Removing the Back Door Latch. More trouble than it's worth?

[Emilie]

My bus has a functional back door, just superficial rust, fixing a cracked glass panel, and new seals needed. The issue is the hight of the handle is squarely in the middle of my planned bed platform frame, 30" h.

My original thought was to remove the current handle, cover the hole, add a deadbolt/new locking mechanism.

The problem is, all the visible screws have been removed, but the latch hasn't come apart. As seen in the image below, there are two small holes, but the metal slide covers them, so there is no access. Has anyone removed these latches? What am I missing??

Backup plan is I could raise the platform, but I am a short person and would like to avoid that if possible.

The question is what is more hassle, building a higher platform or removing the handle? No surprise for me and the bus in general, what I thought was a simple solution might not be the case. Any advice would be much appreciated.

[o1marc]

I haven't found anyone successful in removing the outside rear handle. The set screw comes out, but the handle won't come off the spindle.

[sportyrick]

I think originally your door would look like this as on my old bus (1976) with a nut holding the handle in (look it's easily removable). It's a pot medal handle poured around a square steel stem. But to keep the precious little angels from screwing the nut off and letting the handle clank-clunk down the road they started welding them, it's permanently childproof. That is the best lock design to keep a door shut with sometimes high pressures on it plus it squeezes the gasket to keep it air tight (a deadbolt won't be the same). If you are gonna keep that door I would leave it as factory. If you raise your platform you have more room for "stuff" or water tanks. I believe my locking idea is the best around! So simple.

[musigenesis]

Your latch isn't coming off (despite undoing the four screws holding it in place) because (presumably) you still have the outside handle attached and that keeps the whole thing locked in place. As o1marc mentions, it's not easy to remove the outer handle even after you get the set screw that holds it in place out. Early on in my build, I just cut the outside handle off entirely with an angle grinder and cutting disk and riveted a piece of sheet metal over the hole. I don't use the back door as an entrance, so I don't need to ever be able to open it from the outside. I kept the inside handle and the latch functional - this arrangement makes the door as secure as possible (no lock to pick) but it still works as an emergency exit door, since I can open it easily without having to fumble with any deadbolt arrangement.

My inner latch was also in the way of my bed, so after I insulated my door with 2" of XPS, I shifted the latch to the left and down a bit, as shown here: https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/r...tml#post429664. Since the latch was now not next to the edge of the door opening, I actually have it catching on a little tab welded to the corner of my bedframe.

You could do something similar on your bus, although a problem you'll face is that if you go up more than a inch or two, your latch will be over the window and you won't be able to screw it into the glass.

[Emilie]

Thank y'all for the information. I get caught up in the process and forget that most parts of the bus had to be made so they couldn't be removed by bored kid fingers.

Raising the platform it is.

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by o1marc

I haven't found anyone successful in removing the outside rear handle. The set screw comes out, but the handle won't come off the spindle.

Same here. I got the one off the wheelchair door, but not the back door

[Danjo]

What ended up happening with mine is I started in on doing the deadbolt and it’s fiddly and I needed to get on with paint and get a bed in there. I have a 2x6 for a bed rail across the wheelchair opening. In an attempt at securing the door I put a screw through the 2x6 so that it came out the other side just above the handle. I discovered that the screw is just long enough and at the right angle that when the door is closed from the outside the handle on the inside latches on the screw.