ARE low profile matching paint bed cover let me down

So......not a great way to start a family vacation. Sometime between 4 and 8pm last night some loser or losers.......broke into our locked bed cover. We have the rather pricey fiberglass matching paint low profile bed cover from ARE. Bed was locked and truck was parked with the ass end nearly touching the wall of the pkg garage (tailgate couldn't even open much at all I was that close). Someone managed to gain access, steal approx 2k worth of clothes, luggage, fishing tackle, etc...etc....and then they closed the bed cover back up. When family went to get something at 8pm the strap we use to pull down to close the bed cover was sticking out and the bed cover was locked. After opening with the key they found all of the stuff missing. We never keep the strap out and rather tuck it in.

Hoping the cameras in this garage caught the losers that did this. We filed a report with the police and with our insurance. We went walking around the bum hangouts in town to see if anyone was rocking our luggage......but alas we did not find them.

Just passing it on for others that this particular model is not as secure as I thought. Will be looking to swap out.........


Which brings me to a question for those on the forum.........which brand and or type do you find is most secure to prevent the non contributors from gaining access?

Thanks in advance for any intel.

 

Unfortunately there isn't a 'secure' topper available that will prevent something like this except the heavy-duty ones with no windows. Personally, I don't even lock the window on my topper unless I'm sleeping back there. I don't keep much back there that's visible, and figure if somebody wants to get back there, I'd rather them not break a window to do so.

You may want to consider a decked system, or an elevated platform of some sort that you can store items under. I built a sleeping platform that runs the length of the bed, so when it's in place with the tailgate up, you can't see the stuff underneath, or access the stuff as easily, and can't access what's in the drawer at all.

 

I think he is talking about a tonneau cover. Certain types are easy to open. You just need a long screwdriver. I had a bakflip once and the tailgate handle broke so I just used a screwdriver to open it.

Did you have one of these?

https://www.4are.com/mobile/product/covers.php

 

I imagine the Diamondback are the most secure as long as you make sure to adjust the rods carefully for as much locking strength possible.

On the other hand anyone with a crowbar or one of the small variety of keys that work those locks can still get pretty easy pickings f they really want to.

The lock rods are pretty tough in most closure devices but the added leverage of a crowbar is a lot stronger still sadly.

 

Sorry to hear that JT.
Where were you on vacation?

 

Oops....my mistake, lol. I see that now.

My truck actually had an ARE tonneau cover when I got it, the LSII, and i remember thinking that it'd be pretty easy to pop open. The locking bars seemed pretty flimsy.

Diamondback makes one that looks pretty secure, but I don't have any personal experience with it.

Diamondbackcovers.com

 

Freaking Burlington VT where this happened. Probably some liberal hippie bum loser. Night before we were in Plattesburg NY for an early morning lake Champlain fishing trip. But last night we were in VT when this garbage happened. Today off to NH. Gonna wind up in Maine and then work our way back by way of RI, Massachusetts, but now I don't think we will stay in Philly like we were supposed to the last night of our trip later this month.

Really pissed about this. Further validation of my love for my dogs over most humans. These pricks stole a bottle of Johnny walker blue, 3 pieces of luggage one of which had rain gear tops and bottoms, a week's worth of outfits for my wife and both boys, 2 pair of my boots......one being flight boots from my days in the USAF reserves and the other being a nice pair of hiking boots, and three bags of fishing tackle that were my oldest sons.

Thank Christ my guns were not in the bed of the truck! That is at least one silver lining in this.

Thank you for what you guys have posted back so far in response to this thread.

 

Wow, Burlington,VT. Last time I was there it was such a nice place.....times have changed.

 

Thank you!

 

Bummer. The locks on these things are only good for keeping honest people honest. Thieves will find a way… unless we start cutting their hands off. That would severely limit their thieving abilities in short order.

 

If you're starting a petition to make this the punishment........you just got 4 signatures from my family!!!

 

Sorry to hear about that dude. Effin mutt skells everywhere you go. I just sold my ARE cover (low profile, color matched just like yours) and picked up a Diamondback HD. Definitely much more secure but nothing is 100%. Good luck with the rest of your trip.

 

As you can see in the pictures......looks like the losers tried to use something under the left and right rear areas of the bed cover to pry open the cover.

Both the left and right have similar damage in the same areas.

Shame we did not catch these non contributors in the act!!!

 

another +1 for Diamondback.