Jeep Protection
I wanted to do something like this because the soft tops on Jeeps are just too easy to cut or unzip. I don't think you can prevent someone really determined and equipped with tools, but the idea is to deter theft of convenience. This was especially important to me because I hike and will leave my Jeep at isolated trail heads for hours and hours. I could not find anything commercially available though, so a custom solution was needed.
This was my solution. Inside everything is locked up - Tuffy center console, Tuffy stereo cover, Action Packers locked in Swag Offroad exo-skeletons. Outside the Rotopax, tire carrier and cargo box are locked too. The tire carrier pretty much blocks access to the rear of the Jeep. I then made some mounts that hang from the roof rack and hold aluminum sand ladders on both sides of the Jeep, protecting the side windows. There is a piece of angle welded to the bottom of the mounts that the sand ladders nest into. Then there are studs in four places that line up with holes in the sand ladder. Threaded plastic knobs and some custom self centering washers then go onto the studs and secure the sand ladders nice and tight. The cheap security solution that I came up with was to drill a hole for a hitch receiver lock (cheap from Harbor Freight) that then goes through the sand ladder and mount bars to lock the sand ladders in place. A spring on the shaft of the receiver lock holds it under tension so that it doesn't rattle. You cannot remove the sand ladders without a cutting torch, other tools, or for me.... the key to the lock!
To me there are other advantages to mounting the sand ladders this way:
1. The previous owner had them bolted onto the roof rack. This side mount makes them much more accessible. It only takes a few seconds to remove the knobs and lock.
2. It helps protect the soft top from brush/branches. Yes, before this addition I had a branch actually puncture my soft top on a rough trail.
3. It helps to bullet proof the Jeep. I already have a bunch of 3/16" steel armor. If I have to run from banditos and get shot at these will help to protect me. :sombrero:
4. They look ************.
5. They help to Zombie-proof the Jeep. Zombies would tear through a soft top pretty quick, but not with these sand ladders in place!
If you don't want to fab something yourself, then there is a company in Germany that makes something similar for the Land Rover that can probably be adapted. They're pretty expensive though. As a bonus they include plastic securing knobs that lock (a nicer, but more expensive solution compared to my hitch lock) and their ladder mounts fold down to make a table/platform. I may convert one of mine to a fold-down platform in the future.
Kirk