WTW Member's Truck & Camper Stolen

[allanb]

Big Bummer Nathanael. With all the work You put in to buy the rig, and then build Up. Just like stealing a mans horse a 100 years ago. Should still be the same consequences for the thief!
I was going to pull the fuses to the fuel pump etc, when out for a time, but need to figure out a quicker way. Thanks for the hints above.

 

[Old Crow]

I took my camper deadbolt apart and removed the clip that holds the inner knob on. With the clip removed the knob just slides on and off the shaft. The knob can now be removed and kept in a safe spot when I'm away from the camper in a questionable area.

^^^^^^^^ Photos??

If I understand camelracer's very interesting post, perhaps this YouTube clip will help. If we view from timestamps 1:35 to 2:11 we see the guy take off the back of the lockset and examine the backplate. He points to the deadbolt hole and turns the backplate over and manipulates the deadbolt lever. That lever has to be held in place on the backplate somehow and I'm guessing that's where the clip is. It's probably a circlip or some other form of a snap ring. You'd probably need a pair of snap-ring pliers to remove it and it would be removed from the inner side of the backplate (at least on this model).

The context here was preventing a thief from opening the door from the inside after breaking out the window. Unfortunately, some of us (me, for instance), don't have a lockset with a deadbolt that's key-lockable from the outside. Our deadbolts only operate if we're inside and flip the lever. However, those of us with that problem can order a relatively inexpensive replacement lock that will give us that key-lockable deadbolt.

And here's another video with a reason to go ahead and replace the single-cylinder lockset with a double-cylinder one. (The single-lock models can be opened with a commonly-available master-key). See the comments area for links to these locksets on Amazon or go to the Fastec website directly.

-OC

PS- My 01 Hawk doesn't have a key-lockable deadbolt. Do newer model FWCs and/or ATC campers have them?

 

[Stalking Light]

My 2014 Eagle has a lockable deadbolt.

 

[craig333]

2004 does.

 

[Overland Hadley]

No news.

Camper is sitting waiting for insurance and no sign of the truck. Sigh.

 

[enelson]

They won't be able to repay all of your hard work. Bummer for sure.

 

[camelracer]

Here's some pictures of of an RV type deadbolt with the knob removed. I've also done this with a household deadbolt using the same procedure. I usually leave the knob on as the handle keeps it from falling off. When I'm going to be away from the camper I'll slide the knob off.

To make the mod just remove the inside portion of the lock (4 screws) and pry the spring clip off the knob.

 

[Stalking Light]

Just hope you can find the knob in the dark if it falls off and you are inside and need to get out in a hurry. I'm more worried about someone breaking into my Truck than my camper which is why I'm thinking having the alarm added back - it goes off when a window is broken as well.

 

[craig333]

I'm sure a decent crowbar would get a thief in without trying to hard. The aluminum frame isn't that tough. I'd put in some sort of safe if I had enough valuables. Actually I did but its only big enough for small things, wallet, keys etc. Not big enough for my camera but I'll probably have that with me anyway.

 

[Bill D]

The tops of our campers pop up to vinyl. How hard could it possibly be to break in?

If a thief is going to break in. I'd prefer they do so in the cheapest way possible.

I like the idea of an alarm. Technology is getting cheap enough today that you could have motion detection with night vision along with cellular video feed and instant notification to your iPhone / smartphone for under $200.

 

[XJINTX]

I am not trying to SNARK this thread but I have read what I think is most all of this post... but I did not seem to see how his Truck and Camper were stolen? Was there a break-in of the camper for access to a set of keys? Was the truck somehow hot wired or something and the camper was collateral damage? My F250 has Ford's OEM security keypad security but I don't really think it would keep a professional thief out... just honest people honest

 

[daverave]

I am not trying to SNARK this thread but I have read what I think is most all of this post... but I did not seem to see how his Truck and Camper were stolen? Was there a break-in of the camper for access to a set of keys? Was the truck somehow hot wired or something and the camper was collateral damage? My F250 has Ford's OEM security keypad security but I don't really think it would keep a professional thief out... just honest people honest

Bumped because I'm curious about how this rig was stolen also. Security...just another thing for me to figure out with my new Hawk...

 

[jackattack]

The truck is still in the wind. No way to know how it was stolen, unless it's recovered.

Real bummer.

 

[Squatch]

So sorry to hear about your truck. I followed the whole build starting from way before you had it on Expo. Hopefully the Insurance company doesn't rake you over the coals too much. At least you have plenty of online documentation of all the mods and money spent.

XJINTX when he was in high school my son walked up to a friends car with a keypad and asked him how many digits it needed. He punched in a sequence and opened it up 1st time. Lucky guess but it happens.

Back in the days when cars had carbs we would install a locking fuel shut off in the floor under the front seat. They worked great. The car if stolen would run just long enough to get stuck out in the road a couple of blocks away. Thieves don't hang around when that happens. I'm sure the things would still work on fuel injection as the car wouldn't even start with no fuel pressure. But would probably make the computer on new ones go whacko. Same for locking battery cutoffs under the hood. I've used those too. My OBD1 truck has a computer but it's just an ECM and couldn't care less if it doesn't have power when not running.

Pulling the fuel pump relay is also a decent way to shut down a parked vehicle in a pinch.

 

[Happyjax]

I have 2 kill switches wired in. One to the brake pedal sensor which prevents my truck from being taken out of park and the other is wired into my ignition to prevent the starter from working.

That brake pedal one is a cool idea. Never heard of that one before. I had an ignition switch once upon a time. It worked but with the newer alarms I never thought about getting a backup device. I will in my new rig

 

[Freebird]

Mods,
Somewhere along the way should this be split off into a "vehicle theft prevention" thread?

 

[Kolockum]

Any update?

 

[Kodachrome]

Wow....I did a search on Hadley to see what he was up to and found this, gut wrenching.

The same week I got my camper, I had one of these put on so at least the vehicle could not be driven off. Luckily I have never needed it and and hope to not have to but least the truck is not at all able to start without it installed:

http://www.ravelco.com

 

[DaveL]

I added this to my rig shortly after reading about Hadley. I researched a number of options, and this seemed to be the best. Better to try to prevent theft in the first place rather than track after the fact.

 

[longhorn1]

I had the Ravelco installed in February. Peace of mind when F-250's and F-350 are 2 of the top stolen vehicles in the US.

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