Lots of RVs have sliding closet doors, but since RVs are moving vehicles, the doors have to be latched in place to keep them from sliding back and forth while you’re driving down the road. RV manufactures use several different variations of latching mechanisms to keep the doors closed during travel, but many of them fail, simply don’t work all that well from the get-go, or require you to engage/disengage them each and every time you want to open the closet!
We were on the road full-time for more than 20 years, so we learned quite a few tricks along the way. After our first couple of years, we devised a solution for our own RV closet door latch that not only works very well, but is also inexpensive, easy to install, and straightforward to use.
In this post, we’re sharing this RV quick tip with you!
- 1) What’s the Problem with RV Sliding Closet Doors?
- 2) Can I Buy an Effective RV Closet Door Latch?
- 3) How Much Does a Burglabar Cost?
- 4) What Else Can It Do?
- 5) What Tools Are Required to Install the Burglabar?
- 6) How to Install the Burglabar as Your New RV Closet Door Latch
- 7) How Have You Solved the Issue of Sliding Closet Doors that Don’t Stay Closed During Travel?
What’s the Problem with RV Sliding Closet Doors?
Generally speaking, there’s no problem with sliding RV closet doors, as long as the rig isn’t moving. The problem with them lies in the fact that an RV is a mobile home (emphasis on the word “mobile”). As you drive, turn, stop, start, take curves, and go up and down hills, your closet doors can get jostled. They slide open, then closed, and then open again. With sufficient force (which can easily happen with a sudden change of direction or speed), mirrored sliding doors can even slam hard enough to break.
RV manufacturers use various types of latches to keep these doors securely closed during travel, including the popular plastic clips that our closet doors originally came equipped with, attached to the wall at the outer edge of each sliding door.
This small plastic clip is typical of the latches intended to keep RV sliding closet doors secured during travel.
The problem is that this type of RV closet door latch not only gets in the way when you’re actively using the closet to put clothes in or remove them, but it also has sharp edges that can cut your hands when you reach into the closet (don’t ask us how we know THAT fact 🤕).
Can I Buy an Effective RV Closet Door Latch?
You absolutely can. We did so ourselves, in fact, and it worked great for years (and is probably still working well for the new owners)! For the reasons noted above, we removed both of the plastic clips that came with our RV and replaced them with a single alternative option that works much better and doesn’t pose a hazard to hands and arms: to replace both of our original RV closet door latches, we needed only a single item often known as a Burglabar.
The Burglabar is a self-locking hinge lock designed for home safety. The hinge lock, properly installed, has the strength to withstand 300-450 pounds of stress, strain, and vibrational movements. They were designed and are sold as window security latches (hence the name Burglabar), barring burglars from opening a sliding window from the outside.
The Burglabar is intended to be used as a window lock. When in this position, it prevents the window (or in our case the sliding closet door) from being opened. (Photo courtesy of Addalock/Burglabar)
What we can tell you, based on extensive driving experience after installing our Burglabar all those years ago, is that it works perfectly as an RV closet door latch. Simply flip the Burglabar out of the way, and slide your closet doors open or closed as much as you want during your stay. Flip it back down, and the doors are latched again for travel.
NOTE: Since that time, we’ve also seen them sold as the “Defender Security Patio Door Lock” or the “Prime-Line Glass Surface Lock.” Whatever you call it, it’s an ingenious way to secure a sliding glass or mirrored closet door! It works simply and effectively, every time… and doesn’t get in the way when you’re parked and using the RV.
How Much Does a Burglabar Cost?
A single Burglabar costs a whopping $6.95. And trust us – it’s worth that minimal investment in spades!
- Enhance Your Home Security: Instantly add additional security to patio doors and windows with this unique hinge-style sliding glass door lock; Not...
- Easy to Install: The Burglabar patio door lock is simple to install - no tools required - and its crystal-clear design easily blends in with the...
What Else Can It Do?
Besides working as a fantastic solution to keep your sliding closet doors closed in your RV, the Burglabar can also be installed on any (all?) of your RV’s sliding windows. Install it in a position that allows the window to be left open a crack, and you can have peace of mind leaving them open (for a pet you’ve had to leave behind?) while you’re out-and-about, without worrying about someone being able to slide the window the rest of the way open!
If this is something that you’d like to do, you can even save money on multi-packs:
- Enhance Your Home Security: Instantly add additional security to patio doors and windows with this unique hinge-style sliding glass door lock; Not...
- Easy to Install: The Burglabar patio door lock is simple to install - no tools required - and its crystal-clear design easily blends in with the...
- Enhance Your Home Security: Instantly add additional security to patio doors and windows with this unique hinge-style sliding glass door lock; Not...
- Easy To Install: The Burglabar patio door lock is simple to install - no tools required - and its crystal-clear design easily blends in; This...
What Tools Are Required to Install the Burglabar?
Installation is very simple, and NO tools are needed to install a Burglabar (it’s adhesive-backed); however, you may need a small screwdriver to remove the latch currently installed in your RV.
How to Install the Burglabar as Your New RV Closet Door Latch
To install a Burglabar, simply clean the glass, remove the Burglabar’s adhesive strip backing, and stick it in place on the inner closet door (the one that slides behind the outer door), close to where the outer door overlaps it. The Burglabar has now become your RV closet door latch.
For a quick visual tutorial on the Burglabar and how we installed ours, have a look at our short video on the topic:
How Have You Solved the Issue of Sliding Closet Doors that Don’t Stay Closed During Travel?
If you’ve found a clever way to keep your RV sliding closet doors closed while in transit, let us know in the comments below!
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Jay
Friday 6th of June 2025
The Burglarbar is plastic and designed for glass. Our sliding doors are wood and they have magnetic stops that are ineffective when traveling. I wanted something that looked nice and chose the "National Hardware N197-970 V1922 Flush Bolt in Solid Brass" from Amazon on one door and a "XXW Barrel Bolt Door Latch With Padlock Hole, Thickened 304 Stainless Steel Slide Door Lock, 4 Inch Gold, 214BB-GO" from Amazon for another door.
We also had problems with the pocket door latches. They keep the pocket doors open when traveling. The ones installed by Foretravel would get jammed, requiring prying them open with a flat screwdriver. I replaced them with "WANLIAN 6 Inch Flush Bolt, Stainless Steel Security Latch for French, Composite, Wood, and Metal Double Doors", also from Amazon. The pocket doors had to be removed in order to remove the old ones because they had screws inserted into the floor side of the doors. There was some minor chisel-work needed on the slots to get them to fit flush but the replacements work much better and their 2 screws attach on the side of the door, which is much more accessible.
PaulFL
Friday 7th of June 2024
I don't have a sliding glass door but do have closet door that pops open while traveling and often things fall out and onto the bed. It can be messy. To overcome this issue I attached a short bungie cord (about 3") to the handles and issue is resolved! 10 years of RVing.
Scott Floyd
Friday 9th of June 2023
I just bought some more to do some of my sliding windows. I had not thought of that! The one on the closet door has worked great for the past two years. Thanks guys.
Susan J
Friday 9th of June 2023
Great idea; our Newmar 2007 Kountry Star came with magnetic locks on the closet door that work (almost too well!).
Tom E
Saturday 26th of November 2022
use a pip pin in a hole drilled thru the sliding door track to secure my sliding door while travelling. Did the same for securing drawers under the dinette. And, a pip pin in the track of the dinette table, to lower it several inches from "full up."