Wondered about the strength of the roof and if it is a weak point for potential theft? I’d plan to store my MTB in the bed when on extended trips and concerned that someone might be able to easily break in through the plastic roof. Maybe I’m overthinking this but overall security is high when taking my toys on trips.
If somebody knows your MTB is in there and is determined to steal it… they’re going to steal it.
Forget the roof. Locked or not, those side and rear panels can be pried open.
Lock it up, keep it out of their sight, keep it in your sight, hope for the best. There’s no better solution.
Even easier than what @kherron mentioned is the back window. I’ve seen/heard people braking them in order to gain access into the bed to remove the rail clamps and steal the entire tent.
Crazy.
IMO the only sane approach is to get insurance and defend against opportunity thefts. Keep your truck clean/clear if possible, keep valuables out of sight, lock all the things you can lock.
You can’t stop a determined thief unless you’re willing to play security guard 24/7.
I have a dash cam and also threw an airtag in my old CVT tent.
I have heard numerous stories of people with the bed rack + roof top tent getting stolen. They don’t even cut the bolts anymore, just steal the whole damn rack + tent at once.
I went the no window route just for this reason - it’s just one more possible “easy” entry point to smash and open. But at the end of the day, anything can and will be pried open if someone wants in bad enough
Lock it using a good lock and chain to something solid in the bed. If they are determined enough to get in there and they have time they will figure out a way to get it.
Guess insurance is best / only route. It would be pretty standard to leave a fully loaded rig for an entire day in remote areas if out doing mountain sports.
Sure, done this myself many times. Just locked it up and hoped for the best. Usually the other people I’ve encountered in remote areas are of similar mindset and not tweakers looking for an opportunity. Just gotta be aware of where you are and how remote it actually is.
The rooftop is pretty tough to be honest (marine honeycomb material with significant toughness). Even with a saw It would be a loud painful job to get through that, the cushions, and then into the camper. If after you get the camper it still worries you, you could add bars or other barriers across the top.
But if the roof were unlocked it would be dead simple to open. I lock both sides of my roof.
My plan is to insure&secure - to chain/lock the most valuable items. Someone could certainly get in and get stuff, but I want them to have to work for it. Crimes of opportunity usually happen fast and without much in the way of tooling. “Make it take longer than the next guy” is about the best you can do. And yes, airtags and other tracking devices offer new ways to hunt things down, and should be considered. I’m hoping the Android side of things comes out with airtags soon.
Thieves after failing to boost your keyfob signal to take the whole truck and deciding to rappel through your roof to find the bicycle they speculated was inside your camper be like…
I just lock all six locks, and I delay car washes - so the window out back is too grimy for an easy viewing of my bike.
I think I’ll tint the back window, and also fashion a very simple dual-cariber equipped curtain I can just clip into place (using the straps from the modular floor panels) to keep the contents hidden from casual viewers.
Most theft is casual. If you have a cable lock on the bike, attached to your truck, inside the shell- you’re 99% good.
For the “really motivated” thief, they’ll bend those doors and cut the lock anyways. Good insurance is helpful.
Are there lockable hinges that can be added to the t rails?
Thinking some type as the one below as it may also creat compression on the seal for better water tightness…
Thinking half way down the side… over the rear wheel…
There are holes for both rear tent latches to accommodate a lock. If yours doesn’t have the holes, they can easily be drilled.
Limo tint (5%) the window and call it a day… you’re already miles ahead of 99% of the vehicles on the road with an aluminum shell IMO.
Not worried about locks, my tent does have them.
Just overal security and tight rail latching, may also help with water seepage.
Thought…
This is essentially what Lone Peak is using for their camper.
I think putting locks on the top will attract attention. Anyone who wants in can just pull any of the hatches open.