Frozen door latches

I just need to find a local 3d printer and get two more! So far @jedgar is on for the WIN with a solution!

@Dignon two more will be coming your way soon. Just let me know how these ones work out and if you are happy I’ll send them on up. :+1:

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I’m definitely no @jedgar when it comes to design, but I tried my hand at a magnetic solution. I designed a backing that would go inside the camper with embedded magnets and be held down by the same clamp/bolt that holds the latch in. This would not effect the placement of the latch lever in relation to the corresponding tab on the GFC. On the outside it is just a simple and low profile cover with fully embedded magnets and a recess for a 3mm closed cell sponge rubber seal just like you would have on a waterproof enclosure.

I am terrible at generating decent renderings, so my apologies if it is tough to tell what is going on.

What do you all think?

3mm sponge rubber round seal strip

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You have exceeded my design by far @Espinoza700 ! Looks awesome! If the magnets are strong enough to go through the panel that will be a great solution. Nice work!

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That is an incredible idea! Good work!

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everybody else’s designs are making my redneck solution look more red neck. I’d just be a little nervous about driving like I do with only magnets holding on a cover

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With the right magnets, I wouldn’t be…… my front license plate is held on with a very strong magnet to the front winch bumper…… I drive 80-90 regularly

Most of the dealer plates that you put in the back of the car when going out for test drives are magnetic mounts so I wouldn’t be that worried as long as they’re of the appropriate strength with the appropriate backing plate

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@blackhearse The magnets I designed this for are N52 8 x 5 mm neodymium. They should be plenty strong for driving fast, but I dont have them in hand to test yet. They should be coming early next week.

If you are driving offroad and worried about tree branches brushing them off, you can just pop them off and there will be nothing plastic on the exterior of the vehicle to snag/break.

I printed the backing and everything fits well. I’ll keep everyone posted.

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only 1 way to find out if the magnets are strong enough. I’m only really concerned about side covers blowing off. the back panel probably won’t get enough wind to move them. I’ll most likely only cover them anyways because 99.9% of the time that is the only door I use.

The redneck inner tube cover has worked 100% of the time(0 incidents of frozen locks or latches) so at least that proves keep snow/rain out it works all the time.

On a separate thought, these latches are used on other products and there are no covers. so if you make a great product you can also sell to other markets besides GFC users. It is possible to make some money, you won’t get rich but it can pay a bill or two. just a thought

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I would pay good money for a set of these covers!

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Any chance someone can post a couple photos of the inside of the latches on the V2? I have a V1 and know that I will have to do two versions (one for the back and one for the sides) because of where the stiffening cross member is for the panels. It would be nice if I could design one of the two versions to fit both.

Thanks!

I see you’re in Denver, I’ll happily test out a version on the V2 if needed!

Not the best pictures since my truck is in garage, but first two are of the rear panel and last two of side panels.

At least at first glance looks like they’d work.




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Thank you! This is exactly what I needed. Looks like what I am finalizing for my side panels would work on all three sides for you. I may take you up on the V2 testing, I’ll let you know!

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I’d be happy to test these out for ya :slightly_smiling_face: I tend to go into lots of places that add scratches to the truck (rhino lined the whole thing because of it).

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Lots of great innovation and problem solving in here but unfortunately this should be solved by GFC. There’s clearly a problem with these locks and it shouldn’t be on the end user to solve the problem. I think GFC has been pretty good about addressing previous issues but shrugging their shoulders at their customers being locked out of their $8k campers doesn’t look good. Hopefully GFC will come up with a fix that doesn’t require the end users to print blocks to cover the locks.

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I’d choose to do @Espinoza700 design before mine since it looks so awesome, but if anyone wants the file for mine shoot me an email at josh@jedf.us and I’ll send it out to you. I also have 3 sets of 6 of the .020 aluminum plates that you need to make it work so I’ll mail those out no charge to the first 3 folks that want them.

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It’s been single digit F around here lately and what I have noticed is ice crystal build up in the latches I have lithium grease in. They haven’t stopped working at all.

NOT A SINGLE INSTANCE OF FAILURE TO OPERATE since greasing up.

I tried to get a picture of it but couldn’t get a good one. it ain’t purdy but it works

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So close yet so far….

Finally was able to get it all assembled and installed…. The sides are perfect and they absolutely do the job, I’ll be leaving those on…. The rear would have worked perfectly if it wasn’t for the rear window seal interfering…… 4/6 isn’t too bad…. Will figure something out…. Perhaps along the lines of a slip in cover as the base will still work, just doesn’t have the clearance to slide the cover enough to let the latch pop up

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Oh crazy; on the XL for my Ram it fits no problem!

Could it be rotated 180 degrees and work? So the cover slides away from the window seal.