3 Best Ways to Protect Your Ford Truck
I’ve taken the time to read your comments on recent stories regarding mass-theft of Ford trucks, and I noticed that a lot of you are curious about which Ford trucks are being targeted the most, and more importantly; how to protect yourself from these cowards.
That led me to putting together these five tips that’ll help you protect your beloved truck. Remember, the biggest theft deterrent is common sense, so if some of these sound “too obvious” is because they really are. That being said, you’d be surprise how many thousands of thefts occur every year because these obvious measures aren’t followed.
Secure Your Truck’s Perimeter
Ford Super Duty trucks are being stolen left and right in my home city of Indianapolis and across the country. In cases, it’s happening outside owner’s homes even when the trucks are locked. This is a great example of how it’s important to not only secure your truck, but also your home.
Most Ford trucks don’t fit in garages, so make sure your driveway is equipped to deter thieves. You can start by adding more lighting than the measly little light bulb you have right now. Strong lighting and a security video camera pointed at your driveway (could be fake or real) will make most thieves stay away from your truck. If you travel often, make sure to always park by street lights or high foot-traffic areas where suspicious behavior could be noticed by others.
Don’t Leave Valuables in Your Truck
You’ve heard it countless times, yet I never fail to spot a purse, backpack, gym back, mall bag, or even a laptop left unattended inside a car. Leaving valuables in your truck could lead to vehicle theft. I recently read about a serial car-jacker arrested in New York, and when questioned by Police he said that he never meant to steal a car, only the belongings in them, but people would often leave the keys in the car, so it was a no brainer for him.
What you can do? Don’t leave anything in plain sight, and don’t ever leave your keys in your truck!
Install a Kill Switch
Taking all valuables out of your car and installing prison-grade floodlights and cameras in your driveway can only do so much. If a good-for-nothing bastard wants to steal your truck, he’s going to break his way inside it no matter what.
What’s there to stop him? A (secret) kill switch.
You can buy an engine kill switch kit at your local auto parts store for as little as $30 bucks, or you can go online and get something a more stealthy for under $100. In the end, both switches are meant to do the same thing—kill power to the engine. Shall someone (including yourself) get in the truck, insert the key in the ignition, and try to crank the engine over, it won’t start unless you’ve deactivated the kill-switch.
This switch is typical hidden out-of-sight under the dash. You can simply flip the switch and restore battery power and start the engine. Technically anyone including a thief could eventually find the kill switch, but you must remember that most cars are stolen in less than three minutes, and that includes breaking into the car. Most smart thieves won’t spend an extra five minutes looking for a kill switch and risk getting caught.
Remember the keywords—detect and protect. In the end, if someone wants to take your truck bad enough, make them work for it.
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