# My ladder is stuck



## maxautotrail (Aug 21, 2007)

My ladder at the back of the motorhome is in two parts and folds down. It is held secure by a lock which appears to be screwed in to the fixed part of the ladder and a pin that pushed through the fold down part.

At the start of summer I realised that the ladder lock wouldn't unlock. I couldn't get the key into the lock at first, probably because I had forgotten to oil it over winter.

I manager to get the key in with copious amounts of penetrating oil but I have been unsuccessful in get it to turn. One of the barrel pins is probably seized.

Before I set about ordering one of those ladder plates and drilling the lock off the ladder has anyone got any suggestions to free it up, please.

At various times over summer it has had penitrating oil and WD40 sqirted into the lock, but nothing has freed it up.

Keith


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Is there any grit in the lock.

Dave p


----------



## maxautotrail (Aug 21, 2007)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Is there any grit in the lock.
> 
> Dave p


Hi Dave,

No, none that I can see. Even when I couldn't get the key into the barrell I could'nt see anything.

EDIT:

The penetrating oil can has a small plastic tube so I thought I had flushed anything out with copious squirts.


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Cook it a bit with a hot air gun (or blowtorch if you are very careful).

You've nothing to lose so you could get it fairly hot - so long as none of the surrounding bodywork will be damaged.

Heat will often move things due to expansion, as well as allowing the oil to penetrate more easily.

Worth a try?

If it won't open while it's hot, keep clouting it with something quite light but hard while it cools (and contracts) then try it again.

Dave


----------



## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Had a similar thing on a Hymer once, I heated the lock up with a Hair dryer on HOT and kept spraying plus gas into it, then wd40, after a while it worked Ok.


----------



## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

And be carefull, WD40 is mainly paraffin.

May sound stupid but are you trying the correct key.
I tried removing a lock on my bike for ages to find that i was trying the wrong key.  

Dave p


----------



## maxautotrail (Aug 21, 2007)

SaddleTramp said:


> Had a similar thing on a Hymer once, I heated the lock up with a Hair dryer on HOT and kept spraying plus gas into it, then wd40, after a while it worked Ok.


Didn't think about the heat thing. I'll give that a try when we get it back from storage in a couple of weeks.

Keith


----------



## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

Ha Ha Dave, You have just reminded me, This year I was panicking as the lock had stopped working to get the pin out of my Tow system on Toad, I was just about ready to get hack saw and hammer and realized I was trying to unlock it with wrong Key


----------



## maxautotrail (Aug 21, 2007)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> And be carefull, WD40 is mainly paraffin.
> 
> May sound stupid but are you trying the correct key.
> I tried removing a lock on my bike for ages to find that i was trying the wrong key.
> ...


Yep, I covered the back of the motorhome with sheeting whilst I sqirted.

The thought did go through my mind about the key and tried the spare but nothing. The only other key we have is the one that locks the flaps and hab door, Thetford I think.


----------



## SaddleTramp (Feb 15, 2007)

The one for the ladder is Made in Italy and has like Fg or something on it along with key number and the last four digits of the key number are stamped into the lock barrel face.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Warm it up with a hair dryer, and let it cool a few times, try warming the key too, loads of WD40 and it'll play ball eventually, a tap with a lump of would might help, so just nut it


----------



## Jezport (Jun 19, 2008)

After warming tap it with a hammer a few times to possibly vibrate the lock free


----------



## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Yep.

Think I'd try warming it! 8O 8O 8O 8O 

Dave :roll:


----------

