Lock for fast guns

[SoonDockin]

Is it necessary to put a lock on torklift fast guns? Is theft an issue?

[jimh406]

Eric&Lisa wrote:
Yeah, maybe I over analyzed. I don't have locks, you do what suits you best. 🙂

Under analyzed maybe, too.

My locks can be had at Amazon for $27.99. I use Master locks keyed alike. You might be able to get some cheaper. That throws your math off, but not that it matters.

How much trouble would it be for your rest and relaxation if someone took one of your fastguns, all of them, or tiedown mounts? Once the fast guns are gone, they could also take the tiedown mount slideins. In my truck case, the fastgun also blocks the fuel door.

Of course, none of us know why thieves do the things they do, but I know they steal inconsequential things. When my Class A was broken into, they took Little Debbies, Walmart level flatware, and 8 year old tvs. They did about $2K in damage for maybe $100 worth of stuff.

Some of our campers/trucks sit in places other than campgrounds. So, picking a nice campground is only part of the story.

[Eric_Lisa]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Guess it depends on if you camp in a high crime area. I never lock mine.

I think there is a general perception about Fast Guns that because they are so expensive, that we must lock them up. For a practical use, they are only good for people who own truck campers. People who have well over $30k in to a truck & camper are not the people to worry about. Therefore I am not worried about a fellow truck camper owner stealing them.

Could a metal thief make off with them? Possibly. There is not that much metal in them compared to other possible items to steal in a campground. Being lightweight makes them portable, but being lightweight limits their value to a metal thief. A quick check on stainless prices is around $.50 per pound. How much would a set of Fast Guns be worth to a scrapper? Maybe $5-10 at the most?? Sure if I am in vagrant central of downtown Metropolis, they might be worth the quick grab. But a metal thief going to a campground just to try and grab them? Naw. Remember, thieves are thieves because they are lazy & opportunistic.

Now let's do some different math with Amazon prices... The cost of the locks is $65.54. The cost of Fast Guns is $334.99. How many people have actually had their Fast Guns stolen? Let me pick 1 in 50 TC owners have had theirs stolen. That is a 2% chance in any given year I could be the one. Let's say my entire truck camper camping career is 25 years. That means there is a 50% chance I could have mine stolen some time. A $65 insurance bet to prevent a $335 50/50 loss seems to make sense. The problem is an absence of hard data. I don't recall anyone on this forum reporting theirs stolen. Let's say I am off by an order of magnitude, and it is 1 in 500. Now that is a 5% chance over 25 years and the same $65 doesn't make as much sense. And this presumes DW doesn't decide she wants a 5th-wheel or Class-A instead!

Finally, and this really clinches it for me.... I go camping to get away for some rest & relaxation. Sure, out of prudence I lock the camper and truck when I am out of the campsite. But if I have to button down every little item to prevent theft, then I will not be getting rest or relaxation. Therefore, by the very nature of going camping, I am going to be someplace where this wouldn't be a problem.

Yeah, maybe I over analyzed. I don't have locks, you do what suits you best. 🙂

-Eric

[Bedlam]

KKELLER14K wrote:
https://www.boltlock.com/You might like this...

Those are great locks since you do not have to carry additional keys. The downside of these locks is if you sell your vehicle, you need to include the lock or you need to make an additional vehicle key to continue to use the locks like conventional ones. The tumblers fit to your key the first time you use it and there is no way I found to reset them without destroying the lock.

[burningman]

bighatnohorse wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
I'm just eliminating the easy opportunities and know if someone wants to steal something they can. I just try to make my things less convenient than the others around me.

I've never been that paranoid. Guess you are.:p

Guess you've never been to Mexico.

Or even southern Cali!

[KKELLER14K]

https://www.boltlock.com/You might like this...

[jimh406]

I use four locks keyed alike. I don’t find them very hard to put on/take off. I also lock my TC back door, but I can’t say that anyone has ever tried to open it. Then, I don’t have to worry about it opening. Same thing with the locks on the Fastguns.

[bighatnohorse]

SidecarFlip wrote:

Bedlam wrote:
I'm just eliminating the easy opportunities and know if someone wants to steal something they can. I just try to make my things less convenient than the others around me.

I've never been that paranoid. Guess you are.:p

Guess you've never been to Mexico.

[work2much]

I bought them. A little discouraged at the surface rust after the first year. Same with the paint peeling off the frame mounted tie downs. For the money I think TL could do a better job on their finishes.

[HadEnough]

I visit very high crime areas, parking on the street and have never locked mine.

The higher crime the area the less you need to worry because nobody knows or cares what a truck camper is there. They certainly don't know what fastguns are or that they can be removed.

I'd say it's campgrounds that you should watch out in.

[Bedlam]

I live in a high density population area where people do not know their neighbors. This is not by choice, but where the work is.

[SidecarFlip]

Bedlam wrote:
I'm just eliminating the easy opportunities and know if someone wants to steal something they can. I just try to make my things less convenient than the others around me.

I've never been that paranoid. Guess you are.:p

[DWeikert]

SoonDockin wrote:
I have to remove one to fill with fuel so might just keep the lynch pin in that one.

That's what I did for a while. Turns out unlocking and removing the lock isn't really that much harder than removing the lynch pin, so now I use the locks all the way around. Do I need them? Probably not. I mostly boondock so there isn't a whole lot of human traffic then. But between home and the campsite I usually have to make numerous stops and you never know who's prowling the rest area parking lots so it's relatively cheap insurance compared to the price of new fastguns.

Bedlam wrote:
I'm just eliminating the easy opportunities and know if someone wants to steal something they can. I just try to make my things less convenient than the others around me.

That's key IMHO. A determined thief will take what they want. Most thieves are opportunists though and anything that will slow them down is usually sufficient deterrent.


Just my $0.02

[Buzzcut1]

the one advantage to the torklift locks is that there is no exposed shackle that a bolt cutter can get to

[thedavidzoo]

We use a set of 4 Masterlocks from HD just the right size and length. The hammered texture even matches the Torklifts. Much cheaper than Torklift locks!