Well it's happened.

[Beeechke1]

I find that if you you pull the inside handle to unlock and then open the sliding door very gently (which you do in the night so as not to disturb others) it often unlocks and opens but does not fully disengage the button. Then when closed from outside the door locks! This is absolutely repeatable. Fortunately it’s only happened when Mrs DM has been in the van and I have had to wake her up to get back in.

Like others - I am cautious about leaving a key attached to the van (or inside) in case it invalidates insurance.

Yes agree this is exactly what ours does, not every time but often enough. I now either leave the door half open or take the key with me

 

[andyinluton]

This works only when driving I suppose. When locking the car (in a camp mode, nevertheless) the button lights up briefly but pressing it does not seem to affect how the sliding door works.

If its in locked mode when you turn the engine off it stays locked from the inside even when you use the general unlock button on the door, in this case it won't let you open it until you press the child lock button to release it.
The wife found this out when we left her sitting in the back & we exited through the front doors & swivelled the front seats as we left. She couldn't work out how to get out the van as the door appeared to be locked & she wasn't aware of the child lock button.

 

[DM]

This is how easy it is to lock yourself out. As demonstrated an initial very gentle pull on the internal catch will disengage the lock but not the button. Then when the door is shut from the outside it re-locks. Every time!

I am aware of this now and make sure that the first pull on the catch is firm to fully disengage the locking button.

Try it on yours - just make sure the keys are in your pocket!!!

 

[SusiBus]

Great posting DM. Really explains it clearly.
Good job that everything in life isn't as opening a door on a California.

 

[DM]

Not sure if after a period of time the ‘used’ door relocks?

I believe that the only time that a door re-locks after a time-out is if you unlock the vehicle using the fob and then don't open any doors within about 2 minutes. The vehicle then assumes that you don't want to get in after all and re-locks itself. That is safe enough because you had the key when you unlocked it and cannot have put it in the vehicle because you haven't opened any doors.

The issue with the sliding door is to do with the lock button not fully disengaging.

 

[AlisonF]

I believe that the only time that a door re-locks after a time-out is if you unlock the vehicle using the fob and then don't open any doors within about 2 minutes. The vehicle then assumes that you don't want to get in after all and re-locks itself. That is safe enough because you had the key when you unlocked it and cannot have put it in the vehicle because you haven't opened any doors.

The issue with the sliding door is to do with the lock button not fully disengaging.

And the lock button does not exist in T6.1… so maybe an improvement none of us realised…

 

[andyinluton]

The issue with the sliding door is to do with the lock button not fully disengaging.

It might be that the lock mechanism is on its way out, our slider lock failed first by not always disengaging properly on that button & finaly full failure with it not being able to open from the inside at all.

 

[Borris]

This is how easy it is to lock yourself out. As demonstrated an initial very gentle pull on the internal catch will disengage the lock but not the button. Then when the door is shut from the outside it re-locks. Every time!

I am aware of this now and make sure that the first pull on the catch is firm to fully disengage the locking button.

Try it on yours - just make sure the keys are in your pocket!!!

Well that explains everything.

I wonder how many people realise it is possible to lock yourself out in this manner?

 

[Taff Tenor]

Sounds like an effing nightmare Borris…I can only imagine the colour of the air around me when it happens to me! Glad you’re sorted and now looking for my own spare.

 

[Karlos]

where exactly did you leave the keys Borris !

Well that took me back.