Caravan Door Locks and Accessories

Sharing this content

Whether your caravan is your mobile holiday home or your permanent living space, it’s important to keep it safe and secure.

There’s a lot to think about during the process of setting up your caravan. You’ll need to look at generators, for example, and you’ll want to have all the accessories and equipment you could possibly need to make your living area comfortable.

In all the excitement, it’s easy to overlook certain basic, yet crucial requirements. One such requirement is a robust, high-quality door lock.

Most caravans come with a factory-installed lock on the door. In most cases, these locks will be durable enough to provide decent security for a good while.

However, over time, your factory-installed lock is likely to wear down and need replacing. In fact, did you know that locksmiths recommend replacing front door locks every 7 years?

Choosing a lock for your caravan is a serious business. The product you select will be responsible for ensuring your safety, and potentially even that of your family.

Luckily, there’s a very good selection of caravan door locks currently available on the mobile home market, and today, we’ll be taking you through our top 5!

 

 

Locked into other commitments? Take a look at our top pick:

 

Fiamma Safe Door Frame Lock

• Key locking system
• Anodised aluminium
• Keyhole cover
• Easy installation
• Includes installation hardware
• Comes in 3 colours

Best Caravan Door Locks

Fiamma Safe Door Frame Lock

 

 

Fiamma’s Safe Door Frame Lock might not be the most technologically or mechanically advanced caravan lock on the market by any means.

In terms of pure functionality, durability, and practicality, though, trust us when we say that it’s hands-down one of the best caravan door locks out there.

The Safe Door Frame Lock is designed to be mounted onto the outside frame of your caravan door. It’s a simple key-lock system that allows you full control over the locking of your caravan, so you’ll never find yourself unexpectedly locked out.

The keyhole is protected by a cover which is attached to the lock and can easily be lifted up or pushed back down as needed. This prevents the more sensitive metal of the keyhole from being too frequently exposed to moisture.

The construction of the Fiamma lock is impressive. It’s made entirely out of anodised aluminium for superior strength and durability, with no integral plastic components, so there’s very little risk of this lock breaking on you or being forced open.

One of the Fiamma Safe Door Frame Lock’s key selling points is how easy it is to install. It’s easy to be put off replacing your caravan door lock as often as professionals recommend purely because of the thought of the installation process. With Fiamma’s caravan lock, however, there really is nothing to worry about.

Not only is all the installation hardware (self-tapping screws) included with the purchase of the lock itself, but Fiamma has deliberately streamlined the profile of the lock to make it thinner. This makes the process of inserting the screws much more manageable.

As a bonus, this lock is available in a choice of 3 colours: black, white, and grey. Another major deterrent for some caravan owners when it comes to replacing or upgrading locks is the thought of altering the caravan’s overall appearance.

With the Fiamma lock, you can select the classic colour that best ties in with your caravan’s colour scheme for a seamless upgrade.

The only real drawback we’ve encountered with this lock is that, unfortunately, it’s not compatible with all caravan models.

Sadly, Fiamma has not provided an official list of compatible caravan models, which means some research and customer testimonials will probably be required to work out whether this lock will fit your caravan.

Pros

• Key-locking
• Durable anodised aluminium construction
• Protective keyhole cover
• Easy to install
• Installation hardware included
• Three colours available

Cons

• Not compatible with all caravan models

 

Caraloc 2000 Caravan Door Lock

 

 

Caraloc is a reputable company that specialises in locks and security systems for caravans specifically. Logically, this makes Caraloc an obvious choice for sourcing high-quality caravan door locks, and the Caraloc 2000 Caravan Door Lock is a testament to this.

This key-locking mechanism comes with two keys instead of one, so you can always have a spare key on hand or give one to whoever else uses the caravan with you. From the inside, the lock can be activated by lifting the internal handle.

Compatibility is one of the advantages that the Caraloc 2000 has over some of the competitor locks on the market. Generally, caravan locks are built to fit as many different caravan doors as possible, but this is easier said than done from a manufacturing standpoint.

Caraloc manufactures the Caraloc 2000 in left and right-hand models to maximise caravan compatibility. This lock will fit doors measuring between 19 and 26 mm in thickness.

When you know what to do, the Caraloc 2000 is actually pretty easy to install. All the fixing screws you need to attach it to a caravan door come with the product.

With a little help from a screwdriver, you should have your new Caraloc fitted and functional before you know it.

Where it can get tricky, however, is knowing where to start in terms of positioning and which step to execute first since the lock doesn’t come with any instructional guidance.

Pros

• Key-locking
• Two keys included
• Internal handle for inside locking
• Left and right-hand models available
• Compatible with 19-26 mm thick doors
• Includes fixing screws

Cons

• No instructions included

 

HeoSolution 1958 W Motorhome Caravan Door Lock

 

 

Another product that will probably be recommended to you right off the bat in your search for a caravan door lock is the HeoSolution 1958 W Caravan Door Lock.

Of course, with any lock, security has to be the primary concern. But if you’re really worried about the safety of your caravan and want a super-robust lock that nothing and nobody will get past, the HeoSolution 1958 W should be near the top of your list.

The HeoSolution 1958 W boasts an impressively solid and durable construction, consisting of a sturdy piece of aluminium which joins the interior and exterior faces of the lock, and strong aluminium spacers weighing 500 grams each.

Surprisingly, despite its strength and reliance on metal for much of its construction, the HeoSolution 1958 W is very lightweight, so it won’t negatively impact the ergonomics of your caravan door.

This lock is designed to fit doors with thicknesses between 20 and 90 mm, which covers all but the very thinnest door designs.

A permanently mounted cylinder with built-in internal web technology forms the main mechanism of the lock and is compatible with the HeoSolution key that comes with the product. The keyhole itself is protected by a keyhole cover for extra corrosion prevention.

The HeoSolution lock is the most expensive lock on our list, however, so it’s probably not the ideal choice for those on a budget.

Pros

• Extremely durable construction
• Lightweight
• Internal web technology
• Protective keyhole cover
• Fits 20 – 90 mm door thickness

Cons

• Expensive

 

Milenco Caravan / Motorhome Door Frame Lock

 

 

Milenco’s Caravan Door Frame Lock combines an innovative key-and-handle combined locking mechanism with a solid metal construction to keep your caravan safe from intrusion.

Often, even durably constructed, high-security caravan locks can, unfortunately, be susceptible to lockpicking with tools like bump keys.

Milenco is clearly aware of this issue and has sought to remedy it by making this lock resistant to similar tools. It also locks from both the inside and outside, giving you extra peace of mind and control, as well as being more convenient.

Milenco has also made this lock compatible with the majority of caravan models by streamlining the design of the lock.

Only 30 mm of space between the doorframe and any wall-board furniture is needed to install the lock, and the handle only needs a total of 50 mm surrounding space to turn.

There aren’t many drawbacks to this lock, in all honesty. It’s an all-round great security addition to any caravan. However, despite being compatible with the majority of caravans, there are still models with which this lock doesn’t work, so be sure to check its suitability for your specific model through customer testimonials and the measurements provided.

Also, the extra security provided by this lock comes at the cost of extra weight. At 5 kg, this lock won’t be suitable for doors with weak hinges and may be trickier to install.

Pros

• Key and handle lock system
• Sturdy metal construction
• Locks from inside and outside
• Compatible with most caravans
• Resistant to bump keys

Cons

• Heavy

 

Milenco Caravan Locking Security Handrail

 

 

Another product from Milenco that we felt deserved a spot on this list is the Caravan Locking Security Handrail.

This one is a little different from the other locks we’ve showcased in this article because it’s actually more than just a lock. This is the perfect caravan security enhancer for caravans with steep or precarious steps, or for caravan owners with limited mobility.

The Caravan Locking Security Handrail keeps caravans secure by folding across the caravan door, providing a physical barrier to entry from the outside.

The handle can be locked into place using the key locking mechanism, so you don’t need to rely on the strength of the handle alone to keep you safe – although the solid metal construction of the handle is reassuring in itself.

A layer of padding has been added to the handrail for comfort and grip.

This lock system is easy to fit using the provided hardware, and once it’s set up, you have the convenience of using either of the two keys provided to operate the lock with ease.

One word of warning: mind your head when the handle is disengaged. Depending on the layout and door frame, this handle might present a slight obstruction as you move in and out of the caravan.

Pros

• Metal construction
• Key locking mechanism
• Functions as a handrail
• Provides extra security barrier across the door
• Ergonomic padding on the handrail
• Hardware included
• Includes two keys

Cons

• Can be obstructive

 

Buyer’s Guide

Locking Mechanism

All of the locks you’ll find on this list feature some form of key-operated locking mechanism, but not all of these will be the same.

Most key-operated locks will either be mortice or cylinder locks. Mortice locks tend to be highly durable and difficult to break.

These locks use keys to lock from both sides and are usually subject to some pretty strict regulation standards, so they may be more expensive and more difficult to install.

Cylinder locks are typically easy to install, but they can also be quite easy to pick or break into, so high-security cylinder locks will usually be coupled with other security technologies to circumvent this.

You don’t need to know exactly what kind of lock mechanism you want going into the selection process, but it can help to have a rough idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the most common types of locks so you can weigh them against your own priorities.

Durability

If we were to ask you what the most important feature of any lock is, we bet you’d say it needs to be durable – and you’d be absolutely right.

Durable construction is key (pun not intended), so it’s vital to take note of the main materials used in constructing any lock you’re considering for your caravan.

As with pretty much any automotive accessory where strength is a primary feature, metal construction is the way to go.

If we’re getting specific, we recommend aluminium as a go-to material because it offers the best of both worlds by being strong and lightweight. Anodised aluminium is even better because the anodising process hardens the metal, making it even stronger.

The bottom line is that you want to avoid any main components that are made of plastic. Even the strongest resin just won’t cut it with locking technology.

Compatibility

Just because a locking mechanism is advertised as a caravan or motor home lock doesn’t necessarily mean it will be compatible with your specific caravan model.

While it’s true that the majority of caravan locks will be pretty universal, it’s still crucial to make sure ahead of purchase that your new lock will fit and be compatible with your caravan door.

This is especially important because locks aren’t the kind of thing you can just tinker about with and adjust to make them fit. In fact, doing so can not only compromise your safety but void the warranty on the lock.

Sadly, most manufacturers don’t provide a specific list of models that their locks are compatible with, so working this out can be a challenge.

What lock companies do often provide, though, are the measurements and space allowances required for installation.

This will usually concern the thickness of the door and the space between the door frame and any surrounding walls or furniture. Read these measurements carefully and make sure to take measurements of your own caravan to compare them to.

We’d also recommend taking a look at customer testimonials of the product for insight into the first-hand experiences of other customers regarding specific models.

Installation

Earlier in our review section, we touched on the fact that the installation process is one of the main factors putting caravan owners off replacing their locks.

While it can be daunting to try fit a lock yourself, especially if it’s not something you’ve done before, rest assured that the majority of caravan locks are typically easier to install than standard home security locks.

With that being said, even though caravan door locks have more DIY-friendly installation guidelines as a whole, it’s still a good idea to prioritise certain factors to make your life easier.

The first thing to consider is whether or not the required hardware for installation is provided with the purchase of the lock itself.

This should be the case with most reputable manufacturers, so as long as you’re buying from a trusted company, you can be pretty sure your lock will come with anything you need to install it (perhaps with the exception of tools).

This brings us to the next point, which is whether or not tools are required for assembly. You will usually need at least a drill and a screwdriver to complete the installation process, but beyond that, you shouldn’t need much else, especially if your lock comes with self-tapping screws.

Remember that locksmiths are qualified to deal with caravan locks as well as standard home security locks, so if you don’t feel confident executing the installation yourself, get in contact with a professional.

Additional Features/Functions

A caravan door lock doesn’t have to be just another lock!

We know that caravans and mobile homes, especially ones with stairs, can feel pretty inaccessible to people with impaired mobility.

If this is something that affects you, know that there are locking systems for caravans that can also help you out in terms of accessibility.

Some handle-style locks, for example, can also function as handrails (see Milenco’s Caravan Locking Security Handrail).

Another very useful additional feature for caravan door locks is a keyhole cover. These small plastic caps can go a long way towards preventing moisture from getting inside your lock mechanism and causing corrosion.

If you want to extend your caravan’s lifespan as long as possible, we highly recommend this feature.