbler since it was unique to our RV and had nothing in common with the kind of parts that locksmiths stock.
Next I called David Straw at Lichtsinn and tried to buy a new lock cylinder. Sadly, that is not something that sold as a separate part. They only sell the entire lock assembly for $475. Finally, it hit me. Why do I need 5 pins? I reassembled it with 4 pins, and it works just fine at 80% of the prior security. I figure if anyone was skilled enough to pick my lock with 4 pins, they probably could do 5 as easily.
I am sharing this so that if you run into a similar lock problem you might consider this approach as well.
Moderator: if this post belongs elsewhere, please move it
Next I called David Straw at Lichtsinn and tried to buy a new lock cylinder. Sadly, that is not something that sold as a separate part. They only sell the entire lock assembly for $475. Finally, it hit me. Why do I need 5 pins? I reassembled it with 4 pins, and it works just fine at 80% of the prior security. I figure if anyone was skilled enough to pick my lock with 4 pins, they probably could do 5 as easily.
I am sharing this so that if you run into a similar lock problem you might consider this approach as well.
Moderator: if this post belongs elsewhere, please move it
