If you’re looking for an easy RV keyless entry upgrade, the Bauer NE Bluetooth Keyless Entry Door Lock may be one of the simplest and most useful modifications you can make to your camper.

As we all know, when it comes to camping and campers, there are roughly 10,000 products we see and immediately think:

“That would be cool to have.”

Then, if we actually buy it, about nine times out of ten it eventually ends up sitting in the garage, shoved into a cabinet, or tossed into the infamous camper junk drawer.

And yes, everybody has a junk drawer in their camper.

Actually, that gives me an idea for another story…

Squirrel!

Anyway, every once in a while you stumble across something that looks useful, buy it, and discover that it actually makes camping easier.

For us, that product was the Bauer NE Bluetooth Keyless Entry Door Lock.

I had seen keyless locks on campers for years and always thought they would be nice to have. I finally decided to install one on our 2025 Grand Design Reflection 295RL.

Now I’m wondering why we waited so long.

Why I Wanted Keyless Entry on Our Fifth Wheel

There wasn’t anything wrong with the original door lock on our Grand Design.

It worked.

But the problem with a regular lock is obvious: you have to carry the key.

When we’re camping, we’re constantly coming and going. We may be riding our e-bikes, walking around the campground, visiting friends, going to the bathhouse, or just wandering around seeing what everyone else is doing.

I didn’t particularly want to carry another key everywhere.

And anyone who has ever stood outside a locked camper wondering which pocket they put the key in understands exactly what I’m talking about.

With the Bauer, we can use the keypad, my iPhone, or my Apple Watch.

That’s a lot more convenient.

Why I Chose the Bauer NE Bluetooth

There are quite a few RV keyless locks available now, ranging from relatively inexpensive models to some pretty elaborate systems.

I went with the Bauer NE Bluetooth.

Part of the reason was simple: Bauer is already a well-known name in RV locks, and I wanted something that looked like it belonged on the camper rather than something that looked like I had adapted a residential door lock with duct tape.

I bought ours on Amazon for a little over $200.

There are different versions available, including models and packages with remote controls. I skipped the remotes.

My reasoning was pretty simple.

I already have my phone or Apple Watch with me nearly everywhere I go.

Why carry another remote around that I’m eventually going to lose?

What You Get With the Bauer NE

The lock gives you several ways to get into the camper.

You can use the keypad.

You can use Bluetooth through the Bauer app.

You can use a compatible phone or Apple Watch.

And perhaps most importantly, you still have physical keys.

That last part matters.

I’m a big fan of technology, but I’ve also spent enough years working with computers to know that technology occasionally wakes up in the morning and decides:

“Not today.”

If the batteries die or something electronic doesn’t cooperate, you still have a regular key to get into the camper.

Bauer currently lists the NE Bluetooth as using four AA batteries and includes a physical key backup. The company also says battery life can average up to about six months depending on usage.

I haven’t owned ours long enough to give you an honest long-term battery-life number yet, so I’ll update this review later after we’ve had more time with it.

Installation on Our Grand Design Reflection 295RL

This may have been the easiest part of the whole upgrade.

Installation probably took me 20 minutes at the most.

And no, that’s not one of those YouTube installation times where someone says:

“This only takes 20 minutes.”

…after they have already removed half the camper before the camera started recording.

From start to finish, this really was about a 20-minute job.

All I needed was a Phillips screwdriver.

The original lock came out, the Bauer went into the existing opening, and everything lined up.

No drilling.

No cutting.

No grinding.

No filing.

No modifying the door.

And most importantly, no standing in the driveway searching YouTube for a video titled:

“What Did I Do Wrong?”

It just fit.

Bauer says the NE is designed to retrofit into the standard 2¾-inch by 3¾-inch RV door opening, which explains why the installation was so straightforward on our Reflection.

That alone earns it several points in my book.

One Thing to Check During Installation

Even though mine fit without any problems, I would take a few minutes after installation to make sure the deadbolt lines up correctly with the door frame.

Don’t assume everything is perfect simply because the screws went in.

Open and close the door several times.

Lock and unlock it from inside.

Try the keypad.

Try the app.

Try the physical key.

Make sure the deadbolt moves freely and isn’t binding against the strike plate.

Bauer’s own troubleshooting information mentions door-frame obstructions and strike-plate alignment as possible causes when the deadbolt doesn’t operate correctly.

I would rather discover that while standing in my driveway than at 10:30 at night in a campground.

Setting Up the Keypad

The lock comes with a factory preset code.

I used that code several times while testing everything before programming our own code.

Changing it was simple.

The Bauer uses a four-button touch keypad rather than eight separate number buttons. The buttons are paired 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8, with the Bauer button serving as Enter.

It takes a few seconds to understand the layout, but once you’ve used it a couple of times it becomes second nature.

The buttons are touch-sensitive rather than traditional buttons you physically push.

And once our personal code was programmed, that was pretty much it.

Using the Bluetooth App and Apple Watch

The Bluetooth capability was one of the reasons I chose this particular model.

Bauer’s current system works with iOS and Android phones through its app, and Apple Watch support is available as well.

For me, the watch feature makes a lot of sense.

If Dawn and I ride the bikes away from the campsite, I don’t have to remember to grab a camper key.

My phone is with me.

My watch is on my wrist.

Or I can simply use the code on the door.

That’s the kind of technology I like—something that solves a real problem instead of creating three new ones.

What Actually Locks?

One thing worth understanding is that the electronic portion operates the deadbolt.

When you use the keypad or Bluetooth to lock the camper, the deadbolt is what is extending into the door frame.

I actually like that.

You’re not just electronically disabling the handle. You’re engaging the deadbolt.

From inside the camper, everything remains straightforward as well.

There isn’t a complicated procedure just because you’ve installed an electronic lock.

What Happens if the Batteries Die?

This was one of my first questions.

I’m not interested in a camper door that works wonderfully until four AA batteries decide they’ve had enough.

Fortunately, you still have the physical key.

That means the electronic portion can fail completely and you’re not automatically locked out.

There is also a low-battery indication built into the system. Bauer recommends removing the batteries if the lock is going to sit unused for an extended period because battery corrosion can damage the electronics.

That’s something I’ll probably add to my long-term camper-storage checklist.

And I would strongly suggest keeping one backup key somewhere other than inside the camper.

Keeping your emergency key locked inside the thing you’re trying to get into somewhat defeats the purpose.

What I Like About the Bauer NE

The installation was ridiculously easy

Twenty minutes and a Phillips screwdriver.

That’s my kind of camper modification.

We don’t have to carry a camper key

This is the biggest benefit for us.

When we’re riding the bikes or walking around the campground, we can leave the keys behind.

Multiple ways to get inside

Keypad, phone, watch or physical key.

I like having options.

It looks factory-installed

The lock doesn’t look like an aftermarket gadget bolted onto the side of the camper.

It looks like it belongs there.

Physical key backup

This is extremely important to me.

Electronics are great.

Mechanical backups are better.

Having both is the right answer.

What I Don’t Like

There really isn’t much I dislike so far, but there are a few things worth mentioning.

It’s not cheap

At a little over $200 when I bought ours, this isn’t a $40 camper upgrade.

There are cheaper keyless locks available.

Whether the Bauer is worth the extra money depends on how much value you place on the Bauer name, Bluetooth capability and overall fit and finish.

You’re adding batteries to your maintenance list

A regular door lock doesn’t need batteries.

This one does.

That’s not a huge problem, but it’s one more thing you need to remember.

Don’t forget where you put the backup key

This isn’t really a complaint about the Bauer.

It’s more of a warning from someone who knows himself well enough to realize that putting the emergency key somewhere “safe” could eventually turn into:

“Dawn, do you remember where I put that key?”

Who Is This Lock For?

If you spend most of your camping trip sitting at your campsite and always have your keys with you, you may not get $200 worth of benefit out of a Bluetooth lock.

But if you’re constantly coming and going from the camper, I think it makes a lot more sense.

For us, the e-bikes alone make it useful.

We can ride away from the campsite without a ring of camper keys bouncing around in my pocket.

It would also be useful for families because you don’t necessarily have to hand everybody a physical key.

As long as the people who need access know the code, they can get inside.

Would I Buy the Bauer NE Again?

Absolutely.

This has quickly become one of my favorite simple upgrades we’ve made to the camper.

It didn’t fundamentally change camping.

It didn’t add horsepower.

It didn’t make the camper tow better.

It didn’t magically empty the black tank.

Unfortunately.

What it did was eliminate one small inconvenience that we dealt with every time we left the campsite.

And sometimes those are the best upgrades.

Final Verdict: 10 Out of 10

I’m giving the Bauer NE Bluetooth Keyless Entry Door Lock a solid 10 out of 10.

Installation was ridiculously easy.

It looks good.

The keypad works well.

Bluetooth gives us another way to operate it.

We still have physical keys as a backup.

And most importantly, we no longer have to carry a camper key everywhere we go.

There are plenty of camping gadgets I’ve bought over the years that probably deserved to go directly from the Amazon box into the infamous camper junk drawer.

This isn’t one of them.

This is one of those upgrades that actually makes camping a little easier.

And after using it, there’s really only one question left:

Why didn’t I install one sooner?

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