Inward bifold door - how to do a knob/lock??? I’m stumped

[Whiskey.Wilderness]

Our bus has a bifold door that folds to the inside and we are basically stumped at how we could keep the original door and have a handle and lock for it....suggestions? Photos of how you did yours?

We can’t weld and we want to keep the original system in place, but we want a secure lock and a handle on it.

 

[Samweld]

this maybe? there may be an issue with clearence with the handle.

 

[Samweld]

it would be like the latch on a metal tool/ chemical cabinet.

 

[ol trunt]

If you do that be sure to put the hinge towards the front of the bus or the highway wind will rip the door open.
Jack

 

[Maligator.]

Our bus has a bifold door that folds to the inside and we are basically stumped at how we could keep the original door and have a handle and lock for it....suggestions? Photos of how you did yours?

We can’t weld and we want to keep the original system in place, but we want a secure lock and a handle on it.

You can drill down through the bottom stair and block the doors from opening with a long handled lock. If you squat down under you front stairs you should see how if you drill a hole, you can block the mechanism in the track underneath. It's not thief proof, hacksaw or angle grinder can get to it but if you don't wanna change doors, this is close to the best you'll get.

Here's another idea, cut pieces of wood to fit perfectly inside your stairwell to block both doors closed. Maybe a straight 2x4 with 2 legs that brace up against the back of your stairs? Put a lock on the rear bus or side bus door instead and just exit the last man through one of those doors?

 

[rossvtaylor]

Permit me to ask, to clarify...do you want to secure the doors while you're inside or while you're away? If inside, then Maligator's "wood block on the bottom step" is quick and easy...and no welding. If when you're away, then a regular hasp works pretty well...but looks ugly.

 

[musigenesis]

You can drill down through the bottom stair and block the doors from opening with a long handled lock.

I was going to recommend this 3-point latch kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KGCKL91/ which I used for the door in my bulkhead wall. Unfortunately this exact one is unavailable, but there should be others like it around. You could mount the latch in the middle near the fold, and then the long rods would go into a hole in the bottom step and behind the top frame.

In fact I think I'm going to put one of these on my folding door if they ever come back in stock.

Edit: I just remembered I don't actually have a folding door, but this 3-point latch will still work for me.

 

[bus-bro]

On my bus there is an arm that closes and opens the door. There are some tabs that limit how far the arm goes. Someone before me bent a tab up and when you pull the arm all the way it blocks the door from opening. You can't open the door from outside, and it is one stout lock fer sure.