Theft Prevention for long term storage

I’m leaving my car in a family members driveway for about 4 months. It’s both irreplaceable and my home most of the year, so I’d say I’m extra concerned about theft where I normally wouldn’t be.

The area is generally safe, with little cross traffic, and a long driveway with the car still visible from the street. Someone is basically always home, but can’t say it’ll ‘have an eye kept on it’.

So far, I bought a steering wheel lock, and was planing to disconnect the battery if not just remove it entirely and store elsewhere. I have less than a week before I leave, so anything drastic like a kill switch or alarm system isn’t a current option. I’ve pondered a wheel boot and a GPS tracker as well.

What do you guys think I can/should do?

The car is 100% staying here. I don’t have money for secured storage or anything, nor would I consider that much more secure.

 

Remove ecu?

 

Remove the battery? Some fuses that control ignition?

 

Remove the driveshaft or fuel pump fuse

 

Lots of good ideas already posted. I'd also swing by Walmart or Staples and grab a cheap cam and an SD card to mount up and point at it so you can keep and eye on it from anywhere and be able to record should anything happen to it.

 

Take off the wheels and put it on blocks?

 

Is it insured for theft? If not, I would do that while it's sitting. It doesn't add much to the premium and would be worth it if anything happens to it. I think I pay around $600.00 a year for full coverage on my 2001.

 

Haha I don’t think my family or their neighbors would like the look of my truck on cinderblocks, but I would if I could

 

Put a Ring cam spotlight on it and remove the battery. You'll be able to check in on it any time you get an alert.

Ad wheel locks if you haven't already

Leave the glove box and center console open and obviously empty.

Put it in 4wd low and remove the knob to change it.

For extra measure, pull some vital fuses so they can't actually get it running.

 

I like the wheel boot and tracker idea. Anyone could pull up in a flatbed and just drag it onto it and be gone. Just park it downtown overnight and you’ll get a free one of those for the low, low price of a parking citation.

 

I think most of you are overthinking this. Just pull the efi and/or the fuel pump relay and toss them in the glove box. It will take all of 30 seconds.

I would be more concerned about mice eating that tasty tasty soy wiring.

 

Apple AirTag and remove the speaker from it. Put it in hard to reach area.

I have two in my truck. So if it does get stollen I have gps on it

 

Gone in 10 seconds…

https://youtu.be/PdBOCdQTaUw?feature=shared

I’d hide the GPS tracker. They took out the dealer installed one.

 

Add a wirelessGPS tracker and disconnect the battery and some fuses. If they want it bad enough they'll still manage to get it but w/ thieves TIME is their enemy. So if they didn't plan on towing it out, just the fact they can't start it right away will yield best results. The GPS is for a worst case scenario and they still manage to nab it.

edit: I personally am more concerned with valuables in the truck. Clean the thing out and make it look basic af. If you can remove the head unit without too much trouble. Do it. All the more reason to not even bother with your truck

 

Being parked for 4 months it's a good idea to pull the battery and put it on a maintainer anyway

 

there's a thread for that

https://www.tundras.com/threads/long-term-storage.138851/

 

Letting it sit for four months might not be good. You might want to leave it in a condition where someone can take it for a drive about once a week.

 

Put the axles on jack stands with the tires just barely touching the ground or just clear of it. You won't be able to see the stands under the truck so likely won't make the neighbors mad and they'll keep the tires from flat spotting, also making it harder to steal. Pull the battery as you plan to and put the club on the steering wheel. If they want it, they'll get it. These actions will discourage crimes of opportunity, but won't stop a determined thief.

 

Pull the radio, stash it inside the house, that open void in the dash will deter them. Don't leave anything in the seats/floor/bed of the truck, empty it out. It'll look worthless and they will quickly move on.

 

loosen all the lug nuts and pour sugar in the gas tank

 

Cut the timing belt, it's probably time for a new one anyway.

 

Get a Saint Bernard and chain him to the truck, cover him in blood, leave out a water dish with the name "Cujo" on it and a few human bones freshly dug up from the local cemetery next to it.

 

Mmmmmm Cujo

 

My mother has a local squirrel she hand feeds named Cujo. That’ll probably deter them when they get charged by the squirrel for food.

 

Why are y’all so unhinged

 

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https://youtu.be/6MA0kSWZHFU?feature=shared

 

Good lord. Now the whole world knows he screams like a lil beotch when a squirrel is nearby. LMAO

 

I use a GAMA Electronics Top Post Battery Disconnect switch from eBay.

 

Pull the fuel pump fuse or install an aftermarket alarm. You could look at a Ravelco but they are spendy. The only way to steal the vehicle with the Ravelco is to tow it away, use a wheel boot to prevent that or a bicycle u-lock and a chain will do the same thing.
I would be more worried about squirrels and mice.

 

Easy, have a Ravelco installed. All black wires, tied into the harness makes it impossible to steal. I got one for my 99 7.3 Ford after it was stolen.

https://www.nohotwire.com/?ap=&mt=p...GgwgbqwQO2VkogTNtl5bjJzNEsMq699RoC1cMQAvD_BwE