best anti-theft measure for bus?

[ericallenjazz]

What are the best anti-theft measures for VW buses with manual transmission? Fuel cut-off? Club? Boot? All of the above?

(guessing that fuel cut-off won't help much since it would be easy to pop it into neutral and just tow it away)

[Wildthings]

[jtauxe]

I don't know if it is the best, because I've never had anyone try to steal my car, but what I do is... wait a minute...

Here's a simple one I have heard of: Put a disconnect on the battery and get an engine compartment lock. Keeps people from snooping in the engine bay, too.
_________________
John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[Glenn]

[HoboBus]

Motion alarm?

Yeah they're too sensitive sometimes, but it would go off with the tow truck approach, drive off approach, tilt flatbed truck approach, etc.

Put on an engine lid switch.

Easy use with a key fob control.

For longer periods away from your bus, wheel boots front and rear..... all depends on how serious you want to get, I guess.

Good luck!
Hobo.
_________________
Salt air it ain't thin, it'll stick right to your skin,
it'll make you feel fine. Makes you feel fine.
And I wanna be there. -- Jimmy Buffett

Just a beach-oriented camping Hobo with a bus.

[danfromsyr]

don't make it all nice and shiny
keep it old, dirty smelling funky and full of questionable stickers.
_________________

[SGKent]

locked garage when you aren't driving it, and keep an eye on it.

My dad spent some time in Asia after WWII. He said that things can be so bad sometimes even watching your car someone will steal from it. They could park a jeep where they could see it and anyone who approached it, except maybe for the lower 1/2 because a bush was in the way. When they'd walk out 15 minutes after having a lunch the tires and transmission etc would be gone. Someone would jack it up a couple inches, not enough to notice and that was that.
_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[bsairhead]

Trunk monkey

[aeromech]

Boot
Club
Engine lid lock
Don’t take risks

I have two stories to pass on to you guys. Coincidentally this happened to two separate customers and they were both women

1). 1968 camper. Parked on the street in Venice, Ca. Owner is out for a walk and is heading home. Looks up and sees a couple shady guys in a car across the street from her bus just eyeballing it. She goes inside and retrieves her locking boot. Comes out and installs it. The guys drove away.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[aeromech]

2). Lady customer has a very nice 1974 tin top camper. She drives to a park where she’s meeting people. Locks her bus and carries stuff over the rise to the picnic area. A short while later she returns to her bus and finds a flat bed tow truck backed up to it. The guys see her coming and split.

Share your stories
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Cap10323]

I live in northern Ohio, where older Honda vehicles are a huge target. And there's practically nothing you can do short of locking the car in a building to prevent a determined thief from stealing one. I've heard stories of people having boots cut off, cars towed, or stripped where they sat.

My Bus is not a big target around here, it's just an "old car" to most people. And it's rare enough that if you stole it you'd stick out like a sore thumb. So I pretty much just lock mine when I park it, and lock it in my garage when I'm not driving it.

It really depends on where you are located. In some areas Busses are not desirable theft cars, in other areas, they are incredibly desirable theft cars.

A locking boot will prevent most thieves except people with tow trucks and angle grinders.

Clubs don't really do much, honestly.
_________________
-Ian

'77 Westfalia - 2.0 F.I

[aeromech]

Somebody who had their Honda stolen told me the reason was that a single Honda key would fit several different cars.

What you’re trying to do it make it hard for someone to steal so they’ll leave. A determined thief can take just about anything
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[rugblaster]

I'm going with a multi-prong approach. Disable the ignition, lock the engine lid, rear-wheel and tire removed, an oil field chain around the front axle beam, locked to a pipe fence, and a planned Lojack system. Covers the bases. As these things go up in value, $600 isn't too much moola. I don't know if they have coverage in this area.. probably not.... I live close to Mexico, so I am concerned about it. Vehicles go missing around here and are never seen again. One of my old Snap-on dealers had a truck stolen and was purported to be in the custody of a Chief of Police in Villa Acuna, Mexico. Driving it around like he owned it.
_________________
'69 Karmy, '69 Camper, Meyers clone, '65 drag bug, 10.78 @ 128 (sold it) '51 Dodge farm truck,
'09 MB E350 '18 MB E400, '65 Plymouth Valiant convertible and a '19 Ford F250 King Ranch (nicer, but dirty, farm truck)

VWoA factory trained line tech 75 till 90 or so
ASE Master Certification
VWoA Assoc. of Quality Technicians inductee (One of 25 in the five state southwest region)
La Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (San Angelo Chapter)
TCU ......GO FROGS!!!!!!

[skills@eurocarsplus]

someone on FB posted their single cab was stolen from a locked storage unit. word on the street is thieves are sticking tracking units on cars and following them to places they park. they stake out the car and finally steal it.

do your best in terms of security, insure the fuck out of it and keep a close eye on things is about the best you can do.
_________________

[aeromech]

Having the right insurance company helps. I use American collectors through my
Regular USAA that I’ve used for 40 years.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Cap10323]

[SGKent]

CA DMV lost all their data to computer hackers according to new articles. The hackers can sell VIN and location.

That said, I forgot about the Trunk Money option. Funnier than hell.


Link

_________________
“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[AS350driver]

[Abscate]

A lawyer would end that scenario quickly.
_________________
.ssS!

[rugblaster]

Lawyer???

In Mexico???

Laugh out loud!!! "We don't need no stinkin' lawyers!!!" *said in a bandit accent*
_________________
'69 Karmy, '69 Camper, Meyers clone, '65 drag bug, 10.78 @ 128 (sold it) '51 Dodge farm truck,
'09 MB E350 '18 MB E400, '65 Plymouth Valiant convertible and a '19 Ford F250 King Ranch (nicer, but dirty, farm truck)

VWoA factory trained line tech 75 till 90 or so
ASE Master Certification
VWoA Assoc. of Quality Technicians inductee (One of 25 in the five state southwest region)
La Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (San Angelo Chapter)
TCU ......GO FROGS!!!!!!