After noon everyone, keys why so many. What dose everyone do with there second set while traveling, one set in van and I thought other set in the vehicle some where your thoughts.
Do you have a transponder vehicle key? Get a plain brass key cut for the vehicle and keep it in your wallet. It will not start the car, but you will always have access to the car. Key cut about $15 I suppose.
Van and Car
Buy a "Outdoor Wall Mount Key Safe Box Lock Holder" and mount it on the boxed section steel of the van, eg drawbar. Make sure you spend a minimum of $75 on the unit (supply only) to ensure it is robust and can be relied upon. It will hold five keys in safety.
This may not be constuctive enough to help OMD. But it's going to give every one a good laugh for a Friday afternoon. I'll try to keep the story short.
Last December we took delivery of our beloved motorhome, we had it only 1 week and on our first trip we went to Canberra for xmas at my sister's house.
All during xams day we were going back and forth showing people our new toy. (as you do) each time returning to the kitchen an placing the keys on our cooler bag in the kitchen.
Fast forward, time to go to bed, oops no keys. tried to call road side assit to get into the boot incase the key were locked in, only to find due to the newness our records were not showing up and hence no help.
Now thankfully my son drove his car so, up at 3.30am to drive back to sydney for the spare keys, 3 hour trip, quick shower on arrival, then back in the car and 3 hours back to canberra.
Walked into the kitchen picked up the cooler bag and my had slipped into the side pocket by accident. BINGO there were the keys, back ito the motohome and 3 more house back to sydney. I wont forget last xmas in a hurry.
I don't know if there is a moral to this story, but I can tell you, even now one year on, I'm still paranoid about that bunch of keys.
Cheers
Greg
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Greg & Shas
"Take kindly the council of the years gracefully surrendering the things of your youth"
we carry 3 'van door keys - one for each of us and another we keep hidden in a $3 metal magnet box on the inside of the frame near the dual axles (never had to get to it, but know its there).
The 12 or so other keys you get supplied with - one we put on a key ring and keep in a drawer.
The 2nd I have attached a plastic name tag to each and then put it on one of those large odd shakle type rings that mountain climbers use (and you buy from Bunnings for a couple of bucks). We keep this hanging on a hook in the van and move it into the tow vehicle when travelling.
Never lost any of our keys. After a while you recognize the various shaped plastic heads for the important locks - like boot, front boot, water fillers and toilet cassette (or you can buy different coloured tops from a key cutting place or Bunnings to slip over the top of all metal keys if you wish)
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Get copies made from the originals, then keep the originals safely and use the copies. When we lost a set of caravan keys we realised how precious those original keys are, copies of copies don't always work.
A good idea is to put your mobile # on the keyring, we had ours returned once from that.
oops i stuffed up i think (must have had a seniors moment)
Sorry about that, still trying to find my way around this forum.
You're right about the keys,we also have soooo many keys.
We have a key for (deep breath) :- The storage bins , the key for the living quarters in the MH , the washing machine compartment door key,
Cassette toilet door key , The petrol generator door key , The truck diesel door key , Then there is the truck diesel fuel tank key ,
The A-frame key , and truck ignition keys and the outside entertainment door key. I call all these keys the red keys because all these keys are on a red lanyard which go around my neck and down the front of my shirt.
Mrs Blues woman knows which keys to hand me when we are setting up.
There is an identical bunch of keys with no lanyard which live in or near the ignition when we are driving.
There is also two sets of car keys, one of which is on a lanyard also, The ignition key , the key to pipe that holds the de-flappers and rafters , one red and one blue key to lock the ladder on the roof racks. The other set of spare car keys with no lanyard live in or near the ignition for when we are towing the vechical .
Had 8 locks on the camper trailer all keyed the same. However on picking up the camper was presented with 4 keys for each lock a total of 32 keys all the same - go figure !!!!!
Going to be solo from now on so one set in the van/to use and I imagine the other set in the vehicle.
Gday...
I am solo - always very concerned about losing keys. Especially as I bushwalk frequently away from the van/car.
I have a set that are the "main" ones - on me at all times - car, van, and two others for pod on roof and boot of van.
I have a duplicate set of those which 'live' in the van.
I also have a set of the same keys in one of these magnetic key boxes which I have up and inside the chassis of the van - in case I lose the "main" ones and when I get back to the van I have some to get access to the van.
All other keys for water fillers, toilet cassette door, etc are kept in the van.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
Yes,what a great idea. We had more keys than you could poke a stick at now we have only 1 for the van and hatches and 1 for the outside drop down table. It makes life much easier and from memory it was about $140 for the new barrels and bitsall easy to fit. Certainly the way to go. Cheers Ian.
400kms into our last trip last October I suddenly remembered that I had left BOTH sets of keys to our van on top of the fridge at home. (One set is normally left in the tug, the other opens the van and used to lock up when we leave.) Too late to return home so continued on for the last 100kms.
Anyway, that cost me nearly $80 - replacing the broken lock bits after forcing the door open, and a new barrel and key for the lock.
By the way, the so called security doors are very easy to break into - I used a long lever at the three locking points and the door just popped open.
Anyway, I now have a key to the front boot hidden - it requires a screw driver to access it. Don't trust those magnetic key holders, one disappeared from under my car a few years ago. Copies of the other keys are screwed to the bulkhead in the front boot just high enough so that I have to bend down to see them, in other words not readily visible with a casual look.
Now if ever I forget/lose the keys I only have to grab a screwdriver from the car, get the boot key, then unscrew the door and other keys from the bulkhead and I'm in.
My Iveco has two keys. One for central locking and the ignition. The second key will unlock the doors manually but will not start the engine. I keep the second key bolted to the chassis with a mettlethread and wing nut, so at least I can get into the vehicle if I lose the main key. Other keys for gas bottle storage, toilet cassette and water filler I keep on a hook inside the van. I have two sets of these keys in different locations within the van. My next project is to get a spare key for central locking and ignition. These cost an arm and a leg, but i'll do it before my next trip.
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
