Having anything stolen from you is arguably one of the worst feelings someone can experience, let alone having your four-wheel drive taken from you. The violation, the boundaries crossed, and the absolute devastation of losing a part of you is something you can’t really explain to someone unless they’ve experience it first-hand.
I was recently on the receiving end of this horrific experience and sadly wasn’t nearly as prepared as I would’ve liked. Today, I’m going to run you through my story, and how to theft proof your 4×4 so you don’t end up like I did.
My story
On the 6th of October in 2022 at around 4am, my chopped and modified 80 Series Landcruiser was stolen from a locked workshop in Brisbane. I’d owned the car for over 5 years, it was my only 4×4, and had been all over Australia with me both on and off YouTube. It meant everything to me, not just the sum of it’s parts, but more-so the memories I had with every aspect of the car.
Now, there’s a lot of layers to my situation that made things go from bad… to worse. For starters, the ‘NGTY40’ which was the name of my Landcruiser was halfway between an engine conversion and getting a stack of work done which meant no motor, no wiring loom and no batteries. While this might seem unimportant, it’s quite the opposite. No batteries in the car meant that the wired-in tracker I had installed had no power to send a signal and therefore was useless.
The next layer of utter devastation was that the workshop had recently gone through the Brisbane floods which meant the alarm system and security cameras weren’t operational and didn’t trigger any sort of duress when it was stolen.
The final straw that will probably blow your mind is the insurance situation. Well, it’s not really much of a situation, I didn’t have any. The car had been off the road for around 4 months and should’ve been insured as a ‘laid up’ project car. But wasn’t. Sadly the savage sting of thieves stung during this time.
Fast forward 4 months, I’m just getting over it. I have sold everything I own to replace the car, and am slowly rebuilding. The silver lining is that I’m now a self-appointed theft expert having been on both sides of the fence now. So lets talk about keeping your pride and joy safe shall we?
Social media and real-time updates
Now, if you’re like every 79 Series Landcruiser owner in Australia, you’ve probably got a dedicated Instagram account for your 4×4 and its adventures. But this is not just a place to dump photos. It can also provide the public with a real-time glimpse at your life and location.
Something that you have to remember is that if someone wants your car, then there’s a good chance they’re following you on socials. This includes keeping tabs of where you visit frequently and when you’re there. Do your best to post after-the-fact and keep things like street signs and landmarks hidden wherever possible to make it harder for any would-be crims.
One of my favourite things to do is take a STACK of photos, videos and notes while I’m away or on a shoot, and not post them until later. The same goes for if I’m taking random photos of cool cars I spot around town. I try to always blur the number plate and only post after a day or two to be safe! It’s the little things that can really make a difference.
Trackers and security
Trackers and security is the obvious choice for protecting your pride and joy. Tracking technology is becoming cheaper and more compact as the years go by which means affording one and hiding it stealthily in your vehicle has never been easier.
After having my ‘forever’ car taken from me, I wasn’t taking any chances with the next build. And neither should you. I went ahead and installed 5 trackers. There are 3 different types I installed from 2 different companies all in different locations. This is pretty darn overkill, but I guess you could say I have trust issues.
The first type you need to consider is a wired in tracker. This can be pretty much any brand that you like, I went with Mongoose Australia. The wired in tracker provides constant 4G GPS tracking directly to your phone. It allows me to immobilise the car remotely from anywhere in the world if I know it’s in the hands of someone it shouldn’t be.
The next type of tracker I recommend is a completely wireless tracker. These are easy to hide, often magnetic and can have battery life from 3-6 months generally. What this means is that if for whatever reason your pride and joy is stolen and the brain-dead thieves remove the battery, you’ll still have a live GPS signal to know exactly where the vehicle is.
Now, it’s important to remember that both the aforementioned trackers will need a data-enabled sim card to work. But this should only cost you a few bucks each month.
Now the third, fourth and fifth trackers are things like Apple ‘Airtags’ and ‘Tiles’. These work via a huge WiFi network of other connected users and ping the location off other nearby users sending you an approximate location back to your smartphone! These are tiny, last around 3 years without charge and can be sewn into upholstery, roof linings, and even the carpet of your car.
A few different apps, a couple of sim cards, and coverage all over the world. Sounds like a pretty good approach doesn’t it!
Insurance
The scary elephant in the room, insuring your beloved! Now, I know what you’re thinking, an insurance company won’t insure you because your 4×4 is modified and you take it off-road. Hey, I know the feels, I was in your position not that long ago! The key is to know exactly what your insurance policy covers and the limitations. If you’re worried about a lack of coverage, it’s time to move insurance companies!
I’m by no way, shape or form affiliated to any insurance companies. But my honest recommendation after doing an insane amount of research is Club 4×4. I say this because they cover modified 4x4s, they cover you off-road, and they include features that us four-wheel drivers actually want like a rental car, off-road recovery and a stack of other goodies that we don’t know we need until it’s too late.
Keeping your 4×4 protected for if the worst happens is so so important as I found out the hard way. I wouldn’t wish it upon my worst enemy, so please, if you’re not already, go insure your rig.
Keeping your pride and joy safe is one of the most important things you can do. We dedicate our lives to these vehicles. We grow old with them, we grow up in them. Then we pass them down to future generations, and we build the fondest memories with them by our side. Don’t be like me. Learn from my mistakes and take care of your four-wheel drive. I’ll hopefully see you out on the tracks once I’ve finished rebuilding my new 80 Series!