What is the best way for van or double cab users to secure luggage against weather or theft? Baggy
There are four main options:
one: Store relatively small but valuable goods in the passenger compartment. As discreetly as possible, for example behind the backrest of a bench seat.
two: Install a “specially designed” box cover over the load base. This will protect against dirt and weather and will act as a deterrent against theft, but a plastic or fabric cover won’t keep the determined villain out for long. Expensive Kevlar or heavy sheet steel would pose a greater challenge…and inconvenience to the user as well. But the tarpaulin option is light and relatively inexpensive.
three: Install a fiberglass canopy over the loading base. Unless well designed, this may be less secure against thieves than a passenger cabin, but safer than a tarpaulin.
four: Install a large, lockable “strong box” in the load bed directly behind the passenger compartment bulkhead. A tin box may be better than nothing, but it is better if the box is made of sheet steel and has a lock that is not vulnerable to a heavy hammer. Waterproofing is important. The position should cause minimal disturbance to the cargo area and put weight in the right place – below and in front of the rear wheels.
All three load bed options come at a cost, add weight, and can be a little extra hassle. But while they don’t turn your car into an impenetrable “armored” unit, any deterrent comes with a message to any invader: simply grabbing something from an open pallet constitutes “theft” — a relatively minor crime. Taking the same item in the same place after cutting off a cover or smashing an awning or sturdy box is considered “breaking and entering” (theft, not theft), which carries a much harsher penalty.
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