Due to a rash of break ins and stolen vehicles here locally lately I'm looking at alarm systems. Viper has a few nice ones on Amazon. I'll have to add electric door lock solenoids and I'm also looking how to secure the hood and add a pull cable inside the cab. Who has installed their own alarm systems? Pointers and photos if you have them please. Recommendations on systems as well. Thanks!

 

Build a wall.. 32 feet tall, 1,500 miles long, with four gates... one each in TX, NM, AZ, and CA.

Doesn't TX have a "Castle Doctrine"?

 

Yes we have the Castle Doctrine. And believe me I am all for building the wall. And I'm always packing. But still the questions stands, I am not always close enough to get a bead on car thiefs.

 

Damn Hio... I like you more and more every day.

 

In Florida it's "Stand Your Ground".
Very popular...unless your a criminal or a "BHL" (bleeding heart liberal).

 

I have done it and it has worked a few times when I lived in a shady part of town.

Mounted the box on the steering column support behind the gauge cluster. Used universal lock actuators and 90s door lock ***** (straight sided so you cant hook them with a wire). Also installed locking gas caps, receiver hitch pin, lockable spare tire slide out carrier, and the optional hood lock.

It is pretty easy to do. Uses park light circuit for lights, dome light switches for detection of door opening, and has an adjustable shock sensor. Mine also has a starter disable circuit but never hooked it up for fear of reliability issues. Door locks are easy because they are simple and doors have a flat surface to mount things to.

 

I bought a cheaper alarm which had a door lock circuit. Generic door lock solenoids are cheap and easy to mount inside the doors. Wires to them can be run through the same holes as your door speaker wires (or easily drilled.)
The alarm itself had various features I did not need like electric hood lock but essentially allows me to lock/unlock with a key fob, and set/unlock the alarm. I think I paid $75 or so for the alarm, took an hour or so to install. There are better alarms with better features, but honestly I am not a big believer in alarms' effectiveness (how many have you walked by when they were going off?) It's a layered defense - I have a locking gas cap, cheap alarm, and a kill switch in the solenoid circuit so if the switch isn't closed, the starter will not turn over. A hood lock would be a good idea but as of now, by hood is a little out of adjustment and unless you know where to hit it, it ain't opening. My spare is mounted in the bed ( courtesy of the 38 gallon tank) and has a lock on it, too. And my vent windows have additional aftermarket locks on 'em. For long term parking I have a coil wire which has had a couple of inches of core removed - looks good but wouldn't conduct a lightning strike. The bottom line is that if they really want it they will get it - but I'm gonna make them work for it.

 

Funny how different parts of the country you have to deal with that crap.... If there were any-kind of 'burglar' in my rural neighborhood, that would be a body that would never be found...... Occupied burglaries in rural America are very uncommon, even the turd ball ghetto monsters realize that breaking into a car or home in the sticks will most likely result in a one way trip. I worry about solicitors in my neck of the woods, walking up a long dirt driveway is kinda iffy at best around here.....

 

Reminds me of the movie "Second Hand Lions" (Robert Duvall, Michael Caine)

 

I love that movie, especially at the end, with "that one" salesman.

 

That's a classic movie. .....

 

I have that movie. Its great. Well I have everything to install a alarm system. I'm also going to replace the door switch's while I'm at it. They work intermittently. I also purchased generic lock solenoids and a pin switch for the hood. I've got locking fuel caps on order. I've already installed a remote kill switch for the ignition before hand. I'll post photos when I start this project hopefully getting to it Sunday when the weather cooperates.