Keeping valuables safe in the car while traveling

[Beachman]

Hi,

I tried searching but I couldn’t find anything. Just wondering how you keep laptops/Ipads/Camera’s secure when your traveling??

Normally when camping or traveling we keep valuables hidden in bags or under clothes in the car, but what do you do when your on  tour or bush walk all day or even overnight and the car is being kept in a dodgy car park or a bush track??

I thought of a gun case, but after doing a online search all I could find were small cases which would only hold a pistol or really long rifle cases.

Just wondering what people use??

Thanks

[JCOJ]

We just put ours in the rear storage drawer.

[Bird]

We just put ours in the rear storage drawer.

Same, but usually put them in before getting to the spot Im parking so nobody see's you doing it.

[Rumpig]

our camera bag is a backpack type..anything valuable like the IPAD or GPS gets chucked in there with the camera gear and comes for the walk with us, i don't leave it in the vehicle. The backpack certainly isn't light, but i'm used to carrying it on our walks.

[Black Diamond]

Same, but usually put them in before getting to the spot Im parking so nobody see's you doing it.

Cool mate thanks for the info, now i know where too look for a quick getaway    

[chester ver2.0]

our camera bag is a backpack type..anything valuable like the IPAD or GPS gets chucked in there with the camera gear and comes for the walk with us, i don't leave it in the vehicle. The backpack certainly isn't light, but i'm used to carrying it on our walks.

After having the car broken into at perth while on tour this is now the way we go

For valuable not used often like a lap top there is a panel under the seat of the goldstream that screws in 4 screws and i have a nice hidey hole

[Landyline]

I only have small stuff to hide such as GPS units, phones, wallets, keys etc.

I either take them with me or hide them behind a plastic panel in the car. Something that is easy for me to get at but wouldn't look out of place to a thief.

[Dion]

I use a combination of insurance (you can get cover that covers stuff anywhere in Australia, even when it is out of your house ... great if you drop a camera in the surf), low value items (the laptop that comes with us on holidays is a real cheap one, and the iPad is a 1st gen unit that isn't worth much either) and hiding them out of sight to avoid the casual observer.  If they do break in and find the stuff ... well that's what insurance is for. 

I never leave irreplaceable stuff in the car, which to me means removing the memory cards from our cameras.

You could look at something like a pelican case, using a lock on it and then wiring the case to something solid inside the vehicle (like the cargo barrier)?

[Beachman]

Thanks everyone for replying. Up until now I’ve always carried everything in a backpack, but our next trip is to the snow. So apart from the weight of a DSL camera and 3 tablets I don’t trust my skiing skills of not falling on my back and breaking everything.

Just surprised there isn’t a market for small lockable boxes which can be chained/locked to inside the car.   

[McGirr]

Try petty cash boxes with locks and screw them down to a spot in the car. They have keys so they can be locked. These are only good for wallets and phones.

Mark

[ozstickman]

We don't take our iPads but we put our phones and keys in a baby formula tin wrapped in a hand towel so it doesn't rattle when moved.

[Jasman]

The yanks have lots of handgun safes designed for cars, I'm sure you could source one of these if you are keen.

There is a bunch shown in Google images:

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=car+safe&rls=com.microsoft:en-GB&rlz=1I7ADRA_en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=b-l7U7b9MpKhugSSk4GwDA&ved=0CGMQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=995

[Aaron Schubert]

We take as much as possible with us, and leave the rest covered up in the car. An alarm that is very loud can't be a bad decision!

Aaron

[cyberess]

This is certainly a subject that should not be ignored   
Things like going for a swim at a popular beach, taking keys wrapping them up in a towel, and leaving the whole unattended on the beach while swimming , and hoping for the best, I think we are all done this at some stage.

Anyway what I have done to combat this I use a keysafe

to keep the keys in and use a car safe for valuables

the car safe is attached by a cable, it does take a little time to actually use when one stops but it's worth it for security.

With the key safe that I attach that to a tie down point


My Mahindra Pik-up came with quite a good loud security alarm system as standard, (many new vehicles still don't come with a alarm system as standard (and they should  for $$$ people are paying for their vehicles)) so in my case a smash and a grab -- will be a noisy affair. 

This cost for this setup -- as from Bunnings
$35 for the Car safe http://www.bunnings.com.au/sandleford-70-x-210-x-150mm-portable-car-safe_p4220307
and
$84 for the keysafe http://www.bunnings.com.au/select-access-portable-m-lock-5414d-ea_p4210617

With all of this I guess I could still get touched, but at least I don't make it 'too' easy for the criminals.

 

[Beachman]

I was actually at Bunnings last night and came across this safe which is big enough to hold a lap top and is only weighs 12kg.

I was thinking of buying a u bolt and drilling 2 holes in the bottom of the safe and attaching the u bolt to the steel bolt that holds the 3rd row seats to the floor of the Cruiser. Then tighten the 2 nuts inside the safe so it’s a snug fit to the floor of the cargo area.

Like everything it’s not foolproof, but would stop the opportunist thief.

http://www.bunnings.com.au/sandleford-electronic-laptop-safe_p4210063

[Terry W4]

Much food for thought here.

[Fathom]

I have a car safe in the Troll. It was a few years ago. But I think I got it from office works.?
It's big enough for iPhones  wallets etc without being annoyingly big.
 When I just did a quick google search Jaycar came up as selling them. But I was too lazy to click on the link.
Gunshops will sell something applicable too I would think.

[McTavish]

We have one of these for the car... for the normal keys/wallet/phone etc.
http://pacsafe.com/pacsafe-c35l-stealth-camera-bag-protector

Helps when I go surfing/beach I have a "surf key" Subaru organised for me so I can tuck into the leg rope keyholder - just the basic concierge key (old school - no immobiliser).

With the camper we leave valuables in the front tool box with a quality combination lock so no need to take a key.

And - backup is insurance...   

[Lesa4969]

Our trackabout camper came with a lockable box (accessible inside and out) that nicely fits keys, wallets, iPads and cameras inside. Never know what to do with the laptop though. Usually take it with us when we can...


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[speewa158]

Anybody that breaks in to my rig usually leave $ on the dash so l can buy something valuable to have on hand . Really if their going to have a go then its on & you have been cased 1st . Chains , cables etc are no match for the cordless angle grinder from Bumblings .               
Somebody posted that they leave a note pinned to the CT door , " Gone to site in the 222back in 15 Min , make yourself a cuppa " that seems to work 

[Beachman]

Fully agree my option wouldn’t stand up to a cordless angle grinder attack, but for our upcoming holiday my car will be parked in the ski field car park for about 6-8 hours each day and I will have about $2000 with of cameras & tablets in the car.

So I’m trying to stop the quiet opportunist thief who knows that the majority of the cars in this car park will have no owners returning for hours.

[Swannie]

The simple solution is to ensure that nothing of value is visible from the outside.
In my experience when I was on the tools and did emergency glass replacement in vehicles, I always asked what did the have in the car and it was always I had a laptop, camera,phone, gps holder sitting on the dash, windscreen etc.

Generally a thief is only wanting to waste there time for an item, they'd wont just break in to have a look around.

Swannie

[FZJ]

Alarms...locks...chains... safes..... All targets.

Get a 20lt bucket with a lid. Throw some wiggles stickers on it. In BIG letters write...DIRTY NAPPIES TO BE WASHED  on the lid. Leave a packet of wet wipes nearby.

Done.
No one is putting their hand in that bucket.

[theins]

Have been researching this topic myself.

Thanks for all the ideas !

[Lesa4969]

Alarms...locks...chains... safes..... All targets.

Get a 20lt bucket with a lid. Throw some wiggles stickers on it. In BIG letters write...DIRTY NAPPIES TO BE WASHED  on the lid. Leave a packet of wet wipes nearby.

Done.
No one is putting their hand in that bucket.

Love it!!!!