Every work van has one thing in common and that is the inferior lock security built in by the original manufacturer. Both sliding side doors and hinged rear exit doors usually have a rim-mounted lock cylinder which can easily be forced out to gain entrance to the van.
In order to combat this weakness in van security, aftermarket manufacturers converted a padlock and hasp system originally designed for doors on buildings and rigged it for use on van doors. These hasp and round padlock systems can almost always be identified by a long brown trail of rust extending downward from the hasp. Since the padlock is a removable part, many vans on the road can be seen with the padlock missing while the empty rusty hasp serves as a visible reminder that the van is not secured.
Mul-T-Lock realized the many drawbacks in existing van security and devised a new van security system called ArmaDlock. The ArmaDlock can be mounted on any flat van door surface. The low profile often allows installation on the hinge side of sliding side doors when no attaching points are available on the lock side. When the van door is closed, the lock section extends over the ArmaDlock strike section to cover the slot area between lock and strike plate.
Locking does not require a key. Similar to the action of locking a file cabinet, a horizontal s lock cylinder is enclosed within the housing and protected against normal weather conditions or vandalism. A quarter turn of the Mul-T-Lock high security key allows the cylinder to move outward to the unlocked position. Mul-T-Lock ArmaDlock products are easy to operate, a good looking addition to any work van, always ready to be locked and best of all there are no separate parts to lose.
Installation
The secret to a good ArmaDlock installation is in the planning. The first procedure is to find a flat door and jamb location for the installation. Surfaces between the door edge and the adjoining body area must be flush with each other. Once the location has been chosen, apply masking tape to the surrounding area to facilitate marking and to prevent scratching the paint.
A template is furnished with the ArmaDlock. The template is attached under the lock unit and both pieces are then positioned onto the vehicle door. After the lock unit is positioned even with the door edge, the template is held in position while the lock unit is removed. Hole cutouts in the template can then be used to mark the exact location of four holes to be drilled into the vehicle door.
Bolts are then inserted from the inside of the door to fasten the lock unit in place. Depending on the vehicle structure, access holes may have to be drilled through the inner door panel in order to install the bolts. Covers are furnished to fill any drilled access holes drilled into the inner door panels. A similar procedure is used to install the strike unit. The result is a solid, finished installation. As compared to a hasp and padlock installation, no ugly boltheads are visible on the outside of the vehicle.
Pairs of ArmaDlocks are available so a sliding and read cargo door installation can be keyed alike. ArmaDlock products have a standard black finish,
Mul-T-Lock YouTube videos show more installation details:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGrQiCJ6794
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXSKORuh6Do
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0_aguvQgJo
For further details contact your local Mul-T-Lock distributor or: www.mul-t-lock.com, 800-562-3511.
