Paranoid About Security: Attempted Breakin

[scrubber3]

I have a Great Dane AND a .45. Not to mention a Ka-Bar and 6'4" 220lbs of man to use it. I doubt I will ever have to use any of it though. At least I hope not. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Give the perp all the chance in the world to disengage. If he does not, shoot to kill. Though I will tell you that not many people will go near my dog if he even remotely moans in their general direction. Not sure why though..... Just so you guys know, he is very socialized and listens to his master very well. Couldn't ask for a better dog.

So long as you get a preventative measure and some protection just in case the prevention fails......

 

[SST]

In California:

A house = domicile/residence. Within a domicile/private residence, so-called castle doctrine's apply where you are not required to flee. You can stand and fight, INSIDE your home, OR once you are off of a public right of way, which does NOT include an unfenced front yard.

You need to look and see if a vehicle that is not registered as a RV (or even one that is) would be covered under California "castle doctrine" rules. My thinking, is that, no, it probably is not.

I think along with this "domicile/residence" classification, a vehicle does not fit this definition. I remember a Supreme Court decision about cops not required to have a search warrant to search a vehicle, whereas if it was a residence they would.

 

[robert]

I'm a fan of having a car alarm that you can trigger via key fob. You can get inexpensive ones off Amazon that should meet your needs. I tripped mine once while stealth camping in my old truck when I heard someone walking around my truck in the middle of the night and they left quickly. If you can't afford an alarm system, you can buy blinking LEDs that simulate an alarm. It would be pretty easy to mount a couple of those inexpensive motion detector lights also. Try to make sure there is nothing visible in the cab that would attract someone's attention if they glanced inside- that means nothing on the seats or dash that they could smash and grab. Cover up anything behind the seats with clothes/trash/etc. I know a lot of folks in cities will leave their glove boxes open so anyone walking by can see there's nothing in them; I do this myself when I'm in a city of when leaving my truck at a trailhead. I throw an old towel over the dash to protect it from the sun and it also covers the stereo.

There are plenty of ways to secure the rear hatch on a camper shell, in fact there was a thread on expo not too long ago about it (too lazy to search). Currently I'm just using a length of paracord. Anyone trying to yank it open is going to wake me if I'm in the back; I keep a Surefire flashlight in the back that should blind them as well as some other implements that could be pressed into service. While I'm an advocate of public hangings for thieves, shooting someone breaking into your vehicle is going to be a legal nightmare no matter how in the right you are. You could easily mount some metal bars or mesh to the inside of your camper windows to further deter someone from smashing a window and reaching in.

When I'm away from the truck I tend to leave the back kinda messy i.e. sleeping bag rolled out with blanket cast to the side covering my junk and clothes laying about (I use clean clothes but to the casual observer it looks like I just tossed my dirty clothes in and not many folks want to mess with someone else's dirty clothes). Don't put anything on your truck that might be considered advertising such as camera logos, gun stickers, expensive outdoor equipment, etc.

 

[RangeBrover]

At the end of the day my rule has always been I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. The laws very by state but protecting your life should always be priority number 1.

 

[corax]

In California:

. . . .
-posession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle

Would that apply to a flare gun by any chance? I remember an old trucker telling me years ago that since they were barred from carrying any kind of firearm, he carried a flare gun. He said on asphalt you could aim at the ground in front of a "perp" and get a nice splatter/ricochet of white hot phosphorous . . .

 

[Treenail]

Using a flare gun like that is likely to be considered in the same light as a real gun...assault...unnecessary force...etc. Touchy ground...

Tom

 

[The Rover Shop]

A chain between the two doors on the inside makes a heck of a great obstacle for someone breaking in (see my land rover build thread in the stickies section) and as someone else mentioned the turning on of exterior lights or hitting a panic alarm is usually enough to scare someone off... I am sure if a thief knows there is someone inside the car they would not be breaking into it...I a setting up my roof top tent with a portable control box that allows me to hit all 8 exterior spotlights on from inside the tent... This is more for the animal invader deterrent than the human kind... But most thieves are like cockroaches... Turn the lights on and they scurry away

 

[BlitzleBlat]

At the end of the day my rule has always been I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6. The laws very by state but protecting your life should always be priority number 1.

Move to VA, because in DC you would be looking at what would amount to nearly a life sentence.

 

[UK4X4]

Self defence pepper ball pistol ZEUS G2 Armotech...ROFSheriffHL:

Shooting a person breaking into a car is simply not worth the paperwork........plus he may shoot back before you wiped the sleepies out of your eye's

Alarms lights and pepper sprays- pistols should work fine

Be honest in the middle of the night in the dark who wants to take on an SUV full of potential shooters

Lights and alarm should be sufficient to make the average car radio stealer move to an easier target...........


Oh - get a job and live some where safer would be the best advise !

 

[BurbanAZ]

I decided to purchase a 130dB personal alarm, pepper spray, baseball bat, and pop-n-lock tailgate lock. Still working on how to secure the rear hatch. Thanks for all the suggestions.

How legal would it be to shoot someone if they're trying to break in to your car? Don't you have to try to flee first and only use deadly force if threatened with deadly force?

im pretty sure you have to try and flee first in u live in CA, here in AZ we dont. Just depends on the laws of ur state. Why dont you want to consider a firearm i always take my handgun with my when we go just for peace of mind especially since were so close to the border.

 

[DR1665]

I think the first thing I'd do wojld be find a better place to park. Keep a weapon of some sort within reach just in case, but the pepper spray in an enclosed area seems like a bad idea to me.

Also, the vehicle alarm would be a great bet, as it could be triggered by motion or impact. I'd just be leary of lighting up the inside so the thieves can see a dude sleeping in the back. Could serve as a deterrent, but could also give them ideas too.

Good luck. Be safe.

 

[DoMiNiC1]

BRIAN! You are everywhere man! lol

I was thinking about this... A laser make people run, does not even have to be on a gun. My friend has a flashlight 150 Lumen with a strobe and it is VERY disorienting. .02

 

[Junior's 12 Valve]

I keep "halt" in my cars and nightstands. Nasty pepper spray meant to stop mean dogs. Shoots a stream like wasp spray. Most Bicycle shops carry it. It works on humans. I've used it and it stopped an enraged psycho like he hit a brick wall. I like the idea of a cheap Cobra CB with a pa speaker. Just turn it on and tell the perp you are inside the vehicle with a 44 mag pointed at his head. I wouldn't stay around to see if you are lying!
http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_143g1p5o75_e

Check your laws before saying something of that nature. In Texas, that'll get you arrested for threatening with a deadly weapon. It's easier just to shoot them, and a lot less complications as well.

If someone's breaking into my stuff, no matter what it is, they generally can't be a good person, and our society would probably be better off without them. Fire away.

 

[roving]

I carry a 45 all the time. I have a concealed permit. Read and know your state laws. We have castle doctrine. Stand your ground laws.

The last thing I want to do us kill someone. But my life and my families is more important then some POS attacking me or my family.

You'd better believe I practice all the time as well.

 

[Ray Hyland]

How about a simple portable air-horn? That sucker going off when someone is trying to quietly enter your truck will scare their socks off.