Locking door handles for Thomas?

[dentedvw]

Got a Thomas, and no locks whatsoever. Planning on doing some traveling at the end of the month, and need locking doors. Thoughts?
Will Bluebird handles work?
FWIW, this is for the hydraulic lift door (handicap) and the rear door. I can lock the bifolds up front with air.

Door looks like this:

[dentedvw]

Like, Scoob, I already posted in there.
Zoiks!


Ok, seriously though. I bought one of those fancy pants electric locks, but I have been poring over it, and it doesn't look like it's going to work for me. I was hoping someone would pipe up and say "yeah, for sure, like Thomas has locking handles, just go buy them".

I can hope, right?

[dentedvw]

I will keep working on it, maybe I will get a brainstorm. I called a Thomas dealer in Grand Rapids yesterday, and the parts guy said he can't find anything for the Thomas bus specifically. Still, I have to wonder if the locking Bluebird handle will work, because how different can they be, right?

[dentedvw]

FWIW, the bluebird info is
PART NO. SHAFT LENGTH
1061928 3 1/4”
1062132 4 1/4”

I think I saw somewhere they are about $70 each, and will come with two keys.

[scosol]

I just installed 3 of these locks on my 2 busses:

http://www.masterlock.com/apps/masterlo ... l|security

~$36 each at Home Depot

Get some carriage bolts, understand how they work, and drill true because it's permanent

[dentedvw]

I had considered them when I was at the store the other day, but it's bad news if you need to escape the vehicle rapidly (hey, fires happen) and have locked the doors from the outside. Don't have emergency hatches on our roof, but do have one window that flips up.
Still, I am considering it. Running out of time here. And money.

[scosol]

Originally Posted by dentedvw

I had considered them when I was at the store the other day, but it's bad news if you need to escape the vehicle rapidly (hey, fires happen) and have locked the doors from the outside. Don't have emergency hatches on our roof, but do have one window that flips up.
Still, I am considering it. Running out of time here. And money.

A fair point, but you could always mount all but one on the inside (and just mount one on the outside for usual access)
I've got emergency exits coming out of my ass, so I didn't really consider that aspect...
One thing I was thinking of doing (that would apply to your rear door) was to just have a long bolt on a stack of washers that physically blocks the existing handle from being moved from the outside- something that probably could be bent or broken if someone really wanted to, but then they could just break a window too.
Then on the inside, have it attached with a wingnut or more likely with a normal nut and a vice-grip attached so in an emergency it could be quickly loosened, unscrewed, and then pushed out, freeing the handle to work from the inside.
The only reason I *didn't* do this is just because of my parking situation- I need to get in to the bus through the rear pretty frequently. Make sense?