Some are built tougher than others, and most are built more for convenience than security. Problem is, the really nice ready-made ones (mostly) seem like a thief could make short work of them with a pry bar (or in some cases, a mere screwdriver). Even with the strongest, the weak spot is the front, where the drawer faces are exposed. And if there are hatches on top, well, that's an even greater vulnerability; now the thief can work inside, unexposed, and just whale away at those.
Some initial thoughts on security...
1) Metal cargo barrier in front of the box, or flush with the top, if that's workable. Obviously more useful if this is behind the rear door opening, but that limits the size of the box or the sleeping area.
2) Heavy-gauge sheet metal custom-formed to surround the box on three sides, with bolt-down anchor points located under the box. Forget about hatches; they're weak points--and useless if covered with gear anyway. No open corners; weld them, or fold them with the slits facing the sides, so there's no room to work a pry bar.
3) Make the tailgate difficult or impossible to open (unless you find the secret switch). No tailgate, no drawer access (which applies to tailgate storage too).
4) Medeco or other high-quality locks.
5) Some kind of crossbar locking mechanism that inserts rods or bars into metal sleeves on sides/top/bottom of drawer enclosure (around the drawer fronts) when handles in locked position.
1 is of limited utility, or not, depending on how you use the rear space. 3 or 5 alone should defeat any quick smash-and-grab, if your box is stoutly built. 2 & 3 together, it seems to me, are going to defeat >99% of all break-ins that don't involve stealing the entire vehicle and working on it somewhere else. Sure, cordless power tools will do the trick, but that's going to be loud, put on a real light show at night, and take a while--so not terribly likely.
Seat delete arrangements are more problematic; those pesky hatches. Unless you use the whole rear space for one big box.
Additional thoughts from the Cruiser Brain Trust?
Find other security threads here:
Some initial thoughts on security...
1) Metal cargo barrier in front of the box, or flush with the top, if that's workable. Obviously more useful if this is behind the rear door opening, but that limits the size of the box or the sleeping area.
2) Heavy-gauge sheet metal custom-formed to surround the box on three sides, with bolt-down anchor points located under the box. Forget about hatches; they're weak points--and useless if covered with gear anyway. No open corners; weld them, or fold them with the slits facing the sides, so there's no room to work a pry bar.
3) Make the tailgate difficult or impossible to open (unless you find the secret switch). No tailgate, no drawer access (which applies to tailgate storage too).
4) Medeco or other high-quality locks.
5) Some kind of crossbar locking mechanism that inserts rods or bars into metal sleeves on sides/top/bottom of drawer enclosure (around the drawer fronts) when handles in locked position.
1 is of limited utility, or not, depending on how you use the rear space. 3 or 5 alone should defeat any quick smash-and-grab, if your box is stoutly built. 2 & 3 together, it seems to me, are going to defeat >99% of all break-ins that don't involve stealing the entire vehicle and working on it somewhere else. Sure, cordless power tools will do the trick, but that's going to be loud, put on a real light show at night, and take a while--so not terribly likely.
Seat delete arrangements are more problematic; those pesky hatches. Unless you use the whole rear space for one big box.
Additional thoughts from the Cruiser Brain Trust?
Find other security threads here:
Vehicle Security: Master Thread (Index Thread)
Looking to create a one-stop link page for security threads--starting with the bunch below (in no particular order; maybe I'll organize them later). Find a good security thread? Post it up and I'll add it to the list. IF YOUR CRUISER WAS JUST STOLEN, GO HERE...
forum.ih8mud.com
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