Need advice for truck anti-theft device

[gsganzer]

Background: Vehicle is a 2020 F250 Lariat Fleet, Crew cab

After getting my service truck broken into in Houston, last March, I've been thinking of adding some type of anti-theft device. The break-in was a smash and grab and the OEM alarm was going off with people standing around watching a couple of hood-rats carting my stuff off, so I don't expect to stop/deter a smash and grab. I'm more interested in stopping a vehicle theft.

I'm toying around with a Ravelco kill switch system, essentially a novel type of kill switch. This prevents anyone from jumping in and starting it. However, I'm wondering if most thefts aren't actually someone hauling your vehicle off with a flatbed/wrecker, meaning preventing starting it is a moot point.

Anyone have any experience or recommendations?

 

[bcp]

Maybe consider an Apple Airtag or similar tracking device, too.

Bruce

 

[4570Man]

Maybe consider an Apple Airtag or similar tracking device, too.

Bruce

They make better trackers. An air tag sends the thief notifications that it’s tracking them.

 

[gsganzer]

Yes. There are a number of GPS tracking systems too.

 

[bcp]

They make better trackers. An air tag send the thief notifications that it’s tracking them.

They quickly look for it, don't find it, then abandon the truck.

Hopefully.

Bruce

 

[4570Man]

They quickly look for it, don't find it, then abandon the truck.

Hopefully.

Bruce

If you do go that route which is probably the cheapest one search how to disable the AirTag speaker which would make locating it a lot harder.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Theft protection at home or away?

 

[gsganzer]

Theft protection at home or away?

Away. Unfortunately, mainly Houston or some of the other gulf coast cities. It's gotten bad. Houston especially. It started with the diaspora caused by hurricane Katrina, but it's only gotten worse since.

 

[Dman1981]

Rattlesnakes they don’t need to know you defanged them
Just saying

 

[thepumpguysc]

I had a friend that installed a starter/electrical cut off switch in his custom car..
He put the switch in the cigarette lighter.. pushed in, the car would start..
In its normal position, it looked normal..
But then again, cars nowadays don’t have ashtrays..

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Dog

 

[lilranch2001]

I have a couple of ex wives I could hook you up with, let them sit in your truck and I guarantee no one is gonna wanna take it!

 

[mikester]

Top 10 of the most stolen vehicle list for the past 10 years. Highly desirable. Easy to steal. Easy to sell. Kinda like a walking around with a kick me sign on your back.

Don't park it outside anywhere unattended.

Sell it and buy two Priuses...you will use 1/4 the fuel for both of them and nobody wants to steal them. It's cheaper to pay someone to deliver than to drive an empty bed crew cab with one person in it.

 

[Joel/ak]

Manual transmission.

 

[gsganzer]

Manual transmission.

Automatic. I did read a recent article where some hoodrats tried stealing a man's Porsche, but abandoned their efforts when they realized it was a manual and none of the perps could operate a manual. HA!!!

 

[newbury]

battery jumper cables, hooked to your battery and somewhere the perp would have to sit or handle, like the steering wheel

 

[mrmikey]

I've often thought of adding a momentary contact NO switch operating a NO relay in series with the starter solenoid control wire. The switch could be hidden under the edge of the seat so you could reach it from the drivers seat or out in plain view on the dash. You'd hit the regular key switch or starter button as you normally would but unless you held down the added switch/relay it wouldn't do a thing.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Reminds me of an incident that happened many years ago when an old drinking buddy of mine worked as a bouncer at a roadside tavern. His truck was constantly being burglarized while he was on the job. He tried various alarm systems but, as you noted, they were mostly ignored in the crowded tavern parking lot.

Out of frustration, he wired two oil burner transformers to the truck body so a would be thief would get a 5000 volt shock when they entered the cab. It worked very well for a few months until one night, he found a dead body lying next to his truck after he got off work. It was an older, well known thief who had several B&E convictions. He had a heart condition and the shock killed him when he tried to break into the truck.

To make a long story short, my buddy got in serious legal trouble for booby trapping his truck. What really gets me though is, the thief's family hit him with a wrongful death suit! He was in court for a couple of years and I lost touch with him so I don't know how it all ended.

I guess this is why you don't see high voltage alarm systems on the market.

 

[D&D]

I have a couple of ex wives I could hook you up with, let them sit in your truck and I guarantee no one is gonna wanna take it!

A couple of

 

[D&D]

Background: Vehicle is a 2020 F250 Lariat Fleet, Crew cab

After getting my service truck broken into in Houston, last March, I've been thinking of adding some type of anti-theft device. The break-in was a smash and grab and the OEM alarm was going off with people standing around watching a couple of hood-rats carting my stuff off, so I don't expect to stop/deter a smash and grab. I'm more interested in stopping a vehicle theft.

I'm toying around with a Ravelco kill switch system, essentially a novel type of kill switch. This prevents anyone from jumping in and starting it. However, I'm wondering if most thefts aren't actually someone hauling your vehicle off with a flatbed/wrecker, meaning preventing starting it is a moot point.

Anyone have any experience or recommendations?

This or a wheel boot.

https://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Locks/Winner-International/WICL303RED.html?feed=npn&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrOOiwfbwggMVIkhHAR0m8wIsEAQYBSABEgIpSvD_BwE