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carterzest
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2008
Posts: 3842
Location: Eagle, ID/Sun Valley, ID
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 Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Mad Maxine wrote: |
I saw this and assume it's still missing?
Stolen Van Alerts
The vans listed below are currently missing. Sad
If you see any of the vans listed below, please call 911 to report them.
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Year: 1990
Model: Syncro Westfalia Weekender
Color: Silver with black bedliner
License:
VIN:
Notable details:
Missing from: Seattle, WA
Missing since: Nov. 24, 2013
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
Further info: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1561613 |
Hmmm, I will PM Kam and see if this was included in the list, but I think this one slipped by us. I will start a thread or have her start a thread if it is not accounted for. Moving south 
_________________
Happiness=Portland, Oregon in the rearview mirror! |
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tam_shops
Samba Member
Joined: November 15, 2012
Posts: 1530
Location: Vancouver BC
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| Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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 If that's still missing, it's WELL over the usual 3week missing and return time frame...Hope s/he knows to check that trailer park and everywhere else they've turned up.... 
I lost track of my own list, was that 12, 13 or 14 now?
Nope, it was on my original list...no idea if it's back though, way over due!
tam
| carterzest wrote: |
| Mad Maxine wrote: |
I saw this and assume it's still missing?
Stolen Van Alerts
The vans listed below are currently missing. Sad
If you see any of the vans listed below, please call 911 to report them.
*************************************************************
Year: 1990
Model: Syncro Westfalia Weekender
Color: Silver with black bedliner
License:
VIN:
Notable details:
Missing from: Seattle, WA
Missing since: Nov. 24, 2013
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
Further info: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1561613 |
Hmmm, I will PM Kam and see if this was included in the list, but I think this one slipped by us. I will start a thread or have her start a thread if it is not accounted for. Moving south |
_________________
1987 Vanagon Westfalia GL Automatic
Making it special:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=545885 |
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carterzest
Samba Member
Joined: January 22, 2008
Posts: 3842
Location: Eagle, ID/Sun Valley, ID
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| Posted: Wed Jan 01, 2014 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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| tam_shops wrote: |
If that's still missing, it's WELL over the usual 3week missing and return time frame...Hope s/he knows to check that trailer park and everywhere else they've turned up....
I lost track of my own list, was that 12, 13 or 14 now?
Nope, it was on my original list...no idea if it's back though, way over due!
tam
| carterzest wrote: |
| Mad Maxine wrote: |
I saw this and assume it's still missing?
Stolen Van Alerts
The vans listed below are currently missing. Sad
If you see any of the vans listed below, please call 911 to report them.
*************************************************************
Year: 1990
Model: Syncro Westfalia Weekender
Color: Silver with black bedliner
License:
VIN:
Notable details:
Missing from: Seattle, WA
Missing since: Nov. 24, 2013
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
Further info: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1561613 |
Hmmm, I will PM Kam and see if this was included in the list, but I think this one slipped by us. I will start a thread or have her start a thread if it is not accounted for. Moving south |
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I PM'd the owner and started another thread
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=580844
If it was already found  I will delete it with a quickness once I hear back from the owner.
_________________
Happiness=Portland, Oregon in the rearview mirror! |
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Dampcamper
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2013
Posts: 788
Location: Rainy Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Mad Maxine wrote: |
I talked to the detective yesterday. He was very helpful. The people who were arrested were a couple. A black male, 43 (5'9" 180 lb), and a white female, 23 (5'6", 140 lb, blonde). A third person at the trailer park where the van was found was also arrested. I'd be really surprised if the two in the van were the thieves. I've never seen them in the neighborhood, but that being said, they both report addresses Ballard. Going after them for recompense probably won't make anyone's lives better. Maybe the other guy was involved, but the possibilities of what happened are endless.
I haven't seen the van yet--will leave it at impound until the adjuster can look at it. I will be surprised if there's more than $500 worth of damage (deductible limit). Detective said that the van was surprisingly clean. My original package of insurance and driver's manuals were still in the glovebox. Tools and repair manuals were still onboard. Not sure what's left in the cabinets... Also, it smells like cigarettes and the gas cap was removed (DAMMIT). No drug paraphernalia, fortunately.
Vehicle located in a trailer park at 2200 block of NE 88th. It kind of rolled out of a space at the site and was awkwardly driven back in. That little moment alerted the police, who then ran the plate. Talk about dumb luck!
Detective didn't know about the serial disappearance of the vans, so I'm sending him a link to this blog and website and the video so he can investigate. Maybe he can put two and two together with prints and such. I'll keep him in the loop if I find anything weird in there. |
So, how did this turn out? Happy ending for you, I hope? Were you ever able to get rid of the smoke-stench?
Any word on what's happening to Mr. Dandridge and his lady friend?
Have there been any other Vanagon thefts in Seattle since our friend was apprehended, do we dare hope that they were "most of the problem"? |
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tam_shops
Samba Member
Joined: November 15, 2012
Posts: 1530
Location: Vancouver BC
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:24 am Post subject: |
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I was wondering the same thing. I just had my LED alarm installed. Hadn't heard anything about thefts so waited on the kill switch b/c I was having that stalling problem. I'm kind of hoping the alarm will just make people (including the teens that are opening unlocked cars around here to take things) move onto the next easier car....
tam
| Dampcamper wrote: |
So, how did this turn out? Happy ending for you, I hope? Were you ever able to get rid of the smoke-stench?
Any word on what's happening to Mr. Dandridge and his lady friend?
Have there been any other Vanagon thefts in Seattle since our friend was apprehended, do we dare hope that they were "most of the problem"? |
_________________
1987 Vanagon Westfalia GL Automatic
Making it special:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=545885 |
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Tobias Duncan
Samba Member
Joined: January 15, 2013
Posts: 1391
Location: Taos NM
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| Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:21 am Post subject: |
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I am curious as well.
Has the spate of thefts ended? |
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Dampcamper
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2013
Posts: 788
Location: Rainy Portland, Oregon
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| Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 11:26 pm Post subject: It's a little early for a Christmas letter, but: |
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I was curious about the individual arrested in MadMaxine's van, especially given the theft of another van in Seattle recently. You know, catch up on news and happenings...
So I checked the arrest records for a Mr. Damion Miguel Dandridge and found that he was "still in the business" as of February 1st this year:
1 Charge Found
The following raw charge information was entered by law enforcement authorities during detainment of Damion Dandridge on 2014-02-01. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
1: 2899 STOLEN PROPERTY INV Bail: $2,500.00
(The usual disclaimers apply here: It might not be the same Damion Miguel Dandridge, he's innocent until proven guilty, etc.) |
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Corwyn 
Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2009
Posts: 2238
Location: Olympia, Washington
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timichango
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2012
Posts: 858
Location: Squamish, BC, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:56 pm Post subject: |
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Given this unfortunate theft mayhem — what's involved in installing a kill switch? Would love some knowledge on this so I can move forward with one ASAP.
Would a big marine 12v switch in the main battery box disconnecting the ground do the trick? Like this one: http://www.westmarine.com/blue-sea-systems--m-series-mini-battery-switches--P009_272_004_505 ?
_________________
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Vroomhilde-San: Our 1991 Silver Vanagon Westy automatic + Subie EJ25 |
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averyo
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2000
Posts: 73
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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These threads keep me up at night. After reading a few I added a kill switch.
There are a lot of kill switch options on thesamba that you can find in search. The switch I added was pretty simple, didn't take long to install, and is hard to bypass.
In the engine compartment you can get to the power source of the fuel pump, cut that wire and add a toggle switch on a long run of wire that you can put pretty much anywhere. I ran the wire through the air conditioning hose access into the passenger compartment to a secret location. It isn't reachable from the driver's seat; If I did it again I would make it slightly more convenient but still hidden.
I cut into the fuel pump power inside the engine compartment so it wouldn't be easy to reconnect under the van, which is how many folks set up this type of kill switch. I thought a simple switch on the fuel pump would be easier than a battery switch, and it was, but I may also add a battery cutoff in the future as well for other reasons.
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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If you don't make it very easy to access and use, you will not bother with throwing the switch when you park. Something in the cab within reach of the driver's seat would be best. Thieves typically aren't going to put too much time into looking for a custom placed kill switch. If they are a success in the theft business they probably want to move very fast and not spend a lot of time trying to figure out why the engine in an old rig doesn't start at the touch of the key.
You also don't want something that can accidentally get knocked and cut the engine off, as per the latest GM recall scandal.
What might work very well is a kill switch with an alarm hooked across the switch. Hit the key without closing the kill switch and the alarm goes off. Not too many thieves are going to hang around for long with an alarm sounding. |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50352
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| Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2014 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Just a thought. My kids used to race to see which one could break into our Vanagons the fastest. I am sure at times they had the doors open in less than a second. I suspect this is one of the reasons why these perps are choosing to steal Vanagons. It might help if you make a bar like people use for sliding windows and patio doors so the sliders couldn't be opened so ridiculously easily. |
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