# How do you secure your truck



## ECH (Jul 27, 2018)

I am getting to the point now where I have quite a bit of money in tools in the back of my truck. It is a box style Chevy with a roll up rear door.

It uses the standard latch mechanism that you can put a padlock on. My concern isn't really over night, but when I stop at the supply house, or home center, or the occasional rough neighborhood.

I did a bunch of research on options for keyless entry, something I could quickly lock the back with a key fob on my way into the store, or back into the home, etc.

I could easily do a car alarm type system with door lock actuators, they are inexpensive enough and I could rig something up pretty easy that would send a pin through the door tracks or similar.

The problem with this system is there is not really a way to manually override in case the actuator fails. There is a system called the TailLock, that fits all the criteria, and I could easily make it instead of paying the 600 bucks they charge for the system.

I am not so sure my company would allow me to modify the truck that way though.

Are there any other options out there that I don't know about?

Must be:
-Keyless
-able to be overridden if part failure or lost power
-Prefer to not modify truck heavily, meaning no cutting of bumpers, etc. Screwing/bolting stuff to existing holes, that can be reversed is probably ok.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

If you can't drill anything then use the original latch in a way to add a box over the lock. A slide on box.

https://www.plumbingzone.com/f2/my-van-broken-into-last-night-80177/#post1152513

In your residence use motion detectors and chime in your bedroom.


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## ECH (Jul 27, 2018)

That would work, but would require me to put on a padlock every time I go into a store, or customers home.

I am looking for something quicker, I am willing to accept that it will not be fort knox level of security. I just need something to deter passersby if they think they can quickly open the door and make off with everything they can grab in 30 seconds.

I would love to do some mechanism inside the box part of the truck, but I would have to have some way to defeat it if the truck lost power, or the actuator failed. You can get key fob alarms with actuators for less than 50 bucks, and I would make up a pin linkage that would take all the shear stress in the event they try to force the door up. But there has to be a hidden way to manually get around it, or I may find myself unable to get in .

As of now, even if I padlock the latch, anyone with a bolt cutter can get in, almost as fast as if it wasn't even locked.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Then buy a good fob actuator and if it fails a way for you to pull a hidden string to pull it back tucked away under the cab.

A side note not that anyone will do that unless he's a nerd but I have a very smart friend and he had radios that he unlocked and modified and could do lots of things. He could open and raise the fire department garage doors. Speak to customers and staff at the drive though speaker box and much much more.

In this case with a little patience tune in on the wavelength and unlock the fob and key at will.


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## ECH (Jul 27, 2018)

The key fob and actuator is the easy part. The hard part is that I have to connect the actuator to a mechanism that can take the stress of someone trying to lift the door. 

If I just have the actuator act as the pin, it will just break. Think of it like one of the new electronic deadbolts. The motor just moves the deadbolt in place in the door jam, with the deadbolt itself being the thing that takes the force of someone kicking in the door.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

If it's not your truck then first get permission from your boss. If you have the good rep then just do it and apologize later. Either way do it correctly.


But really for insurance purposes, whether you lock the truck or not is a moot point if you don't have a list and pictures of all your tools before they get stolen. Write your name on all of them and make sure it is visible in the pictures.


Locks keep honest people honest and any one who really wants your stuff will get it. The job of the insurance adjuster is to NOT PAY out a claim. If your stuff gets stolen they won't just take your word for it as to the contents of the vehicle regardless of how many fancy locks you have.




.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

I got a chime this evening, the one it the tree that's scanning the van, so I dressed up to affront whoever tripped the sensor. The snow is so high a rabbit crossed it. I'll be buying some carrots instead of clobbing someone.


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## ECH (Jul 27, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> If it's not your truck then first get permission from your boss. If you have the good rep then just do it and apologize later. Either way do it correctly.
> 
> 
> But really for insurance purposes, whether you lock the truck or not is a moot point if you don't have a list and pictures of all your tools before they get stolen. Write your name on all of them and make sure it is visible in the pictures.
> ...


Yeah, everything I am planning can be done with zero modification to the truck itself, other than tapping into 12v.

I imagine I should talk to my insurance company, but is names and pictures of everything what I should be doing? Any other tips?


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

In order to get an amount from the insurance is to have receipts, pictures of those tools. Be careful not to have many of the same item or they will consider it a collection and won't pay a penny. When I was burglarized I owned several pocket knives because I found them cool and bought one here and there. I had to fight real hard or they weren't paying. I had to fab a story they were for hunting, work related knife, camping, cooking etc.

Wherever possible have the receipts under your name.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

ECH said:


> Yeah, everything I am planning can be done with zero modification to the truck itself, other than tapping into 12v.
> 
> I imagine I should talk to my insurance company, but is names and pictures of everything what I should be doing? Any other tips?


The best thing you can do is talk to your adjuster and get it straight from the horses mouth.

My suggestion is detailed pictures of each tool including identifying marks which should include your name that is marked indelibly wether that is etched, marker, or painted. I would suggest writing your name inside the tools as well. This way when the pictures are taken there is no way they can say those are pictures of someone elses tools.

Write down all of the model or serial numbers.

Make sure that you keep the pictures in multiple places, on a usb stick in your safe deposit box, and on your home pc. It may seem like overkill but its very easy with a digital camera. Just organize your van next saturday and write your name on all your tools. If your stuff gets stolen you could be saving yourself thousands of dollars. If someone grabbed my bandsaw and hammer drill from inside my doors that alone is like 400$. Now imagine if someone parks a pickup truck next to your side door and has 3 mins to grab and toss.

I cant say I am this dilligent though my name is on near all my tools and I do have pictures of many. We have almost no vehicle break ins/theft here. My name is on my tools mostly so they dont get confused with the other guys cuz we all buy the same tools from the supply house lolz.


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