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Old 09-30-2021, 12:42 PM   #1
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Another Stolen Van

Another van in the LA area was stolen today. It is an '06 green 4X4 with a penthouse top. Not having a background in car jacking, I cannot imagine how someone can walk into a neighborhood, break into one of these vans, shut off the factory or after market alarm, start it up and drive away.

Is there a device or are there devices that will keep these vans from being stolen? The loss of one of these vans is huge for each of us but it is also a huge loss for the insurnace companies as well.

I want everyone to share their ideas about how to prevent the loss of another van and if one is stolen how to get the van back. If there are enough concrete ideas maybe we can pin this thread to the top of the forum.

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Old 09-30-2021, 01:00 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by SierraHawk View Post
Is there a device or are there devices that will keep these vans from being stolen? The loss of one of these vans is huge for each of us but it is also a huge loss for the insurnace companies as well.

I want everyone to share their ideas about how to prevent the loss of another van and if one is stolen how to get the van back. If there are enough concrete ideas maybe we can pin this thread to the top of the forum.
There are several threads addressing this, including the most recent one here:

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...tml#post302386
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Old 09-30-2021, 02:02 PM   #3
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I have gone through some of the other threads to look for ways we can stop our vans from being stolen. I can understand the need to discuss personal loss, speculation about where to park a van, ideas on how the vans are chopped up or driven to Mexico, etc. What I would like to see is a series of entries that show us the decvices and concrete ideas (with diagrams) that any of us can install or use.

Arctictraveler: I thought your prior entry was a good place to start.

"WTF? Protect your van's folks, they seem to be a very popular target at the moment. Perhaps it's time to re-open the discussion of ways you have used to protect your van. I'll start:"

"1. Alarm system with sound / motion detector and loud horn
2. Steering wheel lock
3. Hidden fuel pump cut off
4. Gate latch on the inside of the back doors, can't be forced open from the outside
5. Motion detector on dash and reciever in the house ($20 at Amazon and proven by Ray (1der) to be effective.
6. If leaving the van for long periods, remove two wheels
7. Back into parking places to make tow-aways harder"

In addition we need to know what kind of steering wheel lock works. It looks like one of the old "Club" locks could be broken by just pulling the part that slides in and out to break it.
How do we install a fuel shut off? What kind of gate latch works best? How do we disable the starter? How do we install the deadbolts? Diagrams and place purchased please.

If we order a device on ebay who is at the other end? Is it better to buy one locally and avoid giving our home address to someone we can not hold accountable? Since Radio Shack and Fry's are gone, are there places where we can buy devices locally?
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Old 09-30-2021, 02:44 PM   #4
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From the September 2021 issue of Consumer Reports:

"Police say visible steering wheel locks, such as The Club and Disklok, work well as deterrents, and adding an aftermarket alarm system, which often includes a visible blinking red light, can be a good idea for older vehicles without a built-in system.

Auto security company Voxx Electronics Corp. says an alarm usually costs $300 to $700, plus $200 to $600 for professional installation, depending on features and the system. An alarm can also be added to a new car."
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Old 09-30-2021, 03:08 PM   #5
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I got one of these and the van came with some alarm system. This would prevent them from pushing on the brake (break for some of you...)pedal and getting it out of PARK.

https://www.amazon.com/QWORK-Anti-Th...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
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Old 09-30-2021, 04:49 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by SierraHawk View Post
What I would like to see is a series of entries that show us the decvices and concrete ideas (with diagrams) that any of us can install or use.

That will expose our ideas/methods to everyone.......I suggest those details be dealt with in PMs.
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Old 09-30-2021, 05:04 PM   #7
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That will expose our ideas/methods to everyone.......I suggest those details be dealt with in PMs.
Agree

While this is from the point of Ravelco, and of course they want you to purchase their product, here is a link to Ravelco - Competition Page

It is a good read, you have to weigh the data a little bit as it is their view of the competition.

-greg
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Old 09-30-2021, 08:29 PM   #8
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A hidden GPS unit that pings the location every x minutes is also an option. Downside is there's a cost for the services and the batteries don't seem to last very long. I saw posts sometime ago about some service that was inexpensive - probably in one of the older security threads - but can't remember the details.


For our van we have the club and a blinking alarm system for visible deterrents and a Revelco to prevent anyone driving off with it.


Jon



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Old 10-01-2021, 01:08 AM   #9
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Yea, makes me 100% getting a GPS installed in the van.

If they want it, no matter what you do, they will get it. It would suck to have everything stolen out of it, but There's plenty of ways to hide a GPS. I would like the option of being able to get it back.
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Old 10-01-2021, 08:00 AM   #10
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Not everything is 100% effective. Before investing a lot in a GPS location system. The bad guys can purchase a GPS jammer for a very cheap price.

Amazon GPS blocker

Ebay GPS Blocker

-greg
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