Well it finally happend earlier this week went in the shop to feed and water the dog like I do every morning and noticed something is missing. Like a compressor air ratchets sanders and a floor jack and Dewalt miter saw. To say I was mad enough to spit nails is an understatement. Shop door didn't have a very good lock on it so I guess it was easy to jimmy open my shop has a dog door in it so my dog is fenced in the back yard and her dog house food and water are in the shop. I guess she has gotten too friendly and didn't bark or anything at them. I am reinforcing the shop doors and windows with better locks but now I am worried about my van because it is where I keep all my Festools. I keep it locked but thinking I should add some extra locks to make it really difficult to get in. But don't want something that takes me a lot of extra time to unlock when I get to the job. Don't really want an alarm because that doesn't really stop them they just run away with your stuff faster. What do you guys use for security on your vans.

If you don't want an alarm is there any chance of using lighting over the vehicle? Crooks don't like being seen. Failing that geese are better guards than dogs!

Personally I assume that any scrote can run faster than 28g @ 450mtps

I can't imagine not having an alarm on any vehicle I use to store anything that some drug addict might sell for their next fix. But then I grew up in Los Angeles where it wasn't uncommon for a vehicle break in to steal just your sunglasses. So I'm in the habit that I leave nothing in view in any vehicle. If I had to store tools in a van, it would have an alarm that paged me (with GPS in the event they just towed it away), no windows in the back, a caged front and extra locks and reinforcements to slow down a thief until I arrive with firepower. Even if it is garaged overnight it is vulnerable at jobsites, Home Depot, lunch, etc. My house and garage has monitored alarm, much better locks and laminated glass windows throughout, the point being to slow anyone down and be the hard target, the typical thief wants things easy and moves on to find a soft target. Oh and make sure it is all fully insured and keep detailed inventory if you ever are dealing with the hassle of a claim. At this point you are marked, don't be surprised by a return visit.

Quote from: richy3333 on August 24, 2014, 04:02 PM

If you don't want an alarm is there any chance of using lighting over the vehicle? Crooks don't like being seen. Failing that geese are better guards than dogs!

Personally I assume that any scrote can run faster than 28g @ 450mtps

Yeah but can they run 1458 feet per second?? Hmmmmmmmm?

As in, "You can run, but you'll only die tired."? 

A good wired alarm system is a start. But you could also add individual alarms on doors and windows that are battery powered and not wired to the central system but connected to a big loud bell inside the shop. This would provide backup in case the main power is lost. The added alarm might scare anyone off.

Also it is not a good idea to park any commercial vehicle on the street or in any unsecured area over night on a regular basis. It should be kept inside a garage. The cost of the shop, truck and garage should be a cost of the business. If the garage has a second entrance, you could also lock the overhead garage door from the inside by putting a lock on the door track. Also make sure the manual release for the automatic garage door opener cannot not be accessed even if a hole is drilled through the door.

With the cost of video surveillance coming down, that is another option, just make sure the recorder cannot be located and destroyed. With WiFi and networking cable it could be located within the living quarters.

 The idea is to make your shop and garage a harder target and hope the jerks go find a softer target.

I've used puck locks in the past but with my new van, I went with Tufloc by www.Esmet.com.
Any lock can be broken into.  You just have to make it look tuffer than the next van down the road.  My van has no back windows, cage behind the drivers seat.  The front doors can be popped open in about 10 seconds but they will have a hard time getting into the cargo area.

edit: photo is upside down but you get the idea.

I've used puck locks in the past but with my new van, I went with Tufloc by www.Esmet.com.
Any lock can be broken into.  You just have to make it look tuffer than the next van down the road.  My van has no back windows, cage behind the drivers seat.  The front doors can be popped open in about 10 seconds but they will have a hard time getting into the cargo area.

edit: photo is upside down but you get the idea.

Those are REALLY nice locks - but not cheap. 

^^^ This - and more.

Most people leave their clip-on GDO on the visor. I've removed them (and disabled that feature) from our openers and use an iPhone app now. No remotes to use or steal, and the iPhones can be remotely wiped if lost or stolen!

And it likely wouldn't work with a van for logistics reasons, but for a home or shop the absolute best deterrent is a big dog with a protective streak. Here's my example:

Years ago we lived in a rented town house and I had a VERY expensive component stereo system. (Yeah, I know - priorities, right?) Both my wife and I worked, so no one was at home during the day - except our German shepherd.

One evening I came home after work to find the front door open and part of my stereo system disconnected and sitting on the steps. Right alongside it was my dog, looking very proud of herself. She got a steak that night! GOOD dog!

 

Epilog:

A few months later a neighbor kid was out riding his bike down our street and saw our dog. In one move - I'm still not sure how - he lept from his bike to the top of a parked car. By that time our dog had him trapped, and he yelled "mister, call off you dog" (No, that's not a typo :-).

I left him there while I called the police. Once I completed the call I approached him (but not too close) and said "My dog doesn't seem to like you. Why is that?" He wouldn't say anything, but when the police got there they took him home and in his garage found thousands of dollars of stolen property. Turns out he and his buddies were coming home from school and hitting all the places where people weren't home.

I don't know what happened to him. I never saw him again, but I still had my stereo system and a very good four-legged theft prevention system! We've owned german Shepherds ever since, I can't imagine being without one.

I have been driving a Toyota Hilux as work pickup fore about a year, a few months ago someone broke in and I lost some festools so i recently bought a sprinter with alarm in the front and back, the front alarm is connected to all the doors and the back is triggered by a motion sensor. The next step is to install a siren,  smoke maskin that fills the car with smoke in a few seconds and a cellphone caller that calls my phone if the alarm is triggered.

If you have an alarm make sure you have big labels on the van telling the theves about it.

A couple years ago we caught some guys breaking into our truck when we we at lunch.  He held the guys until the police showed up.   The cops said if we wanted to press charges they would take them in and that they would be released when bail was paid and we would have to go court.   The cop said that normally they do not show up to court and its a long drawn out process.  My lesson is not to call the cops next time!

So Tyler, what exactly will you do next time IF you catch someone breaking into your van/truck/house, if not calling the cops is your lesson learnt??  Just curious...

I started looking at DIY security systems for my shop that use a GSM SIM card, and am overwhelmed sifting through the info and reviews.

Does anyone have recommendations for brands in particular or websites for guidance in general?

My ideal system would be wireless, and allow me to put a motion detector inside the work truck (which sits just outside the shop at night,) and potentially have a camera or two that I could feed to iOS. . .

Smartwater has a proven track record for reducing burglaries.

http://www.smartwater.com/

If you have a van, go on YouTube and do a search on how to open it.  You will be surprised on how easy it is.  Ford Transit and Ram Promasterers are very easy to enter.  There is a solution.... there are Puck locks that run about $250 USD and will lock your side and rear door. 

At home, I have a dog, security cameras and park the van in my back driveway.  When my Systainers are in the garage, I block the door with an 2x4 and entry can only be made by remote garage door opening.  All my Festool are engraved with my last name and NY state drivers liscense number.  I have photos and serial numbers on record.  Should I have a lost, I will be looking at local Pawn shops and Craigslist listing.  I have too much investeded in Festool... I'm not going down without a fight!  Peace... Out.