Lately there has been a rash of car thefts here in the vicinity of my neighborhood. I park my Ram outside in the driveway because it's too big to fit into the garage. It would really chaff my a** if someone stole my baby. Being so close to Tiajuana I know I'd never see it again. Anyone have opinions on the various types of anti-theft devices (i.e. onstar, lojack, gps, the club, unbreakable autolock, etc)? I just found an advertisement in Road and Track about the Ravelco Anti-Theft Device. Anyone know anybody who has this? It's relatively inexpensive but I have never heard of it until tonight. Just like all the other stuff out on the internet for my truck I delve into my research of a product. Especially, if I've never heard of it. Any opinions out there on how to keep your Dodge safe? (other than placing a minefield or claymores around the truck or car).

 

to tell u the truth, clamores the best way, its what i got rigged up , o and sentry guns too, got those babies on my polebarn [sm=goodidea.gif]

Viper is a good brand i think right?, they make decent alarms.

 

If you get an alarm system make sure it has a starter killer, shock sensors, and a back up battery. This will make it harder to steal your baby. Also, and this is very important, make sure that who ever installs the alarm system puts the control unit in a hidden out of the way place. Most of the time the techs will install it in the easiest place for them to work on it which is right under the steering column and really easy to get to. Any decent car thief nows this and can easily just reach down and rip out all the wires and drive away. Also ask the installer to tape up all the wires into bundles so that they look just like all the other OEM bundled wires. This will make it much harder for a thief to figure out which wires are the ones for the alarm so that they can cut them or try to follow them back to the control unit. I would also recommend getting a mercury switch for the hood. They usually only add about $20. This switch is designed to go off if someone raises the hood while the system is armed. If you really want to go high tech (and pricey) you can get one of those systems that calls a pager or text messages your cell phone when the alarm goes off.

FYI, I like the claymores idea too. Speaking as someone who has had their car broken into and the contents and stereo stolen twice (in upper middle class, no crime suburbia no less) I can see how taking out the thief at the loss of the car could be considered worth it. I swear after the second time I just wanted to buy the biggest most expensive stereo, put up a big steal me sign, and camp out there every night with either my AK-47 or AR-15 and a bat. Then when someone tried to break into my car I wouldn't shoot them, I'd just turn their car into swiss cheese, then beat the crap out of it, and then hold them at gun point until the police arrived to take them to jail.

Fortunately for me insurance covered the losses and replaced my audio system. The second time I fixed the broken parts on the car myself, bought the parts at a junk yard, and took the rest of the left over cash State Farm gave me an installed a nice alarm system. No break ins after that.

 

Short of placing my Ram into a bunker looks like I'm going to have to do more research.

 

If your really just worried about someone stealing the whole truck, then follow the advice above. A decent alarm system with a starter kill and a well hidden control module (or hide it yourself) should stop total theft. If your area is like mine (Baltimore) noone blinks anymore when a car alarm goes off, so most likely it wont stop your contents from being stolen.

 

in addition to those above, I would add locking lug nutz, so you dont find your baby sitting on blocks one morning.

Ive also seen pad locks put underneath the stearing column of an F250 around the peddles, not sure how it works though. I would like to look into that, specially aroudn the border

 

I don't have any system other than the door locks but I'm liking the system that has the pager. A lot of Jeep guys use them and if you are familar with Jeeps, they are thief magnets!

Me personally I just step outside about two or three times a year to the back pond and fire off about 30 rounds from the carbine and 10 rounds from the 303. I've never had any problems in the 6 years I have been at my house

But then I live in BFE too........

 

I use two devices, one being the brake club, not because I know it will stop them but becuase it deters the theif. The other item is a Python 700, this alarm pages me when it goes off.

 

I think the advice, especialy the ballistic advice, of the others is sound (or at least humorous). However, I know a guy who worked for Alpine who would always remind me that no matter how good the alarm is there are always ways around it. Heck, allot of thefts happen these days where they rent or otherwise have access to a tow truck....they hook up your rear wheels and drag it off alarm whailin' away the whole time. Unless your there at the moment, and have some means of stopping them, it's probably gone because everyone is so de-sensitized to alarms going off.....

My $0.02 is that an alarm or other system will keep the honest folks honest, but if they've got nothin' to loose or are a pro it won't stop them. I'd throw a decent alarm on there and make sure your insurance properly covers theft, including the type of add-on they offer to pay the difference between your loan and the payoff....

 

I have found that attaching my handcuffs to the stearing wheel and then to the drivers side grab handle in the A pillar works well. Can't steer and it is a visible theft deterant. Cheap idea IMO.