I work in product development and run a prototyping shop. I agree with everyone here that the latches and the locks in them are problematic. Want to offer some perspective from the manufacturing side.
We simply don’t know that “GFC has not done anything to address” these problems. We don’t know what they’ve done or not done. For better or for worse, we don’t know.
The V2 seems to be designed around these specific locks - you can see this in they way they latch to the triangle strut attachment point without the original rubber foot. So any replacement must be selected and integrated with care - and tested hard, because just sending out a bunch of new locks and having them fail again would be worse than doing nothing. Especially if folks are cutting panels to install them.
Furthermore, there literally may not be a better lock (other than the C5) in the entire catalog of locks available in the US. Or they may be playing with a whole bunch of different locks and the supplier issues that come with that. Or the best one might not be worth the money. We also don’t know GFC’s margins, but a typical markup on a given part is 3x. So if good locks cost $100/each x 6, that’s $1800 on top of the existing price.
I would also like to point out that happy users don’t report their happiness in online forums, because they have no reason to, they’re out enjoying things. Typically, what you see is that folks who are unhappy concentrate and report. I say this as someone who’s run his own forums since 2009.
None of this takes away from any of the problems anyone is having, or minimizes them.
Here’s what I’ve seen: GFC has a history of making engineering improvements, and they’ve repeatedly made commitments to getting things right and acted on them. Again, while agreeing with everyone here, I also think it’s worth giving them the benefit of the doubt and proceeding in good faith.
This has been an issue ever since the V2’s came out… it’s been what 2-3 years now so as much as I love my GFC, my issue here is that they’re still churning out products with known issues, knowing fully well that these issues are still going to happen… what’s wrong with stopping production for a week or two to truly throw all of their resources at engineering a solution and then implementing it. But of course that’ll never happen because the name of the game in this business is profits.
it isn’t a cheap investment for a lot of people by any means
I’ve had the dust flap issue not sliding back into place. However I noticed that the dust flap was not sliding back into place because the keyhole cover was bent inward slightly caused by inserting the key repeatedly. I just gently pried it back outward with a small flathead and voila the keyhole dust flap slides back into place like before. I have one of the early V2’s. Between this and lubricating them a few times a year, so far so good for me too. I’m in the SoCal desert areas mostly so maybe if I were in snow and salt constantly I’d have a different story.
True, but hopefully the real Southco designed the part and invested in all the R&D. I have a much bigger issue with Intellectual Property theft than I do with where it is made. But in reality I have no idea who did what or who owns who so I am probably ranting for no reason. Happens a lot.
My V2 latch mechanism has been pretty problem free. The key/tumbler not so much - way too much fiddling to get the key in sometimes. Used T-9 when I got them and a couple times since.
The only time I’ve had a real issue was trying to get in one morning after a wet overnight freeze. The covers I bought and never installed probably would have prevented that.
My 2 cents… the locks suck! I already replaced them once through warranty. I have had them freeze up multiple times this winter… what a PITA when you come back to the truck to put away your gear and can’t get in. Luckily I was near some hot water. Even when they do function properly, the Southco design sucks, you don’t know what orientation the key should be, and inserting the key in pops the latch most of the time. That sad, I am not expecting GFC to fix it, but ordering the upgraded C5.
I connected with a sales rep at Allegis, he hooked me up with everything minus the covers (they don’t carry them) for just over $200. He said I could share his info if anyone else is interested:
RODNEY PATTERSON
Business Development Rep P: 866.378.7550
D: 972.200.7482
C: 945.210.2442
1201 N. Avenue
Plano, TX. 75074 allegiscorp.com
I’ve had my v2 for over a year now with zero failures fortunately and am just today hitting it with some dry graphite for the first time which helps get the key in a lot smoother. I havent been in any heavy snow or freezing temps since I first picked it up back in March of 2022 though but lots of desert and sandy/dusty conditions. However my gripe with the locks is more on the design and the fact that there’s two of them on each panel. Since I haven’t had any functional issues with mine and the C5’s don’t resolve the 2 locks per panel issue its not really worth the upgrade for me in my opinion.
So curious how did the latches work for you? I’m considering using this company as well. Coming from a background in soft goods I know a lot of products are made in the same factory and then branded differently. Curious if these $22 latches are working so far for you?
Put mine in 6/2022 no issues from my posting long ago
I put the covers on them and the locks.
It keeps him clean. I do lubricate them with the graphite as many do single digits or freezing rain. They work fine for me. Nothing is perfect when you get a lot of ice, but I have no issues with these whatsoever.
