Secure vehicle for Overland Travel

[patrickfinley]

I was just reading a thread about a couple who's Canada to South America trip was cut short due to their vehicle being stolen in San Fransisco. It was a simple 80's BJ71, it wasn't fancy. However even a simple Overland vehicle is going to draw attention if it's decked out with gear.

What can be done to your Overland vehicle to prevent 2 things, Vehicle break in and more importantly vehicle theft?

Vehicle theft:
Kill switch (too easy?)
GPS tracker (would it work in Mexico/South America?)

Break in:
Tinting on rear window or interior curtains when you leave the vehicle for a while.
Metal bars inside or outside (seems like overkill)
Drill padlock doors (but there's still the windows)

What other ideas do people have, simple or complex?

 

[fjva]

stupid thieves

if someone wants it bad enough, they gonna get it. might as well make it hard for to get tho. gun locks on enternal gear works good, one to lock up the high lift, one for spare tire, jerry cans ect. a good alarm system is good idea, but not so stupid thieves can get around the basics so here are some things I do when I install alarms. Dont just do a starter kill relay, also do ingnition kill relays for backup, pain generators inside the vehicle are awsome to make em get the hell out, I like to install them right in the headrest so they are right in their ears while trying to drive! also I have hooked up train horns as additional siren, nobody gives a crap anymore when a regular car alarm goes off. also put the brain for the alarm somewhere besides under the drivers side dash, put it behind glove box, under pass seat, in trunk, you get it. last thing I do is use metal wire loom instead of plastic or just leaving the wires like they are. very hard to cut through. we pay alot for our toys, pay a little extra time and $ on the alarm n keep ur toys where they belong....with u!! Hope this was some of the kinda info u were looking for. one more thing, get alarm w pager type remote, maybe u can get back to the thief in progress n introduce em to ur HK!

 

[FJ60Seth]

I'm thinking of running the fuel line inside a Tuffy console with a shut off valve.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[NLXTACY]

I'm thinking of running the fuel line inside a Tuffy console with a shut off valve.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

Don't run the line inside the truck. Instead install a fluid solenoid that is turned off/on from the tuffy console.

Pretty MAC Valves have fluid shut off valves but here is an air version: http://macvalves.com/Portals/97890/docs/35catalog.pdf

 

[waexplorer]

In the USA a BJ71 is a rare find. Not imported here, so very enticing to thieves. I've only seen them on CL and the ones on there go for high teens to low twenties. So, fancy or not they are worth a lot here. I don't have any theft prevention yet on my 60. I just insure it to the hilt. I know I could never afford to an expedition build but once, so to have it stolen would be heartbreaking. The fuel shutoff in the console sounds like a winner though.

 

[brownbear]

Multiple shut offs, like fuel and ignition and maybe making the starter not come on would be the trick. Also I have seen a transfer case lock, put the transfercase in N or even better in 4 low, so it can't be towed.

The thing to remember is doing everytime. Even when you head into 7/11 for nachos with cheese.. Its not going to get stolen on the long term stays only..

They make a tint that makes it impossible to break in easy. The window won't come apart with this tint. Google security window tinting or such. Black out is the way to go. People don't want to break into a car they don't know if someone is in there. A manikin sitting in there also would freak em out. As long as it is behind the tint. Set em up like they are sleeping..

 

[brownbear]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdlCsuLSFOc

here is one example

 

[scrapdaddy]

Do any of you guys, have an opinion on this window film. Looks like it comes in clear, also. I'm liking it.

 

[lugueto]

In Venezuela, car theft is astoundingly common. Here's a list of the things we use to prevent it:


1) Alarms, duh. These have electrical killswitches integrated, you cant start the car with the alarm on unless you take the whole integral system out.

2) Window tint, seen dangerously dark in some cases *no joke, i have trouble seeing out of a couple of friends' trucks at night*. I dont go to the extremes but having enough to avoid people seeing whats inside helps a lot.
Also there's security films, which are stronger (way stronger) than regular tint and in some cases can even stop light caliber rounds. We have two cars at home equipped with these sort of films, ive shot at them and hit them with crowbars, havent been able to break them with the crowbars. (in test ranges off course, not my actual vehicles), its pretty impressive, plus it also comes in virtually any color and level of tinting you might want.

3) (hidden) stand alone electrical master switch. Shuts everything off when activated, even when driving.

4) (hidden) switch for the fuel pump, on "off" it wont work, on "on" it works normally, you can leave it on and never notice it.

5) Deadbolt through the shifter, locks it in parking for auto transmissions and in second or reverse on manual transmissions.

6) Locks for the rear sliding windows, common in Land Cruisers, are essential as these are SUPER easy to open from the outside.

7) GPS trackers, which can be reviewed personally via internet any time you like, gives you position and speed recorded in preset intervals. 100% effective when trying to locate a stolen vehicle, it can even operate with the battery disconnected

7) this is more common here in Venezuela than you'd think, as it is in Colombia. My previous Land Cruiser Prado was armored to withstand up to a .44 magnum. The car was impossible to get into, the windows are unbreakeable, as its 1in thick multilayered lexan/polycarbonate. To top it all off, it had a deadbolt in each door that was activated when locked, aside from the factory locking mechanism. My car was victim of three attempts to being broken into, none of which was successful (Thank goodness).
Im not saying you can armor your car, as it is overkill for mostly anywhere else in the americas, but the deadbolt is a possible idea, although it can represent a hazard when in an accident as it can become impossible to open the doors to exit the vehicle.

 

[patrickfinley]

Great list Lugueto, thanks for posting!

 

[scrapdaddy]

I agree, all this has been a great help. I'm going to do all I can, to keep my 55, mine.

Thanks, Guys!

 

[SNLC]

My personal opinion after a lot of travel by vehicle into Latin America...

Don't take what you are not willing to lose, including the truck.

Best security is a dog. Doesn't have to be big and mean looking, just protective of the truck. Sings in the windows warning of guard dog helps a ton too. A dog beats a gun, an alarm, dead bolts or whatever. Dog covers the truck for short stops when you don't want to use...

The fuel shut off is very good. Why? If you get car jacked say while you are camping,for example lets say you get robbed by gun point at your camp in Baja at 3am. They will get maybe 500yrds and the truck will die. When they come back pissed off waving guns in your face, you just play dumb saying, I don't know man, I been having problems with the truck for a week now. It needs to be fixed! Only prob then is if they have a 2nd truck to tow it with. But from my experience, they would just leave after threatening you and yelling.


I keep all gear worth anything out of sight at all times. The only exception would be a go-pro mounted to the dash that you claim is uploading to the internet in real time, aka live. People are stupid by nature and playing on their imagination can work in your favor most of the time. I don't like anything exterior on my truck like the highlift, propane bottles, fuel cans, ect. That all goes inside my trucks with only the spare tire outside. Lights and items like this, use mounting hardware not common like T36 star heads or something.

But the best from my experience would be dark tint windows with the dog warning sign in the windows plus a dog that growls and barks inside the truck. Dark tint you can't see the dog but can hear it and see the sign. Only the boldest armed with a gun and ready to kill the dog risking serious injury would attempt to steal the truck. Not to mention a dog is a great travel buddy!

Cheers

 

[ironhippy]

yeah a dog is a great deterrent, however bringing a dog on a southern journey can cause other problems when you want to leave the truck and the dog in the middle of the afternoon.

I like travelling in the winter for that very reason, I can leave my dog in my truck any time of day and not worry about him suffering in the heat.

 

[lugueto]

The dog is a very good and sensible idea. While I NEVER leave my dogs in the car I travel with them most of the times and it is a fact that most criminals are very much afraid of dogs. I take them on camping trips to keep the camp safe, beside from the fun i have with them. If someone approaches your campsite or location looking to rob you, vandalize you, your car or kidnap you, 99.99% of the times they will leave when they see a dog, small as it may be.

I forgot another security add on, which is called a pedal vault. It is a 5mm steel plate that covers the pedals when locked, it is hinged to the floor of the vehicle and when it is not in use it basically unnoticeable as it lays completely flat on the floor.

It is also a good idea to use "outdated" security systems like steering wheel locks, hell I even have a very good friend of mine which uses a chain and padlock to lock his steering wheel. These are great cause they are visible.
Remember that none of the security measures are 100% effective, all of them can be pulled apart and removed. The idea behind all of these is that you leave your car or truck with enough security for the robber to see that your car wont be easy to take and he will move on to an easier target.

 

[ironhippy]

Do you never leave the dog because of heat or some other concern? Up here, 8 months of the year the shining sun will not heat a car above the point of being comfortable, in the winter it can be below freezing in the car during the day.

My truck is as close to a kennel that my dog has now, but I am always mindful of the conditions I leave him in.

 

[firestopper]

Revelco system works good as well as this portable security system.

 

[SNLC]

I have only been able to travel in winter months, summer down south. So from Nov-March. My last truck I used for travel had ice cold a/c. When it was hot and I had to leave the dog in the truck, like at border crossings, I just cranked up the a/c for him. I have left the truck for up to 10-days but for that I found a good secure place to park it.

Cheers

 

[JMHAZ]

I second the Ravelco system. No moving parts to go bad on an extended journey, and virtually impossible to thwart without hours of work. It won't prevent the contents of the vehicle being stolen, but short of running into a thief with a tow truck, you know your vehicle will be there when you come back.

 

[cody c]

I had my 80 broken into on the weekend. The destroyed the dash and removed alot of my stuff, including tearing out my custom center console, which had a trap door on the bottom to store some other stuff.

They tried to hot wire it but I had an electrical kill switch. Basically I interrupted the power to the fuse block from the battery to one of those red switches that you can pull the key on. About 3 months ago a brand new ford truck was stolen in the area, Im pretty sure it was the same guys, and that the kill switch kept it from being driven off.

They also tried to steal the wheels, although some folks say the wheel nut locks dont work, they did in my case. Except the bastuds loosened every wheel nut they could about two turns, not enough to see but probably with the intent of causing damage, it took me a few blocks to figure out where the vibration was coming from.

I had a decent stereo, gauge pod and GPS on the dash, I think that these items may have helped to draw attention, I lost alot of other things including ham,CB, RAM mount, folding chairs, some socket wrenches, center console etc etc.

I guess in the future I will keep things better hidden or leave stuff at home except for when I go wheeling, and continue to use the kill switch when I park it out on the street. The GPS tracker is enticing, ive been looking at purchasing one for a while, though it wont do you much good if the vehicle is burnt somewhere.

 

[lostworldexpedition]

We have been on the road in Latin America for a while now and in the end the best thing you can do is hope your common sense is working, not leave valuables in the open within the vehicle and be careful where you leave the car (and a dash of luck)... this can be time consuming and slightly annoying, because you normally have to drive around for a while and most of the time we wind up paying for parking. We sleep on the car or in the car so most of the time it is slightly protected, but if someone wants it bad enough they will jack you for it... (a German gentleman was killed in Argentina recently for resisting a jacking).

Not that I don't have some security measures...