Flush Mount Door Latch for Cargo Trailer Side Door

Question:

I want to add a door latch to my cargo trailer side door. The door itself is 1 inch thick. However, the inside lip of the door frame where Id want the latch to catch is 1 inch deeper further away from exterior of door. Would you suggest a door latch designed for a door 2 inch in thickness? What if I built up the inside of the door to fill that gap? Essentially making it a 2" thick door.

asked by: Troy

Expert Reply:

Thank you for the detailed photo, it was a great help. The latches are actually not designed to fit the thickness of the door so you could use whichever size would allow the pin to catch in the door lip. f you were able to make it so the door did not have a gap, then you could use a door latch such as the Paneloc Slam Latch # F708-204P011, which is 2" long x 1-5/8" wide with a mounting hole diameter of 3/16" and a pin width of 7/16". A different option would be the Paneloc Slam Latch # F709-104Z011 which is 2-7/8" long x 2" wide with a mounting hole diameter of 1/4" and a pin width of 1/2".

expert reply by: Kyle S