It’s awesome that you guys are innovating with some latch covers. I don’t want to take anything away from that, because you guys rock for taking the solution to the problem into your own hands.
I did want to share that for this season, I’ve settled on this 18volt cordless heat gun. It’s my insurance that I’ll be able to get into the camper in all conditions.
This is the first time I’ve wished I went with the M18 system instead of the M12.
Great idea.
The worst is when it’s an awesome powder day and you’re in a hurry to go get in line for fresh tracks but instead you have to mess around with the frozen latches on your $7k camper shell. Sometimes I just keep my stuff in the cab that way I don’t get screwed.
Yeah I’ve totally resorted to leaving the rear unlatched so I don’t have to deal with it. Got back to the truck the afternoon and had to dick around with the side panel. It’s only a matter of time before I break one of these latches trying to get them open.
Honestly, I believe there is room for improvement here. The guys are doing a great job at GFC and I have faith they’re secretly working on a solution.
I’ve been scouring the internet far and wide for locking latches that will fit in that space… I found a latch that is a hybrid of a T handle and lever and its lockable with a rubber cap but its the wrong dimension so hopefully I’ll find something that works because the ones I have on there now just don’t cut it and they’re the second set on the GFC. I know GFC doesn’t make those locks so I’m not pinning it on them
Here is another iteration based on this posts feedback. Rather than adhering to the panel itself, the plastic cover base could adhere to an ultra thin metal plate, that would slip behind the latches. This should accommodate the newer latches with no adjustment. Thoughts @Dignon and @OverlandKyle?
@jedgar… Thats exactly what needs to be done and I’m pretty positive that would work as that would replace the rubber gasket thats on the backside of those
Cool thanks for the good idea. I’ll cut out some plates on the plasma and see. 
Looks like a great alteration!
Got some .025 aluminum cut on the plasma cnc and printed the new flanged mount and cover. Think these should work great, but sending to @Dignon and @OverlandKyle to test!
I call first in line for final product. Is there a stop so the cover doesn’t slide all the way off?
Yeah there is a stop that you can overcome with some flex. Catches when closed too.
here’s a picture of the first prototype that was made… you can see the stop at the edge of the cover ever so slightly… I would assume that the new version is similar enough… Will be testing it ASAP when it arrives.
Still waiting on the aluminum plates from @jedgar but I went ahead and tried one of the covers with the redesigned flanges and it is a snug fit but I’m optimistic it will work…. Will try it with and without the rubber gasket on the back of the lock itself…
Really wish this cover plate was more a rubber so that it could just hinge up and slip back on. I know there are some 3d printable rubber materials and that could make it so it is really a shallower flange to the GFC that the rubber cover could just pop onto… the slide up thing would really just get annoying IMHO
Not to speak for @jedgar but he did try doing a rubber option first and it just kept jamming up the printer.
BOO… That’s fair though… Either way I will still probably end up getting a set just for insurance if I am in the middle of nowhere and don’t want to be locked out
honestly, I prefer this design as its very tight fitting… and completely sealed from the top and sides, aint no way water will dribble in and freeze
