Unlocking the RV Boom

Spurred by the Pandemic and by social media influencers, the U.S. recreational vehicle (RV) market is estimated at between 10 and 12 million units and growing. Although RV locks are different than residential locks, the service calls can be similar: “I’ve lost my key and I’m locked out” or “Can you upgrade our lock from keyed to keyless?” This can be a lucrative market, especially for locksmiths serving resort areas, nearby RV parks and RV dealerships.

Locksmith Ledger interviewed Todd Peterson, CPG Brands, to learn more about this market’s potential. “If you were to look at it through the lens of a locksmith, the RV lock is probably the simplest to bypass and defeat. It's kind of in its generic infancy as far as what lock security means to a locksmith,” Peterson said. Still locksmiths need to be familiar with the brands and intricacies of RV locks.

CPG Brands is a subsidiary of Global Link Distribution, aimed at supplying RV locks through distribution. Global Link produces RV locks and for many of the major manufacturers. For more information, visit www.cpgbrands.com.

“What CPG Brands does is we take those same locks and put them into the aftermarket through the distributor networks, through the dealer networks. If RV consumers have issues with their lock (or if they need it upgraded from one lock to another), they have that option to purchase those, rather than going back to the main manufacturer, which is our parent company. We’re kind of that aftermarket arm that deals specifically with Global Link locks  and keys,” he explained. (Products are available through Banner Solutions, for example.)

Additional brands and RV parts and accessories are sold through the company’s www.rvlocksandmore.com  website.

Getting Started

Key questions are, “If a locksmith wants to get into servicing RVs, what kind of steps should they take? Do they need inventory?”

It takes some time to get familiar with the market, Peterson says, noting that locksmiths are well-suited for figuring out the brands and their similarities, differences and features. “Most lock manufacturers build their locks around that RV lock system where each brand has their own proprietary cylinders, their own proprietary keys, and the locksmith needs an awareness of each brand's limitations or each brand’s  strengths.” Training is available through the RV Technical institute

It's common for RV manufacturers to use a limited number of key variations for their locks. This means that a single key might open multiple RVs of the same brand or model, which can be a security concern and a path to selling a rekey. 

More than 4 million RVs in the field today have at least one door that is keyed to one of these mass-produced, generic key codes: CH751, G391, CK330, CH502, R001, 35. CPG Global PRO Series locks can be re-keyed to 1 of 91 unique key codes for a more secure key system on your customer’s RV.

If you were to look at it from our lock brand, the Global Link lock, the system is built off of a wafered cylinder. In that wafered cylinder, we have 90 different key codes, and so a locksmith could carry blank keys if they want and have an opportunity to cut them out in the field, Peterson explained.

CPG Brands does offer a package to locksmiths and dealers that is essentially every key code, one key of every key code in kind of like a key chain/key ring option where they would be able to go and in any sort of situation and have every key option already there to unlock the unit. Key blanks and pre-cut keys are also available.

“We're trying to get a better understanding of how a locksmith works and how best a locksmith utilizes his time and his energy, how efficient he can be, so we're trying to facilitate that,” he said.

Replacing RV locks – for better security or for keyless convenience – is another opportunity for locksmiths.

CPG Brands Products

CPG Brands offers keyed and keyless models.

The Rotary Pro is a locking rotary latch with G391 master cylinder. Features include:

• Sandwich-style baggage lock with 2-stage rotary latch.
• Durable metal rotary latch housing and components.
• Die-cast metal faceplate with high-density UV-resistant plastic backplate.
• 2 door strike catches are provided for common LCI and Challenger door variations.  (strikes are door dependent)
• The latch is compatible with door thicknesses 0.65″-1.25″.
• The latch fits inside a 3.57″(w) x 3.46″(h) door cutout.