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Robbed…how to better secure truck?

mmoogie | Posted in General Discussion on May 21, 2003 06:04am

My truck was broken into the other night. They just pulled real hard on the rear window of the cap and bent the catches till the window popped open. Luckily they were really lazy and only took my LS1011, my Dewalt battery drill (good riddance to that piece of sh*t), and my good Sorby chisels.

I’m wondering if there is some way to make the cap more secure? Do they make an aftermarket catch arm that won’t bend or some other kind of anti-theft device?

Steve


Edited 5/20/2003 11:11:30 PM ET by STEVENZERBY

Reply

Replies

  1. User avater
    Luka | May 21, 2003 07:32am | #1

    You could put on a couple of padlock hasps.

    Or do like I did once. Put two welded eye bolts in the cap door, and two in the tailgate. Spaced exactly correctly to make a kryptonite bike lock a tight fit. They would at least make a lot more noise trying to get in.

    Or, you could just put a grenade inside, and a wire attached from the pin to the cap door....

    ; )

    A good heart embiggins even the smallest person.

    Quittin' Time

    1. FastEddie1 | May 21, 2003 07:38am | #2

      a kryptonite bike lock  I like that.  But why four eyebolts?  Wouldn't three work, like hinge knuckles?Do it right, or do it twice.

      1. User avater
        Luka | May 21, 2003 09:58am | #4

        Three would work, yes.

        I did it with 4 so that the lock could be put on with the cross bar at the top, and the whole thing would be more snug. No rattling while going down the road.

        You can put it on with two on top, and one in the tailgate, and hang the thing correctly, but it would tend to rattle in that bottom one. I put the eyebolts on in such a way that it was a tight fit just to get the thing into all 4 of the eyes.

        I wanted the cross piece at the top because I was concerned that if it was hanging at the bottom, someone could just give it a good hard rap with a sledge and be in quick as a wink.

        This was one of those mother of invention things. I had the welded eyebolts as salvage from a job. I had the kryptonite lock from my bike, which was locked up in the apartment all the time anyway. I did not have the funds on hand to go and buy something fancier looking. And probably not as strong anyway. What was important to me ? Looks or utility ? Even if I'd had the money, if I could not have found something better looking that would do the job at least as well, I would have gone with this anyway.

        Just made what I had, work. Didn't look all that bad when I was finished. And as I said, it didn't rattle all over when I was going down the road.

        A good heart embiggins even the smallest person.

        Quittin' Time

    2. User avater
      IMERC | May 21, 2003 08:02am | #3

      The grenade covers too much area and there might be subsiquent collateral damage. Use a shape or a platter charge and be directional.

      A harpoon with a short leash seems in order too.

      Sorry about your loss Steve. I was hit a few weeks ago too.

      1. Wet_Head | May 21, 2003 03:21pm | #8

        I agree.  A local store sells a device that holds a shotgun shell. It is designed to fasten to a doorpost with a trip wire running acrosses the door opening.

        Of course the directions VERY clearly state that it is only to be used with blanks in order to scare the intruder.  Under no circumstances should you use projectile type 12 guage shells.

        ....ummm  ....OK  ...any how many do you think leave the blanks in it?   ...that's what I thought too.

        1. Philter | May 21, 2003 07:25pm | #9

          The trick set-up these days to avoid theft of the WHOLE vehicle is to use thin (correct) gauge wire with a simple toggle hidden somewhere only you know of... to interrupt the computer engine mgmt. system on newer vehicles,

          Under the console, just under the dash ,seat, wherever you can and it DOESN'T matter if they get in,jimmy it,and try to go, it won't start.....cheaper 'n' easier than alarm system...

          This method assumes you or a tech. know where to interrupt the circuit.If it is to be.... 'twil be done by me.

          1. User avater
            Luka | May 21, 2003 10:51pm | #13

            You can do similar with any vehicle that has an electric gas pump.

            They can get in. They can start it. But they'll get about two blocks away, and run out of gas. No one gets hurt. You'll be able to walk to the vehicle, start it back up, and drive it home.

            If in someplace where they do carjackings, just give them the car when they want it, but flip your hidden switch as you get out. This would assume, of course, that you put the switch in an area that is easily accessible as you are getting out of the vehicle.

            A good heart embiggins even the smallest person.

            Quittin' Time

        2. billyg83440 | May 21, 2003 08:36pm | #11

          Easy enough to build, but I'm amazed there's a store that actually sells a shotshell booby-trap. I can see selling one tha holds a shotshell primer, so it's just a noisemaker, and you can't accidentally put a real shell in, but not one that holds the whole shell. That's nuts.

          1. User avater
            ProBozo | May 21, 2003 10:42pm | #12

            Folks around here use those shotshell things to keep the deer out of the gardens, and 4 wheelers off the back 40 (all I've seen do bother to use blanks.  I tripped one once, made me about pee in my britches.  Didn't make me wanna go away, I wanted to get even.   Neighbor had rigged them up on my property, not his, along bike path.  So I 'relocated' them to his property...right along the path from his house to garden.   Hehehehe.

            Many of the new camper shell have the all-glass rear window, tempered glass, all it takes is one of them spring-loaded awls, filed to a real sharp point, to break it.  Really doesn't make that much noise when you do it.   Yes, i'll admit doing it...it was an experiment on a friend's wrecked truck.

            I built a steel frame with expanded metal doors that goes inside my truck, just inside the tailgate/rear window.  Kinda like the wire cage in a police car, but right up against the tailgate.  With the dark windows, you really can't see it there, and after unlocking or breaking the glass, then unlocking the tailgate (Ford), you have to unlock the sheathed padlock on the cage doors.  So far, haven't had to find out if it works or not.

          2. Wet_Head | May 22, 2003 02:15am | #15

            You sure have nice neighbors!

          3. Wet_Head | May 22, 2003 02:16am | #16

            I agree it is nuts.  I was just reporting the facts.

          4. billyg83440 | May 22, 2003 05:14pm | #17

            Psst....

            How much will you charge me to send me a couple of those??

            There's this annoying neighbor.............well, I'd like to.........aw heck, I just need them. I won't hurt anybody. I'll let the booby..........uh, I mean I just need a couple man. I promise not to tell the cops......er neighbors where I got it.

            Just give me a total ok.

            Hey, you should wire one of these up with a 12 gauge signal flare. That'll get their heart racing in the middle of the night.

  2. steve | May 21, 2003 02:09pm | #5

    locks are great except they'll be back with boltcutters tomorrow night

    only deterrence is lots of noise

    a simple alarm system is the best way, including motion detection and glass break sensors

    pickup caps are almost imposible to secure, hate to say it, but a van is much more secure, but of course much more difficult to reinforce at the locks

    i use a completely selfcontained alarm system(no hookup to the battery), its deafening!

    1. WorkshopJon | May 21, 2003 02:49pm | #6

      Best alarm I ever saw was self contained, used an air tank, and a salvaged FREIGHT TRAIN HORN. Not kidding. Can you imagine how loud that was inside the vehicle. Persons truck (van) was broken into one too many times until he came up with that one.  Not all that hard to hook up.

      BTW, it didn't prevent future break-ins, just theft.

      Jon

      Edited 5/21/2003 7:50:49 AM ET by WorkshopJon

    2. wrick2003 | May 21, 2003 03:06pm | #7

       when built our deck a couple of weeks ago, i designed it so i could back my truck right up to it.

      with less than a foot between the tailgate/ topper door and the ballustrade, there's no way those punkazz gangsta wannabees can get anything from me.

      on the job, it's a different story. usually, there is a secure place to park but when there is not, i charge the client a little extra for checking my truck every half hour or so.

      to me, a big lock on a thin topper door is an instruction for the thief to bring a bigger prybar,  if he is smart enough to realize it, that is.     

      there was a case in MN a couple of years ago where a guy had a battery hooked up to his garage door, some azzhole tried to get in, got a little shocked, REPORTED IT, and the powers that be made him remove his little invention.

      good luck     rg

      1. jet | May 21, 2003 07:34pm | #10

        On the job protection?

        This goes with the Nissan ad they had for a while.

        "Dogs like trucks!"    The bigger the better. My Dad had a big black Lab. Unless you were family, ain't noway yer gettin near that truck.If at first you don't succeed...try again! After that quit! No sense being a dam fool about it!       W.C.Fields

  3. User avater
    JonBlakemore | May 22, 2003 12:19am | #14

    Steve,

    I came across a good idea for a cheap alarm (LuvDitchBurns gets the credit).  Wire a normall open switch from Radio Shack to a piezo siren, the sensor placed where it would be within 1/4" of the magnet when the cap doors are shut.  When the door is opened, the switch closes.  Simple enough.  No cool chirp noises that you can make with your key chain, or delays of stuff like that, but it can be had for about $20.

    http://forums.prospero.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=24956.1

     

    Jon Blakemore

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