driveway gate ideas: got thieved, dammit

[sirenmoses]

Looking for the unicorn: an inexpensive, secure, goat/dog/ coyote-proof, snow-friendly driveway gate.

fj60 resurrection was already in the works when some <insert yr own words> stole from commuter rig, parked 10'+ up the snowy driveway. thieves plucked personal EMT work gear: fanny pack, stethoscope, folding clipboard, flashlights, etc. Shame on me, and may they <ditto>.

once the 60 is going (separate thread) it can pack down a path which won't strand the commuter. hoping some smart Mudder's might share their personal solutions for a year round gate.

 

[scrapdaddy]

My 2 cents...Any gate you pick will not stop thieves. As far as goats go, an old saying...if a gate can't hold water, it won't hold a goat! We raise goats and use four inch square fencing which works good. I would buy a farm gate that uses four inch spacing. Think about some game cameras, so you can catch a tag number and maybe the next thieving bastard.

Good luck and keep the truck empty.

 

[craptabulous]

i was rather impressed at the difference in traffic into my yard after installing gates . people don't just drive into my yard now that i have a non locked but closed gate . it also helps that there is a doberman sitting at the end of it giving you the stare down with her teeth .

i run simple farm style gates with mesh built into them , galvanized then powder coated . if i remember right they were around 120-140$ a piece for 12' gates . made fairly locally , i could post a picture if your curious

 

[1911]

inexpensive isn't going to get you security. Anything that takes time to get past might make thieves move on to look for easy pickings, but the problem is that in rural settings they may have all the time in the world to defeat your gate.

We live out in the country, but we live here all the time and can see the gate and drive from our house. We have a heavy metal gate and it only opens with an equally heavy duty (commercial grade) opener that works with remotes. No one has ever tried to get past it, but we have had delivery people and etc. climb over the fence next to the gate.

The other thing that really helps is to be on good terms with your neighbors, and watch out for each other, and pay attention to cars/trucks you don't recognize.

 

[cruiserpilot]

We have a 16' page wire gate, and what I recommend is this latch -

1-Way Locking Latch | Horse Fencing Options | Horse Fence | Fencing

Its a stock latch, if the person pushes the gate it will not open. Its not complicated, but I've had many people not
able to figure it out. Of course, every women who rides a horse just comes right on through. It does keep unwanted
people out, cause thieves need an easy in and easy out, otherwise they keep looking. ROT, don't leave valuables in
an unlocked vehicle unless you know you don't want them.
We have 3-4 brass bells held on with a wire, so it makes a racket when people come in. Thieves don't want to mess
with that. Even if you don't have a dog, leaving a water dish and a rope tied to a post out there.

The last two guys I caught in my back yard about to lift my cruiser stuff were run off by my 115 lb ridgeback, now that
was fun to watch! But now I have a gate

 

[firestopper]

Like mentioned by 1911, opportunistic scumbags will move on if your gate is half decent. The problem with living away from town is the response time for authorities. I live in the county with a response time of 40 min on average so my solution is well armed/trained wife and a large dog. In my case, we have four GSD. This way a simple gate with field fencing will suffice so long as you spend a little time training a dog.

Unfortunate, they stole the very tools you use to help someone in need.

 

[canman]

Thought about a gate as well over the years. Lots of stuff is stolen every year around our lake, but so far we have been lucky. We also have dogs, but they are penned up while we are gone. Will never forget the one day a minivan with a bunch of Jehovah's Witnesses pulled up the driveway while I had a chainsaw in my hand in my redneck clothes with the dogs running loose. After I told him I wasn't interested he backed down our long steep driveway. It was hilarious.

 

[Weber Sarge]

I like my mother-in-law's approach - she backed into their van , hard .
They haven't stopped here since...lol .
Sarge

 

[FLATU8ER]

I have found that the "Tack Strip" that is used to hold down the edges of your carpet will deter a few people from reaching around to unlock a latch works very well. It will usually hit them on the underside of the wrist, and if the "tacks" have been out in the weather awhile they might be a little rusty. Also the possibility of leaving some DNA on your gate.