Truck got broken into :(

[TheBigTater]

Well some asshat broke into my truck. Parked right in front of my apartment too. Luckily they only stole my crappy chinese GPS and left the $1000+ worth of tools there. They pried my back slider open.

Soo...my next thought is...does anybody make an aftermarket window that's a little harder to break into or should I just get a cheap car alarm and some less than lethal ammo for my 12ga?

I live right on the spokane river and lots of bums sleep down there and occasionally wander into my neighborhood looking for easy cars to break into. This truck is the easiest thing I've ever owned to break into.

 

[Old77]

I'd get a single piece back window and then all get locks for your wing window. How did they pry your rear window open if the back latch was closed?

 

[89Suburban]

Some of those rear window latches are chinsey.

 

[Old77]

Some of those rear window latches are chinsey.

chinsey??? does that mean??

 

[TheBigTater]

The latch assembly in my truck is a real POS. It is about as thick as a tin can, plus my window is in rough shape and there's a lot of slop in the windows that slide. They got it open without doing any real damage, it was that loose. There is one little pry mark on the aluminum where they put the screwdriver in.

I thought about doing a one piece window, but I'm a little hesitant, because I don't have AC. It doesn't get super hot here, but that back window in conjunction with my floor vents and wing windows keeps me nice and cool. I just don't want to lose the ventilation if I don't have to. I looked at the aftermarket slider window in the LMC catalog, but I have no idea what the quality is like- it looks JC whitneyish

 

[Old77]

I wonder if just getting a new sliding rear window unit would do the trick then. So that way the latch is better and there won't be as much play in it either.... I couldn't give up my slider either!

 

[78shortandwide]

You can gat a set of those removable gun racks that you can put on either side of the sliding window. My brother had a set in his truck they work great as extra locks for the window.

 

[Irishman999]

cut some wood dowels and lay them in the channel so they cant slide, that is the best way to fix that problem.

After putting door locks in my truck it became clear someone could open the door with no problem with a slim jim in seconds.

 

[Old77]

Just get a big friggin dog and make him sleep in the bed. When they crap their pants due to some big dog jumping up at them they won't come around again

 

[dhamp]

Just get a big friggin dog and make him sleep in the bed. When they crap their pants due to some big dog jumping up at them they won't come around again

Or a Cougar like Ricky Bobby! LOL

 

[TheBigTater]

I'll prolly put an alarm on as an immediate fix. These are opportunistic thieves, they aren't very sophisticated. Everybody on the street has had something broken into, or stolen, but it was usually just because they left a window cracked or a door unlocked. I may give that LMC window a shot. I can always send it back if its crap.

Hopefully this time next year we'll have a place out in the country

 

[89Suburban]

Awesome ideas about the dowels in the tracks and the gun rack.

 

[TheBigTater]

Awesome ideas about the dowels in the tracks and the gun rack.

For sure! I'm gonna use the dowel trick when it gets cold

 

[Irishman999]

For sure! I'm gonna use the dowel trick when it gets cold

Its not like a permanent install thing, you cut them a little short so you can pull them out of the track and slide the window open when you need to.

The only downfall is the ghetto look, it will keep people from opening the slider windows better than any latch though.

I have a slider in mine and I cant wait to find a solid rear window to replace it.

 

[TheBigTater]

Stoney thoughts have me designing something now... I'm gonna fab up some cool removable locks out of aluminum and paint em. Next time I'm at the Depot I'll see what I can find for hardware. Should be interesting. I'll be sure to post pics...even if they suck lol