RV Key Replacement in Calgary: CH751 Keys and Locks

If you have lost an RV key in Calgary, the fix depends on which lock it ran. Compartment keys are usually a common pattern called CH751 and are cheap to replace. The entry door key is often cut to a code stamped on the lock. The motorhome ignition key is a separate vehicle key, and a different job.

Most RVs, travel trailers and campers carry three or four different lock families, and owners tend to treat them as one. That is how a lost compartment key turns into an afternoon of guessing. This guide sorts the locks into their families, explains why the compartment locks are weaker than they look, and covers what to do before the storage lot closes for the winter and what to check when the first spring trip comes around.

Why does one CH751 key open so many RV compartments?

CH751 is a key pattern, not a brand. Many manufacturers fit the same cam lock, and the same key cut, to baggage doors, utility bays, battery boxes and storage hatches. A key cut to CH751 opens a great many of the compartment locks on RVs and trailers of the last few decades.

That is convenient when you lose a key, because a replacement is a straightforward cut and you rarely need the original. It is the opposite of convenient when you think about security. A CH751 key sells for a few dollars from hardware stores and online. Anyone who walks a Calgary storage lot with one in a pocket can try it on every RV they pass.

This is not a defect you can argue with a manufacturer about. The compartment lock exists to keep a door closed on the highway and to stop a casual opener, not to stop a thief. Treat it as a latch with a key, and put anything valuable somewhere better protected.

If you are buying a used unit, assume the previous owner and anyone they lent a key to has a copy. The next section covers what to do about that.

What do I do about compartment locks everyone else can open?

Replace the cam locks with a keyed-different set, or with a keyed-alike set that uses a pattern other than CH751. Either is usually a small hardware change, since most compartment cam locks sit in a round hole and are held by a nut or a clip. The work is mostly in choosing the pattern and keeping the new keys organised.

Here is how the options compare.

• Keyed-alike on a non-standard pattern. Every compartment opens with one key, but not the key that sits in every hardware store. This is the best fit for most owners, because you carry one key and the lot-walker with a CH751 is out.
• Keyed-different. Every compartment has its own key. You gain separation, such as giving a storage-lot attendant or a house sitter the key to a single bay, and you lose convenience, since you now carry several keys.
• Staying with CH751. Fine if the compartments hold nothing you would miss, and you simply want the door to stay shut. It is the cheapest and the weakest.

One honest limit applies to all three. A cam lock is a thin piece of metal, and a determined person can defeat a better pattern with a pry bar or a drill. Upgrading the key pattern stops the casual and the opportunistic. If you store generators, tools or bikes in a bay, lock the bay and also stop leaving the good items in it overnight on a storage lot.

For how keyways and key control work in general, our guide on restricted keyways and key control explains why a pattern that is not sold over the counter makes copies harder.

How do I replace a lost RV entry door key?

Find the code stamped on the lock or the key, then have a key cut to that code. RV entry locks are often keyed to a short alphanumeric code on the lock face, on the lock body, or on the original key tag. If nothing is stamped, a locksmith can usually read the lock and cut a key, or replace the cylinder.

Start by checking what you already have. Look at the original key, the paperwork from the dealer, and the face of the lock itself. A code on any of them saves a lot of work. If those are gone, the selling dealer may be able to help trace the original lock, but do not count on a code being on file.

If there is no code and no key, you have two routes. The locksmith decodes the lock and cuts a key to fit, or the cylinder is replaced and keyed new. Replacement is usually quicker. Decoding preserves your existing lock, which matters if the lock is a design you like or a particular size that is hard to match.

Plan for the cost. Cutting a key to a code is a modest job, and our ranges for it on a car or house key are $50 to $100 for a key cut to code. An RV entry lock is a different key type, so confirm the figure when you call. A replacement cylinder costs more because of the part.

If you have lost every key and the unit is locked, tell the locksmith up front. For lockouts the timing matters, because a locked RV in a driveway is a different problem from one in a storage yard, where access rules and gates come first.

Can I upgrade my RV entry door with a better lock or a deadbolt?

Yes, and on many RVs it is the most useful security change you can make. Factory entry locks are often a basic latch, sometimes with a light-duty deadbolt, that gives little resistance to a pry or a pull. A sturdier paddle-and-deadbolt unit or a keypad entry lock adds a better bolt and cylinder, and on many doors the replacement fits the existing cutout.

Three common upgrade routes, each with different tradeoffs:

• Paddle deadbolt combo. A single unit combines the latch and a deadbolt, with a paddle or handle on the outside and a thumb-turn on the inside. Where it matches the existing cutout, it upgrades the lock without cutting the door, which is why it suits thin RV doors.
• Keypad entry lock. You enter a code, so there is no key to lose. Many RV keypad locks run on batteries and keep a keyed override. The tradeoff in Calgary is cold, since batteries lose capacity at -30 C, so test the lock in winter and keep a spare key somewhere else.
• Standard keyed deadbolt added to the door. This is for the rare RV with a solid, thick door, such as a large fifth-wheel or a motorhome. It is a bigger job and needs the right backset and door thickness.

An honest caution. Thin fibreglass or aluminum RV doors do not give a deadbolt much to bite into, and the door frame is lightweight. A better lock helps, but the door and frame are still the weak link, so have the door checked, including its thickness, before you buy hardware.

Because RV entry lock cutouts vary, take a clear photo of the lock inside and out, with the door open, when you call. It saves time and avoids buying a part that does not fit.

What can I do about a seized or frozen RV lock in a Calgary winter?

Do not pour hot water on it and do not force the key. A frozen RV lock usually has moisture inside the cylinder that has turned to ice. Warm the key briefly, use a lock de-icer, let the lock thaw, then work in a dry, PTFE-based lock lubricant. Forcing a key snaps it, and a snapped key in a cam lock is more work than a frozen one.

Calgary is hard on locks for two reasons. The chinook cycle sends temperatures from a deep freeze to above zero and back within a day or two, so condensation forms inside cylinders and refreezes. And the dry air between those events dries out old lubricant, leaving the mechanism stiff. That is why stuck compartment locks are so common on the first spring trip.

A short winter routine helps:

• Work a dry lubricant into each lock before the first hard freeze, then cycle each key a few times.
• Avoid wet sprays such as general-purpose oil, which can gum up and attract grit when the weather turns cold.
• Keep a cover or a rubber boot over exposed cam locks if the unit stays outdoors.

For the household version of this problem, see our guide to stopping frozen door and car locks. The principles carry over to RV locks, including why de-icer sprays are a short-term fix.

If a cam lock still will not turn after a gentle thaw, stop. Replacing a cheap cam lock is often the right answer and is a smaller job than extracting a broken key.

How do I secure a travel trailer hitch and coupler?

Use a coupler lock on the hitch so the trailer cannot be attached to another vehicle, and a wheel or hitch-receiver lock if it sits unhooked. Coupler locks fit over the coupler latch or through its pin hole. They are not a complete answer on their own, because a thief with a cutting tool can defeat many of them.

The coupler is the part of a trailer that sits on the hitch ball. If it is locked, a thief cannot simply back up a truck and drive off. The lock is cheap relative to the trailer, and its job is to make the theft slow and noisy. Pair it with a lock on the tongue jack or a wheel lock if the unit sits for months.

There are two practical points specific to key work. First, many coupler and receiver locks ship with a small key that is easy to lose. Keep a spare off the unit, not in the tow vehicle. Second, if several locks are used on one trailer, such as the coupler, a receiver pin and a compartment door, ask a locksmith about putting them on one key. A keyed-alike set avoids a ring of five keys that someone will eventually lose.

This article is about the locks on the RV itself and its key problems. For which padlock to choose, how a hardened shackle differs from a basic one, and keyed-alike systems for trailers and job sites, our guide to high-security padlocks for Calgary trailers and job sites covers that ground.

How should I prepare RV locks for winter storage in Calgary?

Service the locks before the unit goes into storage, not in the spring. Lubricate each lock, check that every key works, and store a spare set at home. Before you leave the unit on a storage lot, remove anything valuable. A lot gives you a fence and a gate. It does not give you a guard in every row.

Storage lots in and around Calgary vary from fenced, lit and gated to an open field. Ask what the lot actually provides, such as gate access logs, lighting and cameras. Ask also who holds a copy of any keys the lot asks you to leave. Many lots ask for a key in case the unit has to be moved, and that is a key you cannot control.

A short pre-storage list, in order of how often it matters:

• Test every key on every lock now, while you can still fix a problem.
• Lubricate cam locks and the entry cylinder with a dry lubricant.
• Make a spare of each key and keep it at home, not in the unit.
• Take electronics, tools and anything you would be upset to lose.
• Photograph the unit and note the VIN, which helps if a theft is reported.

Check your insurance wording as well. Some policies set conditions for stored units, such as what counts as secure storage, and a lock that failed because it was neglected can make a claim harder. A call to your insurer settles it.

What about the motorhome ignition key?

A motorhome ignition key is a vehicle key for the chassis, such as a Ford, Chevrolet, Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner base. It is a transponder or chip key in many cases, and it follows automotive rules rather than RV rules. A locksmith with the right equipment can cut and program many of them, and others go to the dealer, so call with the chassis make and year.

Replacing a lost ignition key can mean programming a new key to the vehicle, and what is possible depends on the chassis, the year and the key type. Some are routine for a mobile automotive locksmith. Others, especially newer or heavier commercial chassis, may need dealer-level tools. A good locksmith will say so on the phone instead of booking a visit that cannot finish the job.

If every key to the vehicle is gone, read our all-keys-lost guide first. It explains what information you will need, such as proof of ownership, and what the process looks like before you call anyone.

A final note on trailers. A towed camper trailer has no ignition key at all, so its key problems are limited to the entry lock, the compartments and the hitch. That is a smaller, cheaper set of jobs than a motorhome chassis.

When can I handle an RV lock myself, and when should I call a locksmith?

You can handle a basic compartment cam lock swap, lubrication and a spare key from a known code yourself. Call a locksmith for an entry door with no code, a seized cylinder, a broken key, a lock that does not match your door, or any time you are not sure which lock family you have.

The DIY side is real. A cam lock replacement needs a screwdriver or a pair of pliers, and the part costs little. If the unit has a plain CH751 compartment lock and you only want a spare, a key cut to that pattern is among the least expensive key jobs there is, at the standard key cut range of $15 to $25 for a simple key.

The professional side matters for three cases. A broken key part inside an entry cylinder needs careful extraction. A door that has been forced needs the latch, strike and frame inspected as well as the cylinder. And rekeying or replacing an entry lock so that old copies no longer work is a security decision, with the same logic as for a house. Our guide on whether to rekey or replace locks lays out the comparison, and the same thinking applies when you buy a used RV and do not know who holds copies.

Be wary of one thing. If a locksmith quotes a firm price without asking what lock it is, treat the quote as a guess. RV locks vary a lot, and the right question from the other end is what the lock looks like, what is stamped on it, and what the door is made of.

Need RV, trailer or camper lock help in Calgary?

If you have lost a key, have a seized lock, or want better locks on a unit before it goes into storage, describe the lock when you call. We cut RV keys and rekey or replace compartment and entry locks through our automotive locksmith service in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere and Okotoks.

Have the make and year of the unit ready, any code stamped on a lock or key, and a photo of the lock if you can send one. We will tell you honestly whether it is something we can do on site, a part to order, or a job for the dealer. When you are ready, contact us and we will take it from there.